Mike Fenton

Casting Director
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his two-and-a-half hour Archive 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.

"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."

People Talking About ...
Mike Fenton
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

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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

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Mike Fenton on casting Dinotopia and other mini-series or made-for-television movies

Friendly Fire

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Mike Fenton on casting Friendly Fire with Carol Burnett 

Gomer Pyle - USMC

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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

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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

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Mike Fenton on casting Out on a Limb with Shirley MacLaine

Vega$

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Mike Fenton on casting Vega$ with Robert Urich 
Topics

Advice

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Mike Fenton on advice to aspiring casting directors

Creative Influences and Inspiration

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Mike Fenton on mentors in his career, and how he'd like to be remembered

Hollywood Blacklist

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Mike Fenton on the craft and technique of casting for television and on the Hollywood Blacklist

Industry Crossroads

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Mike Fenton on the craft and technique of casting for television and on the Hollywood Blacklist

Technological Innovation

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Mike Fenton on now new technologies have impacted casting

Television Industry

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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

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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

View Profession
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

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Mike Fenton on casting Gomer Pyle - U.S.M.C. and I Spy

Comedy Series

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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

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Mike Fenton on casting Vega$ with Robert Urich 

TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

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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

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Mike Fenton on casting Friendly Fire with Carol Burnett 

Bill Cosby

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Mike Fenton on working with Robert Culp and Bill Cosby on I Spy

Tom Cruise

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Mike Fenton on casting Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, and Tom Hanks

Robert Culp

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Mike Fenton on working with Robert Culp and Bill Cosby on I Spy

Michael J. Fox

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Mike Fenton on casting Michael J. Fox in "Back to the Future"

Andy Griffith

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Mike Fenton on acting as casting director for The Andy Griffith Show and on working for Andy Griffith

Sheldon Leonard

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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

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Mike Fenton on casting Out on a Limb with Shirley MacLaine

Walter Matthau

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Mike Fenton on casting Walter Matthau in "The Bad News Bears"

Danny Thomas

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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

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Mike Fenton on casting Vega$ with Robert Urich 

All Interviews

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