ethel
winant
for the
record:
ethel
winant
“...It was theater, but with added intensity and energy, because everything had to be done so fast, so close to the edge.”
E
thel Winant is a veteran casting director and television
executive who began her career with “Studio One” and
“Philco Playhouse.” She eventually became vice
president in charge of casting at CBS. In 1995, Ms. Winant was
voted Outstanding Television Producer of the Year by the
Producer's Guild of America. Today, she works as an independent
producer. Ms. Winant was interviewed on August 17, 1996 by Sunny
Parich in Beverly Hills.
On seeing television for the first time.
The first time I ever saw television was the at the [1939]
World's Fair – you saw yourself as you went through. I
didn't think it would be anything. I had no idea why you would
have television.
On watching a rehearsal of “Studio One.”
I walked across the street to Leadercrans Hall where
“Studio One” rehearsed....I've never felt that kind of
energy. It was theater but with added intensity and energy,
because everything had to be done so fast, so close to the edge.
They had to move around and get the camera shots, move the mike
booms in – stuff you never had to do in the theater. So the
minute I walked into the room I was in heaven. I just love this.
I want to be here forever, can't I stay? So I just hung around.
On the new medium.
No one wanted to do television. The theater actors were too
grand, the radio actors were too rich, and film actors had no
interest. The studios ignored television. There were all these
young actors waiting for work, waiting for an opportunity. They
all just fell into television.
On “Playhouse 90.”
I'd never worked with stars in my life...movie stars. It was a
whole new experience. Our cast, the support cast, were all these
wonderful, young actors because that's who the directors wanted
to work with. “Playhouse 90” was conceived as a show
that would have stars. Even the logo had moving stars around it.
On casting.
As the casting director, you try to understand what he [the
director] sees, what his vision is, what the writer's vision
is....As a good casting director you try to fulfill that vision
and find the actor that brings that quality to it....It's so
personal. It should be.
I've spent a good deal of my time fighting with directors and
producers, and being stubborn because that's what I believe in.
And they would kid about that. George [Roy Hill] would say,
“you're impossible, impossible.” But that's what I
think casting is about....And if they don't agree with you at the
beginning, it's your job, one's job, to try to persuade them
– not to say oh well, okay.
Otherwise you don't need a casting director. You'd just need a
directory and a pen and go through and say, “I want that
one.”
On being a female television executive.
In the executive dining room [at CBS], there was a bathroom
that didn't have a lock. So, for years, when I had to go to the
bathroom, I would go outside and take the elevator down to use
the ladies room. Finally, I said I'm not going to do this
anymore. I took my shoes off and left them outside the door, so
that the guys would know I was in the bathroom and they wouldn't
walk in. I always had to do things like that. I was always the
only woman for years and years and years.
On working with William Paley.
Mr. Paley never quite got used to the fact that there was a
woman in the room, I guess. When he would go through his mail, I
was the one he would turn to and say, “here, would you make
sure this gets to my secretary.” I would take a deep breath
and think, “no, I'm not going to do that,” and I'd have
to say, “Albert, our butler, is right behind you Mr. Paley.
I'm sure Albert would be happy to take your mail.” And he'd
sort of shrug and say, “all right” [as if to say], we
made a mistake I guess of promoting you, so we're stuck with you
here. But it was just automatic. If there was a woman in the
room, you were the one who took the mail, you were the one who
made the phone call. The truth was, no one in that room knew how
to make a long distance call.
On casting the “Mary Tyler Moore” show.
...I love the “Mary Tyler Moore” show more than any
other show I ever cast. Because, except for Valerie [Harper], who
was a gypsy and had never done anything, never had an acting
role, that was a cast of people whose careers weren't going so
well. Gavin MacLeod was a wonderful actor, but didn't work very
much. He did Big Chicken on “Hawaii Five-O” once in a
while. And Ed Asner was a wonderful actor, character actor, but
his career wasn't exactly swimming along. Ted Knight's career was
over. He was playing the second cop or the second judge or
something. And Cloris was a wonderful actress, but nobody thought
she could do comedy. Nobody would give her a comedy role. So, to
put that cast together and have them all become so successful and
have whole new lives...that's what's wonderful. Because these
were people who were terrific and talented and the world had sort
of passed them by. They were hard-working, professional –
and they still would have kept working – but it was great
because that show was a magical show.
– Compiled by Sunny Parich
