Pamela J Polifroni

Pamela Polifroni, a casting director who worked on TV series including "Gunsmoke," "The Waltons," "Gilligan's Island," "The Love Boat" and "MacGyver" and on feature films including the original "Tron," died on November 21, 2019. She was 90.

Polifroni spent most of her career working in television, but she did work for a time at Disney, where she cast "Tron" (1982), starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner and David Warner, as well as the Ray Bradbury adaptation "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (1983), starring Jason Robards. Outside Disney she cast two films directed by Don Siegel: "The Shootist" (1976), which was John Wayne's last film, and the Charles Bronson film "Telefon" (1977).

At CBS Polifroni cast shows including "Hawaii Five-O" and "Gilligan's Island," while at ABC she cast shows including "General Hospital" and "Santa Barbara." She also spent years working independently.

She was gratified to have given first or early breaks to many. She cast Jodie Foster in a small part on "Gunsmoke" when the actress was 7; gave Jon Voight one of his early television jobs in L.A. — as a 16-year-old Swedish boy — after he came from New York; and cast a pre-"MASH" Loretta Swit in two episodes of "Gunsmoke" and one "Hawaii Five-O."

Others to whom Polifroni provided early-career work included Genie Francis, Emilio Estevez, Meg Tilly, Corbin Bernsen, Dennis Hopper, David Carradine, Sam Elliott, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, Vic Morrow, Ted Danson and Bruce Boxleitner.

Polifroni was twice profiled in the San Diego Union-Tribune, in 1976 and in 2011. She told the writer of the earlier article that reading the script was an essential part of casting a show. "I cast for freshness and for interesting characterizations," she told the paper. "The nicest compliment I can get is for a producer to say afterward, 'The people you sent us didn't seem like actors. They seemed like real people.' That's the trick, to get reality up there on the screen."

Born in Glendale, California, Polifroni began in show business as a secretary on "The Loretta Young Show," working for the producer, casting director and star for four years. The casting director, Jack Murton, thought she had a "flair" for casting, so he asked Polifroni to be his assistant on a show called "The Lineup"; from there she became the casting director on two ABC daytime series — "Day in Court" and "Morning Court." On these scripted shows, she was casting some 50-75 actors every week — an extraordinary workload for a casting director, though she did not know it at the time.

Looking back, however, she described it as "the best thing that could ever have happened." A large number of "wonderful actors and actresses" were delighted to do these shows; she kept photos filed by category (age, type, etc.) and notes on a Rolodex (which eventually became four). As a result she became familiar with the work of a large number of actors in a relatively short period of time, which put her in "a good position for future jobs."

Eventually she was plunged into the world of Westerns — about which she knew nothing, though she had to learn quickly — when she became casting director on "Gunsmoke" in 1966 and "The Wild Wild West." Her time on "Gunsmoke" was her favorite during her long career.

A particular coup was suggesting and securing Bette Davis for a guest role on the show.

While doing "Gunsmoke" Polifroni was asked to cast a TV movie called "The Homecoming," which starred Patricia Neal and Richard Thomas and led to what became CBS' long-running hit "The Waltons." Initially the network's main aim was to produce a low-cost series against Flip Wilson's hit series on NBC. Polifroni’s main challenge was casting the mother since Neal wouldn't do a series. She saw Michael Learned in a play in San Francisco and brought her in for what led to eight seasons as matriarch Olivia Walton. She became good friends with Learned.

Just as the Westerns proved a challenge initially, the casting director was plunged into the world of science fiction when she was engaged for Disney’s “Tron.” Polifroni described the experience as “a little strange since the people at Disney knew little about sci-fi and I knew even less.”

Polifroni’s last credits came on the TV movies “Gunsmoke: The Long Ride” in 1993 and “Gunsmoke: One Man's Justice” in 1994.

She was thrice nominated for the Casting Society of America's Artios Award, all for "Santa Barbara," winning in 1990.

Once retired, Polifroni and second husband Howard Gray moved to Oceanside, Calif., and she volunteered her time with the Moonlight Angels Auxiliary, as a part of the Moonlight Cultural Foundation, eventually becoming treasurer and a member of the board.

Polifroni was twice married, to musician Francis “Poli” Polifroni and Mammoth ski school director Howard Gray. The first marriage ended in divorce in 1960, the second with the death of Gray in 2008.

Survivors include Polifroni's son, Dr. Mark Polifroni and his wife, Rebecca, as well as a brother, Lawrence "Larry" Paulson.