35 minute read
FERN, BABY, FERN!
CASTING STORIES
FERN CHAMPION
A Reflection on Her Extensive Career
FERN, BABY, FERN!
By Candido Cornejo
The Mask, Troop Beverly Hills, Mortal Kombat These were some of my favorite movies growing up and had major inspiration for the start of my filmmaking journey. When my casting career began; little did I know that I would work with the casting titan and idol behind those films, the amazing Fern Champion.
These aren’t the only titles that Fern is known for Fern is known for her eclectic career and for discovering or elevating many to who they are today. People like Carla Gugino, David Spade, Cameron Diaz, and the Sprouse twins. Memorable titles like Up In Smoke, The Police Academy, The Naked Gun, Texas Rising, and most recently The Gray House; are just a few of the iconic projects that Fern has cast And I would be lucky enough to work with her.
I was a casting assistant in my second year coming from two casting offices. I was experienced enough to cast on my own with a few short and student films and was a recent film school graduate My work with actors was recognized by my previous mentors, and when the call came in, I was ecstatic.
“I see you worked with a really good friend of mine, Ronnie Yeskel,” Fern said. “Can we meet this Thursday?”
“Absolutely,” I said. I immediately opened up IMDB and looked up her name. When the familiar film titles popped up, my heart stopped. This was the person responsible for my entire childhood. From running around in my mother’s heels pretending to be Cameron Diaz, to wearing a long black wig and purple eyeshadow calling myself Queen Sindel, and even asking to be part of the girl scouts when I didn’t know any better; Fern had found all my childhood heroes, and I was about to meet her
Thursday came and I didn’t know what to expect I sat nervously sipping my coffee with my resume in hand I looked at my pink polo shirt and thought ‘Is this too much?’ And when I saw her, it was exactly like a scene in the movies She strut through the café in red high heels, a matching strapless off-the-shoulder shirt, red hair, sunglasses, and perfectly manicured French tip nails. She was on the phone with a director and politely asked if I could give her a minute before she hung up and gave me the iconic “Hi there!”
It was the interview that would change everything. I’d worked hard to be prepared for that exact moment. Her former associate had been with her for years, so the expectation was tremendous I knew I needed a chance, and I wanted it
We talked about my work experience, and my former responsibilities, and suddenly she stopped She stared at me and I immediately thought, did I say something wrong? When she pointed at me up and down and said, “Look at you, don’t you look gorgeous!” I exhaled heavily and thanked my gods. It was like a huge weight had been lifted. She asked me what was wrong and I responded “Honestly, I was scared you would think I was too much.” And she said “Are you kidding me? You’re gorgeous!” We then began talking about each other’s outfits and shoes. We talked about casting and what we were currently watching. Who was on what show and what did you think of the season finale of True Blood? Most importantly, we discovered that we both agreed on our love for actors, and theatre
“We’d both done West Side Story, she played Anita and I played Bernardo “I think we’re going to get along great ” She finally said
With that, my new job began at Champion Casting The first week would consist of me moving in and transitioning to my new desk and office. A few projects were already lined up, so we hit the floor running. I would arrive early and brew our favorite pumpkin spiced coffee, I’d print out our session sheets, and update our master lists, I began building her project binders with all the necessary paperwork for the day. The updated books would be ready on her desk alongside her coffee by the time she would get there and say, “Hello gorgeous” and sit at her desk Sipping her coffee, she would open her books and review the materials, and our day would begin
The following months would be crucial I’d sit in many casting sessions with Fern where I would watch her work with actors, and she’d teach me how to adjust them, how to take notes, and what her expectations were. She hired me because of my knowledge of working with actors, but she would teach me how to perfect the craft, and how to manage time efficiently. I’d put all the skills to use that I learned as a casting assistant, but this was a true elevation to the definition of a High-Level Assistant. These were bigger projects, the workflow and amount of information were bigger, and the people she trusted me to speak to were tremendous. I’d landed my dream job, but I knew I had a lot to learn still, and I needed to learn quickly
There were many things I didn’t know that the casting director did, and Fern was generous enough to teach me There were lists to be made; who can play leads? Who was on what show? How to talk to agents, how to pitch, how to negotiate; these were all important elements and I had the best teacher “I will teach you Candido ” She would say “Come on, get on the phone with me ” And I would listen and take notes As I sat there and listened in, I would watch her work her magic and I knew, I want to be her one day.
I asked myself. How did Fern’s journey begin? I would look back and look at all the incredible credits behind her, and I knew there was a plethora of epic tales to be told. So, I would ask her. “How was it working for so and so, or that movie or that project?” And it would always be an amazing story. Over prosecco and fried calamari at La Boheme, she would tell me her story
Fern Champion was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Sid and Florence Bauman Sid owned a restaurant and nightclub on 62nd and York in New York Florence was a top fashion model that would travel all over the world Florence enjoyed the theatre and would take Fern to Saturday matinees from the age of 6, introducing her to her love for performance at a very young age.
“My Mother took me to theatre and Broadway at a very young age. And I grew to love acting and all the actors.” Fern says. “She taught me makeup. My mom told me ‘Never walk out of this house without makeup on. Never.’ My mom taught me to walk tall. She taught me that it’s just as easy to look good as it is to look sloppy She may not have been the PTA Mom, but she taught me that female prowess Which I still use to this day ”
Indeed, Fern is known for that Hollywood female prowess It’s a trait that I love and admire as a female in the industry My favorite memories working with her have always been walking into our director sessions and meetings, the restaurants, and the cafes; and even though she meant business, she was and always is looking sensational. I admired how she would enter a room and present herself, and gain people’s admiration and respect. I would tell myself ‘Do it like Fern’.
“I don’t think I ever became that tough, ‘I don’t care how I look, I’m just doing the job’ type,” Fern says “No I work I’m still going to dress up I’ll still wear my heels And I’ll still do a magnificent job as a casting director ”
And she would bring (up) a great point Just because we are female leaders in the business, does not mean we cannot dress to impress. We do the job because we are good; our knowledge of actors and business and politics exceeds what we wear. We simply wear the female suit with the creative hats, and we know how to wear it well.
I ask Fern to paint me a picture of her parents and her growing up in Brooklyn. And we’re immediately taken back to a magical era.
“My mother was 5’8,” Fern says “Red hair Green eyes
A great pair of legs that you can attest to that I have She would wear her pink polka dot silk raincoat and matching umbrella, and she would pick me up from school in her thunderbird She had a potty mouth but boy she had the looks She looked like Lucy! And she was a pistol Funny The boys would look at me amazed and go ‘Are you kidding me? That’s your mother?’ She was a head-turner. And then when she wasn’t there, they would ask me ‘Where is your mother?’ And she’d be in Rome modeling.
Fern's Mother.
Every Saturday night she would show up at my father’s restaurant dressed to the nines; flowing dresses, makeup, and heels, and my father would wear silk suits and open ties They were stunning together My father during those days didn’t want ladies to wear pants. He wanted ladies in skirts. And my mother looked incredible in them. So, I was brought up with a Damon Runyon existence, Studio 54, and fashion, and my brother on the news. My brother was an Emmy awardwinning news commentator. It was just inherent. Growing up as a Jewish kid who knew the city, and went to summer camps, I had all the leads in the plays, so naturally, I was entitled, to be in this business I really enjoyed it And I was very proud of my parents ”
“So how did casting come about?” I ask “What made you get into casting?”
“I wanted to be an actor,” Fern says “I had a boutique I was already putting together ensembles, and if you think about it, that’s what casting is. And I didn’t know how to reject rejection. Actors need to know how to do that. I didn’t. I was a city rat, and I didn’t want to live with that hurt. But I still wanted to be with my actors. So, I decided I wanted to pass judgment versus being judged.” She says with a smile. We both laugh.
“Gil Champion, my former husband, had a movie. And he said, ‘We’re doing the background people and the oneliners would you come and work the set?’ And I said ‘Work the set?’ And he said ‘You know, get to know the actors Talk to them ’ And you know what? For me it was a party I was on a set I was friendly with all the background players because that’s who we had hired It was truly amazing But most importantly, I was still with my actors I found something that I could do, with the people I love ”
“What was the project?” I ask.
“The original Stepford Wives. I was a puppy; I was 18 or 19 years old. It was Katherine Ross and Paula Prentiss. And I realized that I loved it. One of the other ladies that worked in Gil’s office was Joy Todd. When we both left that set we looked at each other and said ‘You know, we can do this (pointing at each other) ’ And I thought why not?
And so, a man by the name of Sidney Lumet was doing a little movie called Network with Faye Dunaway, William Holden, and Peter Finch And he brought us on That’s really where I learned Sidney Lumet took Joy and me by our hands and said ‘You two are going to help me cast. I want you two to learn from these people.’ Sidney believed in teaming people who were on the rise with the people that knew. He wanted them to learn so they could skyrocket. And I was very fortunate because from there it started to snowball.
“Gil and I went our separate ways. But Joy and I didn’t. We did very small shows, one after another, and then Robert Stigwood was doing this movie called Saturday Night Fever (She says with a smile ) There was somebody else that was originally hired but was fired along with the director "
And John Badham came in And Badham and I adored each other So, I came on to work with John And it was Donna Pescow, who I’m still very close with. We shot in Brooklyn, and I brought John Travolta over to my mom and dad’s house at 4 a.m. with white castle hamburgers. That truly was the beginning of something fantastic.
“Stigwood then approached me and asked, ‘Will you come to California?’ and I said ‘No!’ (makes a cross with her fingers) ‘No! I live in New York, I’m not going to California!’ And he then said ‘What if I give you a movie? Will you come out with a movie?’ And I went ‘What movie?’ He said Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band “
With that, my mind immediately raced to perhaps one of the greatest musical soundtracks in cinematic history The Bee Gees with “Here Comes The Sun", “Carry That Weight”, “Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles, “Come Together” by Aerosmith and so many more.
“So honestly, I came to California very lucky.” Fern continues. “Because I was coming off Saturday Night Fever and walking in with all these wonderful people like The Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, and George Burns who was Sgt Pepper And we found Strawberry Fields, and we found finding Lucy In The Sky, with music I was accepted in this town because I was with Stigwood He had RSO Records and managed The Bee Gees
They’d use their music for Saturday Night Fever and they were the leads in Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band I had it easy; I walked in with a big movie But what happens after? I stayed with Robert Stigwood in Los Angeles, and Joy Todd stayed with Sidney Lumet The rest was history.
“It was the 80’s and the 90’s. And I was skyrocketing. I was getting to know LA and going to all the various clubs. I wanted to see funny people. I went to [Upright] Citizens Brigade and the Comedy Store. I told myself, ‘I want to do comedy. I love comedy.’ And one night I went to go see Pee-Wee Herman at a midnight show, and these two stoners were there. One’s name is Tommy One’s name is Cheech And it was an instant love fest They were HILARIOUS And I became their casting person ”
“That must have been so fun, what was that experience?” I ask
“It was like flying without a net!” Fern laughs. “There were no scripts. We had total improv. And we hired everyone from The Groundlings. From Phil Hartman to Edie McClurg, Pee-Wee Herman, Susan Hahn; all the original members. It was dope humor. Sure, you had to get high, but it was funny. I wasn’t a weed smoker, but they really made me laugh. They would tell me ‘Yeah ok, in time you’ll learn. We got really good weed.’ (We both laugh) But listen, they were mavericks. They would give the studios these bs scripts And the suits would sit there and they would read the lines and be like (in a very funny voice) ‘Very good! Very good Tommy ’ But when the suits left, enter the improv team from the Groundlings, and it was all improvised And that’s where you learn on your feet And that’s why they hired me again, and again It was dangerous We tried it like this and tried it like that, but they truly made me laugh
To this day, I LOVE to laugh What ended up happening I was suddenly looked upon to cast comedies And what came in? The Police Academy “That’s how I began to shine I was at every comedy show, and I became the finder of David Spade and Bobcat Goldthwait and the like I was watching all these comics do other people’s materials. These guys were incredible. Steven Guttenberg wasn’t Guttenberg until The Police Academy. I became the comedy patron, and I was able to find a new person every time.”
Fern went on and cast all 5 Police Academy movies; each receiving tremendous success. She became known as the finder of comedians and granted many their debuts day views on the big screen. Following these successes, she landed The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad’ directed by David Zucker, WB’s Full House, and a personal favorite of mine, Troop Beverly Hills
“Could you tell me about Troop Beverly Hills?” I ask her “I used to watch that at sleepovers My parents would get mad that I attempted to build a tent in our living room and have fashion shows.”
“Oh my gosh!” Fern replies. “It was a ball! Chuck Fries was the producer of that film. And he was married to this wonderful woman, Ava Fries. Ava had this story because it was loosely based on her divorce. She was having her child taken away from her; because according to them she wasn’t fit to be a mother; because she was always shopping, because she was always with the girls. The husband was suing for custody So, Chuck got a hold of Ava, and they did eventually get married; she told him the story of how she turned the quartz around and made these little girls She took care of them in the troops of Beverly Hills and stood out from these other boring ladies in their beige and green outfits She had outfits made for her troops She would take them to Tiffany’s and show them how to pick out diamonds She would take them to the Beverly Hills Hotel, she would teach them how to make fondue. And everything that you saw in that film, Ava actually did. Not only that, in my casting sessions she would say to me ‘What do you think? Should we do finger sandwiches and Pellegrino?’ And I would say ‘For what?’ And she’d say, ‘Well they have to eat!’”
“Stop it!” I bust out laughing.
“Absolutely true,” Fern says. “She would take me to the Beverly Hills Hotel She would take me to the bungalows and say ‘Come on, we’re going stay overnight ’ And she would tell me what she used to do because she wanted me to get to know what she was doing
So by the time I was reading these little girls, one of them being Carla Gugino, I really knew where she was coming from I ended up with such a wonderful troop of girls I had finger sandwiches at callbacks! Are you kidding me?! Everything she did was for those girls. And if you think about it, it was true. You had these big people in Beverly Hills and none of those girls wanted to be girl scouts. But look at your troop leader! She’d say to those girls ‘Come on, we’re going out!’ And the fact that I was a part of this, was extraordinary. Come on Candido, if you were around then you and I would be like ‘Don’t even pay us! We just wanna hang out!’”
“That would be a dream!” I laugh “I’ve been looking for that red dress with the bird on the shoulder for ages ”
“The best outfits I’ve seen She would tell me ‘Meet me at the Polo Lounge ’ And she would hand me her card LOVED this woman It was truly a magnificent experience ”
“Speaking of magnificent.” I continue. “You were responsible for a great find. How did The Mask and Cameron Diaz come about?”
“I was interviewed by New Line because I was still sort of new. But I knew everyone in comedy. We did not have Jim Carrey for the lead at the time. He wasn’t what he is now. He was known as the white guy in ‘In Living Color’. We were going after Robin Williams. New Line wanted me to find a phenomenal female lead She needed to be beautiful and have humor I met Bob Shaye and Mike De Luca who was running this I was in And when I met my director, he told me ‘We have our female lead It’s Anna Nicole Smith I want Anna Nicole Smith ’ And deep inside I was like, really? Don’t get me wrong, she was beautiful But because I did The Naked Gun I knew she was auditioning for The Naked Gun 33 1/3. So, I sort of…. helped that along?” Fern says in a funny voice. “She was cast in that, and she wasn’t available for The Mask anymore and I just said (sarcastically) ‘Aww, too bad.’” We both laugh. “But Chuck (Russell) wasn’t really happy about Anna Nicole Smith. So we read a lot of ladies. From the likes of Stephanie Seymour and Salma Hayek who at the time was doing a lot of telenovelas in Mexico and Christie Brinkley We were reading every actress and supermodel, but this was big I was in the New Line building and a friend of mine there owned a modeling agency and she said to me ‘I’ve got this one girl here, but she has no desire to be an actress
She’s leaving for a tour, she’s part Latina. But she’s feisty.’ I said, ‘I like feisty!’ And this blonde, blue-eyed girl walked in, and I said, ‘You’re part Latina?’ And of course, that was my stupidity. I said ‘Really? They make them blonde and blue eyes?’ (We both laugh again) And she and I got along just like that. She told me ‘I don’t know what I’m doing. But give me the material.’ She was fearless. She had no fear. She read that thing and I called my friend and told her to get there immediately I told her ‘This is what we’re going to do We’re going to get her into dance immediately We’re going to get her prepared I don’t need her with a coach to work on lines, I’ll just work with her on timing ’ So by the time Cameron met Chuck, she was game ready Do you know what he told me?
He said, ‘Let’s keep looking ’ (Fern glares ) I said, ‘Not a problem ’ (Crosses her arms) You know my nostrils flared at that. We kept looking. Cameron went to do modeling. I finally told Mike (De Luca) ‘There’s a young lady. She’s modeling all over the world. Please, ask to see her.’ And he did. The first thing he said to me ‘She’s not booked yet?’ We showed her to Bob Shaye and I watched her convince them. Mike and I won. (Fern smiles). Cameron Diaz wiped the screen. And a star was born. Truly.
“In the interim, we lost Robin Williams to Dead Poets Society. We needed another person that could be Robin Williams The only other person that could be him and do all those expressions, was Jim Carrey Tom Shadyac, who was another comic, called me and said ‘Fern, are you watching Jim Carrey in ‘In Living Color’? He’s the white guy He’s in my movie He’s going to be a star ’ I introduced him to New Line, and he got the part Tom Shadyac’s movie was Ace Ventura That came out, then immediately The Mask came out, and BAM! History. Both he and Cameron were phenomenal. Cameron would then, be considered in my next movie Mortal Kombat, as Sonya Blade.”
We stopped immediately. I tell Fern, “Hold up.” And I order another prosecco. “You know how much I love Mortal Kombat, ” I tell her.
“Oh, I know you wanted to be Princess Kitana.” Fern smiles. “The way you twirl that fan of yours!”
Mortal Kombat could very well be my favorite franchise that Fern cast and the reason why I sent her my resume in the first place Not only was I playing with my mother’s makeup and heels as a child, but I was also outside in my backyard practicing roundhouse kicks in those heels, pretending to be Sindel and Kitana The only thing that I had in common with my straight cis male friends was, the countless hours we would spend on my Nintendo 64 playing ‘Mortal Kombat Trilogy’.
“How did you land Mortal Kombat?” I ask Fern.
“Well New Line was behind The Mask, and because I was coming off that they wanted me to do Mortal Kombat. Like I knew anything about Mortal Kombat? But you know something? I would not have gotten that if it weren’t for my sons, Sean and Spencer. They would spend hours on that game with their tongues hanging out It was crazy So I flew back home and sat with them and said ‘Ok guys, you REALLY have to show me who these characters are ’ And they showed me on the screen who Johnny Cage was, these ninjas, Scorpion and Sub Zero, one guy was made out of ice and the other was a thunder god, Raiden They showed me everything So when I went back to the meeting I told them ‘You cannot mess with your audience. They will get you in trouble and ban your movie if you don’t see these characters as these kids see them. If you start with the big names, it’s not going to work. You need phenomenal martial artists. Because that’s the game. I have an 8year-old and a 9-year-old watching these. Trust me, I know this game. And if you have them at home you cannot mess with them. They’d kill me! It would be like… what was that ‘Flawless Victory?’”
“More like ‘Fatality’,” I respond
“That’s right ”
“How was that process? You went from movies with phenomenal music to comedy and knowing all the comedians, to a huge martial arts franchise.”
“We had a stunt coordinator. And we would go to dojos. Very quickly not unlike with actors, you could see, who was shining, and who was not. I would watch my choreographer go through motions with them, like dancers, and I started to see who was great. Once I started to see that the martial arts were down, I needed to read them. If they didn’t read well, the martial arts didn’t matter
‘Unless they were background. It was quite a system. But you know they would take on these characters They knew who these people were! They were young And then I met Cary Tagawa as Shang Tsung I was scared of him! Everyone one of them really embraced it! It was phenomenal! I was like a kid in a candy store Why? Because I was challenged ”
Fern would audition multiple known martial artists for the film’s lead Liu Kang including Jason Scott Lee, Russell Wong, and Phillip Rhee. Ultimately, the role would go to Robin Shou. Other notable fighters cast were Keith Cooke Hirabayashi as Reptile, Chris Casamassa as Scorpion, and martial arts trainer Francois Petit as Sub-Zero. Cary Tagawa would land the legendary role of Shang Tsung. Other iconic cast members would be Christopher Lambert, Linden Ashby, Talisa Soto, and Trevor Goddard Cameron Diaz was set to play Sonya Blade but had injured her wrist during training and had to pull out Bridgette Wilson-Sampras would then step in and play the Sonya Blade we all know and love today
“I had to do a good job!” Fern says “My two boys would run around the house screaming ‘Your soul is mine!’ Shang Tsung was a hero in my home. I did it for them; my boys. It was important. And 2, I didn’t want to be pigeonholed. I think it’s important for us to not be restrained. I was doing comedies sure, but I was doing this big action movie that led to Annihilation and then Conquest. I wanted to do it all. That’s fun for me. If I were to teach, I would always say, ‘Try it all. Take what’s coming to you.’ Why not? Why would you wanna be put in a box? Take the challenge. Look at what you can accomplish ”
"TAKE THE CHALLENGE. LOOK AT WHAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH.”
Indeed, Fern would do it all throughout her career Her fast-growing reputation as a casting director icon landed her multiple titles that we know today. From action, and sci-fi series like Highlander and Babylon 5, to horror genres like the original Pet Sematary and two Friday the 13th films and series, and even the 36-hour hit classic mini-series War and Remembrance directed by Dan Curtis. She would give the Sprouse Twins their introduction into features with Just for Kicks in 2003, as well as Victoria Justice in Adventures in Appletown in 2006.
As we finished our drinks and left La Boheme, I would leave feeling inspired Fern’s journey demonstrates talent, vitality, adventure, class, and a fire that to this day, burns bright Her very words repeated in my mind ‘Take the challenge Look at what you can accomplish ’ And they would inspire me to be the best assistant I could be. She took me under her wing and showed me the works; she’d show me how to properly run a workshop, how to give actors something that they could leave with, how to ‘schmaltz’ up a room or conversation as she would say. And the challenges were the best learning points; she’d teach me to be quick and prepared.
Together we’d work on various independent projects, including ‘The Dark Prince’ and ‘Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn’ starring Jake T. Austin and Joel Courtney. Eventually, I’d become an associate, and she allowed my wings to expand With a watchful eye, of course, the expectations were high with the responsibility But with the work we were doing, I expected no less I found the world that I loved, just as she did at her first job in New York Eventually, a project would land on our laps, that would change the trajectory of Fern’s career, yet again Kevin Costner’s ‘The Hatfields and McCoys’ for A&E
It's hard not to think about ‘The Hatfields and McCoys’ without hearing The Silent Comedy’s ‘Bartholomew’, seeing the red carpets and award shows, and our amazing Jon Bloch that also joined our staff who Fern grew to lovingly call ‘Johnsie’. This mini-series boomed and elevated many to a new light.
“Look at all the people we brought back?” Fern says “And discovered We got Tom Berenger an award Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton Jena Malone Discovering Matt Barr and Boyd Holbrook This was huge!”
And huge it was. At this point, we’d taken over two offices and the conference room at Thinkfactory Media because we’d been so busy. Fern and Jon would read actors in the conference room, while an assistant and I handled another project and manned the phones. It was the busiest we’d ever been. The talent that we read, however, was stupendous. It was all invigorating.
The rush was immediately followed by her nomination for an Artios Award for Hatfields and McCoys, followed by her Emmy nomination Fern looked at us and said “Come on We’re going shopping ” And shopping we went
The adventures that followed were hard to believe. My first time walking the red carpet at the Emmys, my first time at the Artios, and the phone calls that followed. We did not win either the Emmy or Artios however, so a late-night trip to Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles was due We entered in the most extravagant beaded dresses and my famous Jimmy Choo shoes and ordered the muchneeded meal It was a blow, but we could not deny the fun and success involved with the project And I’d seen Fern at her best She handled multiple projects, enter the room after handling multiple phone calls, and begin our sessions and did it effortlessly. She thrived with the challenge. I would continue to watch and learn, and I knew how lucky I was. This casting legend eventually taught me how to be a casting director. I learned to let go of the fear and be confident. I was learning from the best. As she said about Cameron Diaz, ‘there was no fear’.
Fern would go on to cast Texas Rising after Hatfields and McCoys, another limited series with A&E with the same executive producer Leslie Greif, along with over 15 movies for Lifetime including Beaches with Idina Menzel, and Nia Long, Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart the Toni Braxton story along with casting director Leah DanielsButler, Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge, and Michelle and Girl In The Basement with Judd Scott, Stefanie Scott, and Joely Fisher.
I’d eventually land a TV job followed by a position at the network. Something that was always an interesting conversation with Fern.
“How is it at the network?” I’d ask Fern. I knew this conversation was a hard one, but for someone that was still learning and growing, I wanted to know what to expect Something that always hits an independent casting person is the fear of feast or famine “Is it more consistent at the network vs freelance?”
“In the career that I chose, I knew early on that I never wanted to head a studio or a network,” Fern said “That to me was not ‘me’ I wanted to keep it alive and different vs being in one place per se I was asked to do that. But it just wasn’t me. In choosing that you can have ‘feast or famine.’ And famine is scary. Scary in the sense that, like an actor, you’ll never work again. That’s it. It’s over. What are you going to do? So I chose to stay. I would wake up every morning and say ‘I can. I will. I’m doing the best I can.’
And I know this sounds silly but, I just put it out there. ‘I’m too good not to work again.’ And I’m not saying that necessarily now, but in the past. With the path that I chose. I wasn’t lucky. I think it’s because my track record was pretty great. And I was very eclectic in what I was choosing You need to know what you love and why you love it And as you know, I don’t like being pigeonholed I wanted to be able to fly and choose what I was doing And sometimes that is scary, but you have to believe in yourself God bless the people that can do the network and studio, they do a lot of the assigning I like to get the assignment ”
“When in your career did you get approached by the studios?”
“It wasn’t at the beginning of my career. It was after War and Remembrance. Did we see how many people? It was a lot. I originally told those producers when they handed me the scripts ‘Are you crazy?’ and they told me ‘Are you saying you can’t do it?’ I just looked at them and said ‘That’s not what I said.’ And I did it. And when people saw everyone on that show and saw my name, they were like ‘Who is she?’ And after The Mask and Mortal Kombat, was when they really wanted me It just wasn’t me It was also important to me to spend time with my sons They are my life ”
My career eventually took off, but I would take her teachings with me I’d walk down the hallways of the studios with paperwork in my hands, remembering the day’s objective. I’d remember the importance of presentation, how to navigate conversations, and how to treat and work with actors. I was selective with my work. I dared to think outside of the norm and challenge myself.
Things were not just black and white, I needed to look at every color and every angle Most importantly, I always remember to laugh and find humor Occasionally I still peek in the mirror and look at my heels, and tell myself “You got this. Walk as she does. Take the day on.”
Meanwhile, Fern’s journey continued as epic and exciting as always. Her eye and taste for talent continue to demonstrate phenomenal expertise. She’d go on to cast Sun Records for CMT, Greenhouse Academy for Netflix, and films like Terror In The Woods and Romeo Killer: The Chris Porco Story. Fast forward, I reached out and said, “I’d be honored if I could write your story ” we sat down on a Zoom call, and it’s like nothing has changed She flicks her hair, I flick my hair She compliments my necklace, I give her a little shoulder She tells me “You look stunning!” And I smile I think back to the little boy that sat in the café during my first interview, nervous to finally meet her I think back and wish I could tell him ‘You will LOVE her Don’t worry darlin.’ We sit for hours and talk and laugh and remember all the wonderful memories shared. We talk about the many changes our industry has gone through, and how it continues to change. I see her healthy boys. And more importantly, I see she is well and happy.
“What do you have to say to the up-and-coming casting generation?” I ask her.
“Well first of all You see this thing?” She tells me while pointing at her cell phone “Pick up the phone and call Please ” I laugh “Seriously Get to know those assistants You’re going to be in it for a long time with them, you better get friendly with them Also remember, you’re going to grow with them Eventually, they will become agents or managers, and they remember We all do It’s a small town and we all talk But more importantly You have to love it. You have to love it and you have to have fun.”
“How do you stay so active and busy? Especially in such a weird time right now.”
“It really is relationships.” She says. “It’s very important. You have to maintain relationships. I’ve worked with many wonderful directors and producers, and they keep hiring me Yes, I’m good, but you have to care for them Again, this town is small And we’re too good to not be working ”
We near the end of the conversation, and I can’t help but smile
This amazing epic powerhouse of a woman, remarkable in all the ways, and a tremendous casting legend; is not only one of my mentors that taught me many things, but she is also someone I’m very proud to call a friend
“Any advice for our casting colleagues now during the strike?” I finally ask her
“Marry money?” She says I turn away from the screen and laugh “No but seriously We really need to support our actors As for us, we need to continue to watch movies. Watch the TV shows we didn’t have time to watch. And go to showcases if there are any.”
Fern’s most recent works are Disquite, Wifelike, and Dangerous Game: The Legacy Murders for Paramount+, executive produced by Steven Paul, and the highly anticipated The Gray House produced by Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, and Leslie Greif. Her work on Confess also earned her an Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Short Form Series alongside casting director Sharon Lieblein Fern’s sons now both work in the industry, continuing her showbiz legacy; Sean is an executive at a studio, and Spencer is a member of the Teamsters
Do you still remember that phone call on your birthday?” Fern asks. “How can I not?!” I respond.
And with that, I’m taken back to perhaps one of the happiest birthday moments of my life We’d been insanely busy on one of my birthdays, and the phones wouldn’t stop When suddenly a very familiar eerie voice came on the other end “Is this Candido?” He asked “This is,” I responded And with his following words, my jaw immediately dropped, and I turned to a smiling Fern It was the one and only, Cary Tagawa, with the words, “Your soul…. is mine.”
