Beverly McDermott

Beverly McDermott, C.S.A. (née Horgan; 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]

Beverly McDermott
Born
Beverly Horgan

(1926-12-21)December 21, 1926
Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJanuary 19, 2012(2012-01-19) (aged 85)
Hollywood, Florida, U.S.
OccupationAmerican casting director,
Spouse(s)Jack McDermott (19??-2012; her death); 2 children

Career

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 Horgan and Eileen Crowley.[2]

Film casting credits

McDermott cast for more than 250 films, many set or filmed in Florida. Notable films include:[3]

References
  2. Jicha, Tom (2012-01-20). "Beverly McDermott, top casting director and Hollywood resident, dies". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2012-02-11. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  3. Barnes, Mike (2012-01-23). "Beverly McDermott, Veteran Casting Director, Dies at 83". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
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