"Once NBC and CBS had television set up, they had to put stuff on the air. I was one of the most used actors in New York because I memorized lines quickly and I never got flustered because the camera was live. And I enjoyed it. It was an exciting time. I did hundreds of shows, sometimes two in a week because I was the guy who could do it and some people were terrified of it. But I wasn't."
"I’ve had a wonderful life. I did what I wanted to do, I woke up every morning and looked forward to that day because I was doing what I loved."
"It's harder to be a good casting director now because the world is so much bigger. I used to have this simple advice which was to watch a lot of television, watch a lot of movies, start making lists and every time you see somebody that you like, write their name down. Keep lists, keep cards, do all that. I don't know if it's possible anymore, but I think it's really what it's about -- seeing as many people as you can."
"Be honest to yourself and always take stands. Don't be afraid to say what you think. You're not always going to win, but don't give up on a point just because somebody says you're wrong."
"The key ingredient is giving the audience what they expected to get. If I'm there to escape, let me escape. If I'm there to be taught, teach me. But, don't suck me in, thinking I'm going to escape and then teach me. You've caught me off guard. You'd say, 'I've been had,' and you'd leave."
"When we did our first show, people showed up in business suits and dresses, nice looking people in the studio audience. By about the second week or so, a woman showed up with a sign. One side said, 'roses are red, violets are blue, I came here to deal with you' I stopped, read the poem, and picked her. The next week, everybody had a sign. Then somebody else had a funny hat, then came costumes...."
"I'd like to be remembered as Betty, their good friend that they invite into their home."
"The producer has to convince people of the basic sports theory that sometimes you've got to work with people; you don't have to go to lunch with them."