About
"The casting director's fondest desire would be to come up with 100% of the persona the writer has created. But if we can get to 80 or 85% I am very, very happy....Just because the writer puts it on paper, it doesn't mean that that person actually exists."
In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Mike Fenton (1935-2020) talks about his early years breaking into talent agencies in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He speaks about his work as the head of casting for TNL Productions, working for Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard on series including The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. He discusses at length his work as an associate producer on the adventure series I Spy, also for TNL. Fenton then talks about his work casting motion pictures including the television movie Friendly Fire and such feature films as Young Frankenstein and Back to the Future. Henry Colman conducted the interview on October 1, 2003 in Tarzana, CA.
Highlights
Mike Fenton on acting as casting director for The Andy Griffith Show and on working for Andy Griffith
Mike Fenton on casting "American Graffiti," "The Godfather Part II," "Chinatown," and "Young Frankenstein"
Mike Fenton on researching actors before casting them
Mike Fenton on conducting his casting sessions
Mike Fenton on working for MCA Talent Agency starting in 1958
Mike Fenton on going to work as a casting director for Danny Thomas Productions and on working with Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on radio shows and movies he enjoyed as a child and on his hobbies; on the first time he saw television
On working for MCA Talent Agency starting in 1958; on going to work for producer Al Ruddy; on working as a casting director at Paramount, and on deciding to make casting his career
On going to work as a casting director for Danny Thomas Productions and on working with Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard; on doing casting for The Andy Griffith Show
Chapter 2
On acting as casting director for The Andy Griffith Show and on working for Andy Griffith; on casting Gomer Pyle - U.S.M.C. and I Spy and on the duties of an associate producer; on the locations of I Spy
On working with Robert Culp and Bill Cosby on I Spy; on striking out on his own as an independent casting director
On the craft and technique of casting for television and on the Hollywood Blacklist; on the responsibilities of a casting director; on the qualities of a good casting director
On the importance of casting in television and movies, and on the casting director working with the producer; on an independent casting director obtaining clients and finding actors
Chapter 3
On the difference between an independent casting director and one that works in-house for a show; on finding actors for projects, and facing pressure to cast certain people; on the qualities he looks for in an actor
On casting Dinotopia and other mini-series or made-for-television movies; on casting pilots; on casting Vega$ with Robert Urich
On casting Friendly Fire with Carol Burnett; on casting Out on a Limb with Shirley MacLaine; on casting various made-for-television movies
Chapter 4
On casting various made-for-television movies; on the differences between casting for a cable channel and casting for a network; on casting Walter Matthau in "The Bad News Bears"
On conducting his casting sessions; on researching actors before casting them; on casting for live television, filmed television, and feature films
On stunt casting; on dealing with producers and networks in casting, and on discovering talent; on the then-current state of casting for television, and on new technologies' impact on casting
Chapter 5
On casting various classic feature films; on casting various series; on casting Michael J. Fox in "Back to the Future"
On casting Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, and Tom Hanks; on continuing working, what attracts him to a project, and his career longevity; on advice to aspiring casting directors
On how audiences have changed since he stated his career; on career highlights and regrets; on mentors in his career, and how he'd like to be remembered
Shows
Andy Griffith Show, The
Mike Fenton on doing casting for The Andy Griffith Show
Mike Fenton on acting as casting director for The Andy Griffith Show and on working for Andy Griffith
Dinotopia
Mike Fenton on casting Dinotopia and other mini-series or made-for-television movies
Friendly Fire
Mike Fenton on casting Friendly Fire with Carol Burnett
Gomer Pyle - USMC
Mike Fenton on casting Gomer Pyle - U.S.M.C. and on casting I Spy and on the duties of an associate producer
I Spy
Mike Fenton on casting Gomer Pyle - U.S.M.C. and on casting I Spy and on the duties of an associate producer
Mike Fenton on the locations of I Spy
Mike Fenton on working with Robert Culp and Bill Cosby on I Spy
Out on a Limb
Mike Fenton on casting Out on a Limb with Shirley MacLaine
Vega$
Mike Fenton on casting Vega$ with Robert Urich
Topics
Advice
Mike Fenton on advice to aspiring casting directors
Creative Influences and Inspiration
Mike Fenton on mentors in his career, and how he'd like to be remembered
Hollywood Blacklist
Mike Fenton on the craft and technique of casting for television and on the Hollywood Blacklist
Industry Crossroads
Mike Fenton on the craft and technique of casting for television and on the Hollywood Blacklist
Technological Innovation
Mike Fenton on now new technologies have impacted casting
Television Industry
Mike Fenton on the craft and technique of casting for television and on the Hollywood Blacklist
Mike Fenton on the then-current state of casting for television
Mike Fenton on advice to aspiring casting directors
Professions
Casting Director
Mike Fenton on the craft and technique of casting for television and on the Hollywood Blacklist
Mike Fenton on the responsibilities of a casting director
Mike Fenton on the qualities of a good casting director
Mike Fenton on the importance of casting in television and movies, and on the casting director working with the producer
Mike Fenton on an independent casting director obtaining clients and finding actors
Mike Fenton on the difference between an independent casting director and one that works in-house for a show
Mike Fenton on finding actors for projects, and facing pressure to cast certain people
Mike Fenton on the qualities he looks for in an actor
Mike Fenton on casting Dinotopia and other mini-series or made-for-television movies
Mike Fenton on casting pilots
Mike Fenton on conducting his casting sessions
Mike Fenton on researching actors before casting them
Mike Fenton on casting for live television, filmed television, and feature films
Mike Fenton on using headshots for casting
Mike Fenton on stunt casting
Mike Fenton on dealing with producers and networks in casting, and on discovering talent
Mike Fenton on advice to aspiring casting directors
Talent Professionals
Mike Fenton on the craft and technique of casting for television and on the Hollywood Blacklist
Mike Fenton on the responsibilities of a casting director
Mike Fenton on the qualities of a good casting director
Mike Fenton on the importance of casting in television and movies, and on the casting director working with the producer
Mike Fenton on an independent casting director obtaining clients and finding actors
Mike Fenton on the difference between an independent casting director and one that works in-house for a show
Mike Fenton on finding actors for projects, and facing pressure to cast certain people
Mike Fenton on the qualities he looks for in an actor
Mike Fenton on casting Dinotopia and other mini-series or made-for-television movies
Mike Fenton on casting pilots
Mike Fenton on conducting his casting sessions
Mike Fenton on researching actors before casting them
Mike Fenton on casting for live television, filmed television, and feature films
Mike Fenton on using headshots for casting
Mike Fenton on stunt casting
Mike Fenton on dealing with producers and networks in casting, and on discovering talent
Mike Fenton on advice to aspiring casting directors
Genres
Adventure/Espionage Series
Mike Fenton on casting Gomer Pyle - U.S.M.C. and I Spy
Comedy Series
Mike Fenton on doing casting for The Andy Griffith Show
Mike Fenton on acting as casting director for The Andy Griffith Show and on working for Andy Griffith
Mike Fenton on casting Gomer Pyle - U.S.M.C. and I Spy
Cop/Detective/Mystery Series
Mike Fenton on casting Vega$ with Robert Urich
TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials
Mike Fenton on casting Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture
Mike Fenton on casting Louisiana
Mike Fenton on casting Dinotopia and other mini-series or made-for-television movies
Mike Fenton on casting Friendly Fire with Carol Burnett
Mike Fenton on casting Out on a Limb with Shirley MacLaine
People
Carol Burnett
Mike Fenton on casting Friendly Fire with Carol Burnett
Bill Cosby
Mike Fenton on working with Robert Culp and Bill Cosby on I Spy
Tom Cruise
Mike Fenton on casting Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, and Tom Hanks
Robert Culp
Mike Fenton on working with Robert Culp and Bill Cosby on I Spy
Michael J. Fox
Mike Fenton on casting Michael J. Fox in "Back to the Future"
Andy Griffith
Mike Fenton on acting as casting director for The Andy Griffith Show and on working for Andy Griffith
Sheldon Leonard
Mike Fenton on going to work as a casting director for Danny Thomas Productions and on working with Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard
Shirley MacLaine
Mike Fenton on casting Out on a Limb with Shirley MacLaine
Walter Matthau
Mike Fenton on casting Walter Matthau in "The Bad News Bears"
Danny Thomas
Mike Fenton on going to work as a casting director for Danny Thomas Productions and on working with Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard
Robert Urich
Mike Fenton on casting Vega$ with Robert Urich