Allison Jones

The first thing you do as a casting assistant, back then it was answering the phones. And my first office job was with Judith, and we shared an office with the late Tim Flack, who was the casting director, and they were doing the pilot of The Cosby Show. Oh. Wow.

The first thing you do as a casting assistant, back then it was answering the phones. And my first office job was with Judith, and we shared an office with the late Tim Flack, who was the casting director, and they were doing the pilot of The Cosby Show. Oh. Wow.

And we were working on a show called Benson, all at Sunset Gower, which was an amazing old historic studio to work at, because even today it looks the same as it did probably in 1925. Literally inside, if you've ever shot anything at Sunset Gower, looks like you're in the 1920s. The old school payroll windows and stuff, that's really, really cool.

And we were working on a show called Benson, all at Sunset Gower, which was an amazing old historic studio to work at, because even today it looks the same as it did probably in 1925. Literally inside, if you've ever shot anything at Sunset Gower, looks like you're in the 1920s. The old school payroll windows and stuff, that's really, really cool.

And we were working on a show called Benson, all at Sunset Gower, which was an amazing old historic studio to work at, because even today it looks the same as it did probably in 1925. Literally inside, if you've ever shot anything at Sunset Gower, looks like you're in the 1920s. The old school payroll windows and stuff, that's really, really cool.

And they shot some magnificent old movies there, including The Three Stooges, which was my big comedy influence growing up as a kid with a bunch of brothers. We hit each other all the time, and it was all because of that. Because we were joking and not joking.

And they shot some magnificent old movies there, including The Three Stooges, which was my big comedy influence growing up as a kid with a bunch of brothers. We hit each other all the time, and it was all because of that. Because we were joking and not joking.

And they shot some magnificent old movies there, including The Three Stooges, which was my big comedy influence growing up as a kid with a bunch of brothers. We hit each other all the time, and it was all because of that. Because we were joking and not joking.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

They're calling. Those days, I was learning how to put people on hold and say, hold, please, and get back to someone. And my boss would say, don't keep anybody on hold for more than two seconds. So I'd be going back and forth, hold, please, hold, please, hold, please. It was like, oh, my God, there's a big agent on the phone. What do I say to a big agent? So it was a lot of answering phones.

They're calling. Those days, I was learning how to put people on hold and say, hold, please, and get back to someone. And my boss would say, don't keep anybody on hold for more than two seconds. So I'd be going back and forth, hold, please, hold, please, hold, please. It was like, oh, my God, there's a big agent on the phone. What do I say to a big agent? So it was a lot of answering phones.

They're calling. Those days, I was learning how to put people on hold and say, hold, please, and get back to someone. And my boss would say, don't keep anybody on hold for more than two seconds. So I'd be going back and forth, hold, please, hold, please, hold, please. It was like, oh, my God, there's a big agent on the phone. What do I say to a big agent? So it was a lot of answering phones.

It was nowhere near as hectic as it is now. Oh, it's gotten more hectic. Much more hectic. Oh. You have tenfold more agents, managers, representatives calling you all the time. So much so that you can't get your job done. So we've had to pretty much switch to email and texting. Right. But back then, in the early 80s, we were working on a show called Benson.

It was nowhere near as hectic as it is now. Oh, it's gotten more hectic. Much more hectic. Oh. You have tenfold more agents, managers, representatives calling you all the time. So much so that you can't get your job done. So we've had to pretty much switch to email and texting. Right. But back then, in the early 80s, we were working on a show called Benson.

It was nowhere near as hectic as it is now. Oh, it's gotten more hectic. Much more hectic. Oh. You have tenfold more agents, managers, representatives calling you all the time. So much so that you can't get your job done. So we've had to pretty much switch to email and texting. Right. But back then, in the early 80s, we were working on a show called Benson.

Tim was doing the pilot for the Cosby show. And we were doing a show called Condo. And... A pilot. So there was a lot of casting sessions to set up. And in those days, you had to call the agent, talk to the agent's assistant, give the time, the place, leave the sides at the Gower Gate for the actors to come pick up. In the days, there was no fax.

Tim was doing the pilot for the Cosby show. And we were doing a show called Condo. And... A pilot. So there was a lot of casting sessions to set up. And in those days, you had to call the agent, talk to the agent's assistant, give the time, the place, leave the sides at the Gower Gate for the actors to come pick up. In the days, there was no fax.

Tim was doing the pilot for the Cosby show. And we were doing a show called Condo. And... A pilot. So there was a lot of casting sessions to set up. And in those days, you had to call the agent, talk to the agent's assistant, give the time, the place, leave the sides at the Gower Gate for the actors to come pick up. In the days, there was no fax.