Beverly McDermott
| Beverly McDermott | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Beverly Sayers December 21, 1926 Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died |
January 19, 2012 Hollywood, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | American casting director, |
| Spouse(s) | Jack McDermott (19??-2012; her death); 2 children |
Beverly McDermott, C.S.A. (née Sayers; December 21, 1926[1] – January 19, 2012) was an American casting director whose career spanned more than forty years. Her 250 film and television credits included Lenny, Cocoon, Scarface, Cocoon: The Return, and Airport 77.[2][3]
Working from South Florida (rather than California), she became one of the state's highest profile casting directors.[2][3] McDermott was the first Floridian casting director to join the Casting Society of America.[2] She also cast for television series which filmed in Florida, including Miami Vice from 1966 to 1970[3] and The Jackie Gleason Show, which was taped in Miami for five years.[2] She performed as a champion horse rider, performing alongside some of the best known names of the time, including Arthur Godfrey, Roy Rogers, and Dale Evans.[3]
McDermott worked separately as the Vice President of Women in Motion Pictures and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[2] McDermott and her husband, Jack McDermott, have been credited with discovering Freddy Cannon, a singer popular during the 1960s whose hits included "Tallahassee Lassie" in 1959.[2] The couple produced the comeback performance of family friend Connie Francis, which was held in 1989 at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, Florida.[2]
She cast for Burt Reynolds' 1985 film, Stick.[3] and for Reynolds' short-lived television series, B.L. Stryker, which aired on ABC from 1989-90. The series was filmed in Palm Beach, Florida.[3]
Personal life/death
McDermott, a resident of Hollywood, Florida, died at a hospice there on January 19, 2012, aged 83.[2] She was survived by her husband, Jack McDermott; daughter, Cheryl; son, Richard; and two siblings, Paul Sayers and Eileen Crowley.[2]
Film casting credits
McDermott cast for more than 250 films, many set or filmed in Florida. Notable films include:[3]
- Tony Rome (1967)
- Lenny (1974)
- Airport '77 (1977)
- Black Sunday (1977)
- Absence of Malice (1981)
- Scarface (1983)
- Stick (1985)
- Cocoon (1985)
- Cocoon: The Return (1988)
References
- ↑
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Jicha, Tom (2012-01-20). "Beverly McDermott, top casting director and Hollywood resident, dies". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Barnes, Mike (2012-01-23). "Beverly McDermott, Veteran Casting Director, Dies at 83". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2012-03-09.