Mike Lemon, a retired casting director who pulled in local talent for major motion pictures and TV shows, died May 1, writes Gary Miles for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The 74-year-old founder of Mike Lemon Casting, was also a filmmaker, writer, teacher and outspoken LGBTQ advocate.
He lived for a time in Drexel Hill and Springfield after marrying Karen Wallace in the early 1970s, before separating in the mid-1990s. They have seven sons and a daughter.
From the mid-1980s to 2019, Mr. Lemon had 35 casting credits, two director credits, one writing credit and seven contributing credits on the movie and TV database IMDb.com.
He was an advocate for local performers, revered for his “authenticity,” “kindness,” and “encouragement.
He had casting credits for the 2005 film In Her Shoes, 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven, 1995’s 12 Monkeys and 1993’s Philadelphia.
He provided actors for director M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs, Unbreakable, and The Sixth Sense; and for the CBS TV series Hack in 2002 and 2003.
“In a business that is frustrating and nerve-wracking and where rejection is the rule, nothing made you feel better than knowing you were going to a Mike Lemon casting session,” said one actor.
Read more at The Philadelphia Inquirer about the life of Mike Lemon.