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Mike Fenton, the legendary casting director who worked on the “Back to the Future” franchise, “ET the Extra-Terrestrial”, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and many other classic movies and TV shows, has passed away . He was 85 years old.
Fenton co-founded what is now known as the Casting Society of America in 1982. He was a prominent casting director for over 40 years, with a mile-long resume ranging from “The Andy Griffith Show “and” That Girl “in” Chinatown “,” American Graffiti “,” The Godfather II “,” Blade Runner “,” A Christmas Story “,” Norma Rae “,” Footloose “,” Honeymoon in Vegas “and” Chaplin “.
“Working with Mike Fenton was like working in a candy store – he blew up the cast,” Steven Spielberg said in a statement. “His staunch support of actors was a legend, and after landing a role, an actor’s smile was rarely as wide as Mike’s. He not only supported the actors, he launched crusades. And he was a really good actor himself, as he always read dialogue off camera to create energy and mojo for the person reading the role. Much like the actors he championed for, Mike loved his role – and those around him loved him so much, and I will miss him dearly.
Like Spielberg, producer-director Frank Marshall had a professional relationship of more than 40 years with Fenton. Fenton chose Marshall’s first feature film as a pilot, ‘Arachnophobia’ from the 1990s, starring Jeff Daniels and Harley Jane Kozak.
“Mike had an amazing impact on so many people, both inside and outside of the cinema. I will never forget our 40 years of friendship, his boundless enthusiasm and his beautiful hair, ”said Marshall Variety.
Casting Society of America co-chairs Russell Boast and Rich Mento hailed the organization’s co-founder as an industry leader who advanced the reputation of casting as a discipline.
“The Casting Society of America is saddened by the death of co-founder Mike Fenton. Her remarkable accomplishments and incredible work in raising awareness and appreciation for the casting profession define her legacy in the entertainment industry. CSA extends its love and support to cherished family and friends, ”Boast and Mento said in a statement.
Spielberg noted that Fenton was especially helpful when he felt undecided about a key role.
“Mike helped me get through every moment of indecision when I had three good options and couldn’t choose,” Spielberg said. “He was as responsible for certain actors to take their big breaks in my films as I was.
Fenton attended UCLA with the intention of becoming director of photography. But after graduating in 1956, he ended up working as an agent, first for Lew Wasserman’s MCA, then for Ashley-Steiner. He joined the staff of Paramount Pictures in 1963, but left two years later to become Chief Casting Officer for T&L Productions, the team behind the groundbreaking 1960s drama series on NBC “I Spy.”
By the early 1970s he was working on some of Hollywood’s most popular and cutting-edge films. In a 1990 profile, Fenton told Deseret News of Utah, “I have been fortunate enough to work with some of the greatest directors in the history of this company.
From 1979 to 1982 alone, Fenton worked on notable films such as “Breaking Away”, “The Amityville Horror”, “And Justice for All”, “Porky’s” and “Poltergeist”, in addition to the 1982 blockbuster “ET” and the cult favorite “Blade Runner”.
Fenton’s success in spotting rising stars and matching actors to roles was rooted in his “exquisite taste” and decency as a person, Marshall said.
“He had a knack for spotting and nurturing talent and a heart of gold,” he said.
Fenton has had several partners in his casting companies over the years, Fred Roos, Jane Feinberg, Judy Taylor and Ann Frederick. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Casting Society of America in 1989.
The final credits for Fenton included the Syfy TV movie “Sharknado 2: The Second One” and the 2002-2003 ABC series “Dinotopia”.
His long list of notable projects included feature films “To End All Wars”, “Dante’s Peak”, “Congo”, “Blown Away”, “Not Without My Daughter”, “Total Recall”, “Bird on a Wire”, “Turner & Hooch,” “Beaches”, “Short Circuit”, “Turk 182”, “World History: Part I”, “Thank God It’s Friday”, “The Deep”, “The Last Tycoon” , “The Bad News Bears”, “Shampoo”, “Young Frankenstein” and “Dillinger”.
Other TV credits include “Gomer Pyle USMC”, “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father”, “Square Pegs”, “The Paper Chase” and Spielberg’s 1985-86 NBC version of “Amazing Stories”.
As busy as Fenton was, he had time for extracurricular activities. In the 1980s, he founded the Flying Squirrels, a running club. The group grew to 40 people who met on Saturday morning at the corner of San Vicente Boulevard and Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica for a run followed by breakfast, Marshall recalled.
Fenton’s survivors include his wife, Irene; a son, Mick, from his first marriage to Janet Monfort.
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