Television
April 12, 2010
Warner Bros. Television Head Of Casting Mary V. Buck Announces Retirement After 40-Year Career
(April 12, 2010 – Burbank, CA) – Mary V. Buck, currently the head of the talent casting department at Warner Bros. Television (WBTV), is retiring from the industry on May 27 after a career spanning 40 years in the entertainment business, it was announced today by Peter Roth, President, Warner Bros. Television. A successor to Buck will be announced in the near future.
Most recently, Buck served as WBTV’s Senior Vice President, Casting, a post to which she was named in 2002. In that role, she had oversight of all of the company’s primetime television casting operations and the department’s staff. During her tenure at WBTV, she supervised casting for some of the Studio’s highest-profile series, including “Two and a Half Men,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “The Mentalist,” “Gossip Girl,” “The Closer,” “Chuck” and more.
“Mary is one of the most accomplished casting executives in our business, a creative talent who has assembled some of the most memorable on-screen casts on TV and has made significant contributions to the success of Warner Bros. Television,” said Roth. “We have been extremely fortunate to have had her as a member of our team for the last eight years. We wish her well in retirement, and she will be greatly missed.”
“I have had the great fortune to be a part of an industry that I have always loved, and finishing up my career under the tutelage of Peter Roth has been the icing on a very special cake. The casting team I worked with at WBTV is the best in town, and they are a huge part of the success we have been able to achieve,” said Buck. “I am excited about starting a new chapter in my life and will always be grateful for the many opportunities I have been given throughout my career.”
Prior to joining WBTV, Buck was a leading independent casting director, working with Susan Edelman as a partner in Buck/Edelman Casting for more than 20 years. During that time, she cast more than 60 television pilots and nearly 70 made-for-television movies and miniseries. The recipient of 16 Artios Award nominations for excellence in casting, Buck was a five-time winner of the honor, for such varied projects as “The Wonder Years,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” “The Oblongs,” “Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows” and “Other Mothers.” In 2004, along with Susan Edelman, she was the recipient of the Hoyt Bowers Award from the Casting Society of America for Outstanding Career Achievement. Additionally, Buck has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy® Awards, for her work on “Malcolm in the Middle” and “Life with Judy Garland.”
A respected industry leader, Buck served as President of the Casting Society of America from January 1999–January 2002. # # #