chiller blog

Posted Oct 26, 09 02:00 PM

She Who Walks Behind the Rows

Cameron Diaz. Mickey Rourke. David Spade. The Olsen twins. Sharon Stone. Corey Feldman. Phil Hartman. Fran Drescher. Paul Reubens. Steve Martin. Mykel T. Williamson. Daniel Dae Kim. Tori Spelling. Bobcat Goldthwaite. Kim Cattrall. George Lopez.

All discovered by independent casting director Fern Champion.

Fern's one of those personality-on-her-sleeve New York transplants you just know you're going to like immediately. At a dinner party, everyone would be fighting over who gets to sit next to Fern. She exudes that kind of tangible, completely accessible veteran Zen - an elixir-uncorked quality that's shepherded a career path from Saturday Night Fever, Network, Babylon 5, Police Academy, War and Remembrance, The Naked Gun, Mortal Kombat and The Mask to, oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy, horror.

Chiller got to sit next to Fern and her casting partner, Paul Ruddy, for a little behind-the-scenes soiree.

Chiller: Well, hello, Fern. Paul.

Fern & Paul: Well, hello, Mike.

Chiller: You know, I name-drop you as having discovered Cameron Diaz on The Mask. But didn't you guys, by studio decision, actually position Cameron by default? What's the story?

Fern: We secretly put Cameron in training -- dance lessons and singing lessons - so that when we exhausted all of the other ladies, we shoved Cameron down (studio exec) Bob Shay's throat. Their first choice was Anna Nicole Smith. She decided to do The Naked Gun 33 1/3, which was the happiest day of my life, because she was not going to be in The Mask. But I also knew I had Cameron who, as a female, I liked. And this gal in The Mask, you had to like. I knew that when the men saw her, she was stunning. That was a given. But I knew my ladies had to like her. They had to root for her. And if you didn't, then I'm going to lose half my audience. So when I met her, we clicked immediately. We went out drinking. We had a good time. And the rest, as they say, is history. She was also (my son) Spencer's bar mitzvah date.

Chiller: This is my least favorite question to ask a casting director. But for the benefit of those outside the industry, "How did you get into casting?"

Fern: I started in fashion. I owned a boutique. I was married to a producer at the time. I liked going to sets because, for me, it was like getting an ensemble together. You create the same sort of thing. And then I thought I could be an actress, but I don't like rejection. So I passed judgment instead. You have to know when people are better than you are. But I also knew talent, and I knew who was good.

It's a tough gig. And many people, after a number of years, shouldn't do it anymore. I think they become tired, restless. They keep going after the same talent they've used over and over. There's way too many of us. You shouldn't be doing it if you're tired. You should have the passion for it.

Chiller: What's a typical day when you're working on a project - including days when there are multiple projects? Takes us through a day in the life of Fern...

Fern: I hate getting up in the morning. I don't like having to be at a certain place - I don't have a clock. Typical? No day is ever the same. I enjoy being entertained. The phones ring non-stop. I'm privileged to have a family life. Two sons (Spencer and Sean). It starts there and that's reality. You get out of reality, walk into here and it's playtime. Its chaotic and its rewarding and it can be boring when talents not good. But no day's ever the same and that's a plus.

We have a good time. We pass judgment and we're *&#$ing ruthless (a sincere smile).

Chiller: Are you spending more of your time dealing with agents booking stars or in session filling out the day players? Which do you prefer?

Fern: I don't like dealing with the stars, because it's not as creative for me. I leave that to legal people: Business affairs, big lawyers...I'm appalled and offended at half the stuff. And I don't understand back-end deals. That's not my deal. But I enjoy finding the talent. That's my arena. To come up with lists - that's what we do quite often. And we have list upon list upon list –

Paul: Book upon book upon book upon book.

Fern: -- is not as rewarding. Financially, sure. And when you see it in a movie you think "Oh yeah, that worked." But it doesn't really have your heart in it. So I think even the day players are much more exciting to us.

Chiller: Do you sense a core difference between casting for television as opposed to theatrical releases?

Fern: Yes. Too many suits in television. Too many cooks. And that's always been my issue. I like working with my director. We like two or three of us in the room making the decision as opposed to the studio, the network. And by the time it gets to the final choice, many actors are exhausted and they've lost their concentration.

Chiller: What's been the record on callbacks? Ever hit double digits?

Fern: Oh, absolutely. And that's just wrong. Because your talent - they don't even know what to do anymore. I think there should be a limit, and supposedly there is a limit. I think the guild says three times.

Paul: It also makes you look like you don't what you're doing. When you bring a person back six times - there's a reason you bring someone back: Chemistry mix-and-match, that's a different story. But if you just keep bringing back the same actor over and over again –

Fern: Oh, you lose everything. It's just not productive. But that's what happens in a network. I like film better. You have a little bit more time. You don't have so many peoples' opinions. They're afraid to hire us now for television because I fought TV for so long. After Aaron Spelling, I didn't want to work on TV anymore because he was so great to work with and you know he called the shots.

Chiller: What about casting for cable vs. the Big Four (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox)?

Fern: I think in cable, you have less restrictions. And they're much more open than the Four...

Chiller: Even if Children of the Corn - we'll come back to this shortly - is under Syfy which is under NBC-Universal?

Fern: NBC did not get in our way at all. I think when you have Syfy, you don't prey on them. They know what they're doing.

Chiller: Coming off Fade to Black (with Dennis Christopher of Breaking Away), your second feature was Tobe Hooper's The Funhouse. Syliva Miles was already a two-time Oscar nominee while your heroine, Elizabeth Berridge, was three years away from Amadeus. How did all of this transpire?

Fern: Can I regress and talk about Fade to Black?

Chiller: Certainly.

Fern: Dennis was coming off of Breaking Away. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to do this movie. So I was told by (producer) Irwin Yablans to continue to cast and see if there was someone else who could replace Dennis. And I found...or, the actor found me, Mickey Rourke. And Mickey came in and read for the lead. And I thought he was far superior to Dennis. And unbeknownst to me, he was and still is a little crazy! He was a young Robert DeNiro. I brought him to my director, who happened to be eating a sandwich while Mickey was reading. Mickey looked at him. You'll probably have to bleep this out... Mickey is on. Mickey's giving him heat. "Are you going to put your &*@!ing sandwich down or are you going to continue to eat?" And this poor director didn't know what to do. And Mickey says, "You either listen to me or you'll eat your *&@#ing sandwich." So the sandwich got put down quickly. That being said, Dennis came back into the movie and Mickey played his best friend. And that was his first movie!

(Back to The Funhouse.) Tobe Hooper - the best. Tobe was quite an interesting director. Very nervous. Loved the horror genre...and Tobe doesn't direct typical movies. He's wild. He runs around the set with a little stogie. He's certifiable. "Yup! Yup! Yup!" Actors love him...it was really a bizarre little movie...Beth Berridge? Luck. And Sylvia Miles: What's there to choose? You choose a lady that you know what you're going to get.

Interview continues next week in She Who Walks Behind the Rows II: The Final Sacrifice.