Bill Shepard, casting director for Disney and Mel Brooks, has died in Sherman Oaks, Calif. after suffering a heart attack. He was 79.
He began as an usher at CBS, but found his niche with Disney in 1954 – a move that would last the next 30 years. Starting as a clerk in the editing department, he proved his worth at Disney by identifying key players for roles. His talent was rewarded and he moved into the position of senior casting assistant and before long landed in the role of casting director.
From there, Shepard worked on such films as Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie,” “My Science Project,” “Herbie Goes Bananas,” “The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark,” “The Devil and Max Devlin,” and “Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend.” If you have ever wondered who gave Michael J. Fox his first feature film, the answer is Bill Shepard acting as casting director for the 1980 movie “Midnight Madness.”
When he left Disney in 1984, he worked with Mel Brooks as the casting director on four of his films: "Spaceballs," "Life Stinks," "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" and "Dracula: Dead and Loving It."
"He not only found stars and big players that helped make the pictures successful, but he also was a genius at finding the right featured players and smaller character roles that gave my movies depth and reality," said Mel Brooks in a statement.
Bill Shepard is survived by two daughters, a sister and four granddaughters.
