Stones "Cast" as Oscar Controversy Heats Up

Who is keeping a much-deserved category out of the annual gold-grab, and why? The Casting Society of America, whose efforts have long been overlooked by the Academy Awards, has launched an e-mail campaign urging AMPAS to add a category to the annual kudoscast. "I've been fighting for it for over 30 years," CSA president Mike Fenton (who has cast such films as Godfather II and E.T.) tells the New York Daily News. Alas, the way the Academy sees it, directors theoretically have "final say" on who fills what roles. As such, the Directors Guild is wont to squash the CSA's bid. "It's a very sensitive issue," helmer Taylor Hackford tells the News. "[Talk of a casting category] will cause dissension in the ranks."