- Louis Seigner, M Klein (UK/US: Mr Klein), France-Italy. 1975. In a flash of inspiration, director Jospeh Losey asked the maestro to play Alain Delon’s father. This was Fellini’s reply: “Thank you for your nice gram, so flattering. I felt like a débutante stripper reading it. I, myself, made offers of the same kind to Bergman and Jean Renoir, coming up with every single possible reason or pretext to convince them to play parts in my films, so I perfectly understand your lavish offers including Cadillacs, ’copters and all that jazz. And I would accept them right away, my dear friend, given all the admiration and love I feel for you, and I wish I could not put you in a difficult situation and could make you happy, but I am up work creek myself right now, and I am afraid I have to turn down your offer.” (Seigner was 17 years older than Fellini).
- Marshall McLuhan, Annie Hall, 1976. Idem… Woody Allen’s first choice for the surprise in the cinema queue… Next: Bunuel. Both said no. It was then a rather longer scene, too long for non-actors, which may have put them and the audience off. McLuhan flew in from Canada and Woody hardly ever talked to him, Except on camera during the famous put-down of the film school know-all in the cinema queue: “I heard what you were saying! You know nothing of my work! You mean my whole fallacy is wrong. How you got to teach a course in anything is totally amazing!” To which Woody’s Alvy Singer said: “Boy, if life were only like this!”
Birth year: 1920 Death year: 1993 Other name: Usual occupation: Film director Casting Calls: 2