Mike Fenton, the cast director behind hits such as “Back to the Future”, “ET”, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “The Godfather: Part II”, died this week, the Casting Society of America confirmed on Friday . He was 85.
“Casting Society of America is saddened by the death of co-founder Mike Fenton. “His remarkable accomplishments and incredible work to raise the awareness and appreciation of the cast define his legacy in the entertainment industry,” Russell Boast and Rich Mento, co-presidents of CSA, told TheWrap in a statement on Friday. “CSA expresses its beloved family and friends with love and support.”
Steven Spielberg said working with Fenton was “like working in a candy store” because “he made an explosion.”
“His fiery support of actors was a legend, and after a movie landed, the smile of any actor was seldom as wide as that of Mike,” theET the extraordinary ” director said in a statement. “He not only supported actors, but also launched crusades. And he himself was a pretty good actor, because he would always read dialogue outside the camera to create energy and mojo for the person reading for the role. ”
‘Mike helped me overcome every moment of indecision when I had three good options and could not choose. He was just as responsible for some actors getting their big break in my films as I was, ‘Spielberg added. “Like the actors he pleaded for, Mike loved his role very much – and those around him loved him so much, and I will miss him very much.”
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According to his son, Mick, Fenton is a veteran in the industry with hundreds of credits under his belt, and he died of natural causes at his home in LA.
Born in Los Angeles in 1935 as Ronald Michael Fenton, Fenton joined Paramount in 1963 as a divisional director after working in the office of the Music Corporation of America and as an agent at the Ashley-Steiner Agency. In 1971, he started his own casting agency with Fred Roos in 1982 (and later worked with Jane Feinberg and Judy Taylor. He is the co-founder of the Casting Society of America.
Other film credits include ‘American Graffiti’, ‘Chinatown’, ‘Young Frankenstein’, ‘Norma Rae’, ‘1982’ Blade Runner ‘,’ A Christmas Story ‘,’ Poltergeist ‘,’ Raiders of the Lost Ark ‘,’ Footloose ‘”And Aliens. ”
Fenton is survived by his wife Irene, son Mick, daughter-in-law Alison and two grandchildren.