Randy Stone
Encyclopedia
Randy Stone was an American
actor
and casting director
, and Academy Award winner.
. However, most of his acting roles were as an adult. He appeared in two episodes of Space: Above and Beyond
, and did two movies roles. His most notable performance, however, was as the hapless gay Los Angeles millionaire Michael Beebe in the second-season episode Beware of the Dog on the television series Millennium
.
However, Stone's primary career was as a casting director. He began this career with The Landsberg Company in 1981. His first job was casting the NBC
series Gimme A Break!
. He was head of casting at 20th Century Fox Television
, and was responsible for casting David Duchovny
and Gillian Anderson
on The X-Files
and Lance Henriksen
on Millennium. In 1998, Stone, who was gay
, was terminated at Fox and filed a complaint with the California State Labor Commission that he had been illegally discriminated against on the basis of his sexual orientation. The company refused to comply with the Commission's decision.
Among his more notable film and television casting jobs were the film Jaws 3-D
(1983
), the made-for-TV movie The Ryan White Story (1989), Cameron Crowe
's directorial film debut Say Anything... (1989
), the made-for-TV movie The Incident
(1990) and the television series Space: Above and Beyond.
In later years, he also produced several films. He was executive producer for the film Little Man Tate
, Jodie Foster
's directorial debut motion picture. (During the 2007 Academy Awards, Foster referred to his passing, and called him her "best friend.") He and co-producer Peggy Rajski won an Oscar for the 1994
short film Trevor
, a comedy-drama about a gay teenage boy's attempted suicide. A revised version for television co-starred Ellen DeGeneres
. In 2006, Stone wrote and executive produced the made-for-TV movie A Little Thing Called Murder
, starring Judy Davis, based on the story of murderer Sante Kimes
. It won him the International Press Academy's Satellite Award for Motion Picture Made for Television.
The 2008 motion picture, The X-Files: I Want To Believe
was dedicated in his memory in the closing credits.
Stone died of heart disease
at his home in Beverly Hills, California
.
in 1990 for Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Miniseries or Special for The Incident. Stone and Powell were only the second recipients of this award, which had been established in 1989.
He was nominated three times for an Artios Award by the Casting Society of America
. In 1982, he was nominated for Best Casting for Comedy Episodic TV for his work on Cheers
. In 1986, he and co-casting director Lori Openden were nominated in the same category for casting the pilot episode of All Is Forgiven. And in 1991 he was nominated for Best Casting for a TV Miniseries for Switched at Birth.
inspired by the film Trevor, called The Trevor Project
. The organization runs a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention
hotline
aimed at gay
and questioning youth in the United States. The organization produced teaching guides and support materials for distribution to teens in schools.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and casting director
Casting (performing arts)
In the performing arts, casting is a pre-production process for selecting a cast of actors, dancers, singers, models and other talent for a live or recorded performance.-Casting process:...
, and Academy Award winner.
Career
Randy Stone began his acting career in 1976 as a child actor on Charlie's AngelsCharlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
. However, most of his acting roles were as an adult. He appeared in two episodes of Space: Above and Beyond
Space: Above and Beyond
Space: Above and Beyond was a short-lived mid-90s American science fiction television show on the FOX Network, created and written by Glen Morgan and James Wong. Originally planned for five seasons, it ran only for the single 1995–1996 season. It was nominated for two Emmy Awards and one Saturn...
, and did two movies roles. His most notable performance, however, was as the hapless gay Los Angeles millionaire Michael Beebe in the second-season episode Beware of the Dog on the television series Millennium
Millennium (TV series)
Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Millennium aired on the Fox Network from 1996 to 1999. The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, though most episodes were ostensibly set in or around Seattle, Washington...
.
However, Stone's primary career was as a casting director. He began this career with The Landsberg Company in 1981. His first job was casting the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
series Gimme A Break!
Gimme a Break!
Gimme a Break! is an American sitcom which aired on NBC from October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. The series stars Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief and his three daughters.-Premise:...
. He was head of casting at 20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
, and was responsible for casting David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
and Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
on The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
and Lance Henriksen
Lance Henriksen
Lance James Henriksen is an American actor and artist best known to film and television audiences for his roles in science fiction, action, and horror films such as the Alien film franchise, and on television shows such as Millennium....
on Millennium. In 1998, Stone, who was gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, was terminated at Fox and filed a complaint with the California State Labor Commission that he had been illegally discriminated against on the basis of his sexual orientation. The company refused to comply with the Commission's decision.
Among his more notable film and television casting jobs were the film Jaws 3-D
Jaws 3-D
Jaws 3-D is a 1983 thriller film directed by Joe Alves and starring Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Lea Thompson and Louis Gossett, Jr...
(1983
1983 in film
-Events:*February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York*May 25 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy, is released. Like the previous films, it goes on to become the top grossing picture of...
), the made-for-TV movie The Ryan White Story (1989), Cameron Crowe
Cameron Crowe
Cameron Bruce Crowe is an American screenwriter and film director. Before moving into the film industry, Crowe was a contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine, for which he still frequently writes....
's directorial film debut Say Anything... (1989
1989 in film
-Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
), the made-for-TV movie The Incident
The Incident
- Films :* The Incident , a 1967 film starring Beau Bridges and Martin Sheen* The Incident , a Japanese film by Yoshitaro Nomura* The Incident , a 1990 film starring Walter Matthau and Harry Morgan...
(1990) and the television series Space: Above and Beyond.
In later years, he also produced several films. He was executive producer for the film Little Man Tate
Little Man Tate
Little Man Tate is a 1991 motion picture drama directed by and starring Jodie Foster.It tells the story of Fred Tate, a 7-year-old child prodigy who struggles to self-actualize in a social and psychological construct that largely fails to accommodate his intelligence...
, Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
's directorial debut motion picture. (During the 2007 Academy Awards, Foster referred to his passing, and called him her "best friend.") He and co-producer Peggy Rajski won an Oscar for the 1994
1994 in film
1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
short film Trevor
Trevor (film)
Trevor is a 1994 American short comedy film directed by Peggy Rajski about a gay 13-year-old boy who, when rejected by friends because of his sexuality, makes an attempt to take his life....
, a comedy-drama about a gay teenage boy's attempted suicide. A revised version for television co-starred Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was also a judge on American Idol for one year, having joined the show in its ninth season....
. In 2006, Stone wrote and executive produced the made-for-TV movie A Little Thing Called Murder
A Little Thing Called Murder
A Little Thing Called Murder is a 2006 drama film starring Judy Davis and Jonathan Jackson and directed by Richard Benjamin. This film made for television, by Stonemade Entertainment for Lifetime TV, was based on a true story, as told in the book Dead End by reporter Jeanne King.-Synopsis:Judy...
, starring Judy Davis, based on the story of murderer Sante Kimes
Sante Kimes
Sante Kimes is an American felon who has been convicted of two murders, along with robbery, violation of anti-slavery laws, forgery and numerous other crimes. Many of these crimes were committed with assistance from her children, especially her son Kenneth...
. It won him the International Press Academy's Satellite Award for Motion Picture Made for Television.
The 2008 motion picture, The X-Files: I Want To Believe
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The X-Files: I Want to Believe is a 2008 science fiction-thriller directed by Chris Carter and written by both Carter and Frank Spotnitz. It is the second feature film based on The X-Files franchise created by Carter, following the 1998 film...
was dedicated in his memory in the closing credits.
Stone died of heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
at his home in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
.
Awards
In addition to his Oscar, he and fellow casting director Holly Powell won an Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 1990 for Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Miniseries or Special for The Incident. Stone and Powell were only the second recipients of this award, which had been established in 1989.
He was nominated three times for an Artios Award by the Casting Society of America
Casting Society of America
Founded in Los Angeles, California in 1982, the Casting Society of America is a professional society of about 350 casting directors for film, television, and theatre in Australia, Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. The society is not to be confused with an industry union. The...
. In 1982, he was nominated for Best Casting for Comedy Episodic TV for his work on Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
. In 1986, he and co-casting director Lori Openden were nominated in the same category for casting the pilot episode of All Is Forgiven. And in 1991 he was nominated for Best Casting for a TV Miniseries for Switched at Birth.
Trevor Project
In 1998, Stone co-founded a nonprofit organizationNonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
inspired by the film Trevor, called The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is an American non-profit organization founded in 1998 and the leading national organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. Through a toll-free telephone number, it operates The Trevor Lifeline, a...
. The organization runs a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention
Suicide prevention
Suicide prevention is an umbrella term for the collective efforts of local citizen organizations, mental health practitioners and related professionals to reduce the incidence of suicide....
hotline
Hotline
In telecommunication, a hotline is a point-to-point communications link in which a call is automatically directed to the preselected destination without any additional action by the user when the end instrument goes off-hook...
aimed at gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and questioning youth in the United States. The organization produced teaching guides and support materials for distribution to teens in schools.