Mike Fenton, casting director for hundreds of films and TV shows, including classics like Chinatown, American Graffiti, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Bad News Bears, Norma Rae, The Godfather: Part 2, The Goonies, ET, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc, Blade Runner, Back to the future and Chaplin died. He was 85 years old. Fenton was also a co-founder of what became the Casting Society of America in 1982.
Steven Spielberg worked on many projects with Fenton as a director and producer, including Sugarland Express, the director’s first feature. Spielberg was one of the first to assess Fenton’s death. Among other things, he remembered Fenton as a passionate advocate for the actors he chose.
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Spielberg:
Working with Mike Fenton was like working in a candy store – he made the casting a blast. His fervent support for the actors was legendary, and after getting a role, any actor’s smile was rarely as wide as Mike’s. He didn’t just support actors, he launched crusades. And he was a great actor himself, as he always read dialogues off camera to create energy and charm for the person who was reading for the role. Much like the actors he stood up for, Mike loved his role – and those around him loved him very much, and I will miss him very much.
Fenton’s defense also extended to those of his own profession. In 1982, he co-founded the American Society of Casting Directors, which later became the Casting Society of America.
“In 1980, we were the only big group making films that didn’t have a union,” he said in a 2019 interview with the CSA Archives Project. “There were several people who decided that they didn’t want a union. But David Rubin is a genius, and he was able to [mid-2000s] almost alone to convince the casting directors that they needed a union. And I think that the older casting directors now understand what I was talking about when I called for a union in 1980. I hope you like it as much as I do because it’s so important. “
Professionally, Fenton had 11 CSA award nominations and two wins, both for miniseries. He also received the Hoyt Bowers Award from CSA in 1989 for his work as a whole. This award honors not just a body of work, but “excellence in casting” and “outstanding contributions to the casting profession.”
Fenton was also talented on television. Alongside many TV movies and miniseries, Fenton launched a series of 1960s classics, including That girl, Gomer Pyle: USMC and The Andy Griffith Show. Fenton was an associate producer in I spy and cast seven episodes of the hit show.
CSA co-chairs Russel Boast and Rich Mento released the following statement after news of Fenton’s death:
The Casting Society of America is saddened by the death of co-founder Mike Fenton. His remarkable achievements and his incredible work in raising awareness and appreciation of the art of casting define his legacy in the entertainment industry. CSA extends his love and support to his dear family and friends.
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Watch the CSA 2019 conversation with Mike Fenton below.