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| Mackenzie Phillips at 12.yrs. Casting Director, Fred Roos first spotted her singing with her teenage band on open-mic night at the famous night club, The Troubadour in Hollywood, CA. |
| At the time of auditioning only Ron Howard was a familiar face to fans of Hollywood. When he auditioned for a part in Graffiti he was still a senior in High School and courting future wife, Cheryl Alley. Luckily, when being considered for a part in the film Howard's image as "Opie" from The Andy Griffith Show didn't bother George Lucas. According to biographer Beverly Gray, the actor�s chances were increased when casting director Fred Roos viewed a segment from the ABC-TV anthology series, LOVE AMERICAN STYLE. The episode that featured the actor was about growing up during the 1950s titled, "Love and the Happy Days" and included Howard in a role he would later reprise in the long-running TV series, HAPPY DAYS. "So," says Gray, "the videotape of Ronny Howard playing 'Ritchie Cunningham' helped prove he could be convincing as 'Steve Bolander,' nice guy and big man on campus." |
| Most of the young actors in the film were virtually unknown to moviegoers at the time. In retrospect, it is amazing to think there was a time when movie fans had not heard of Richard Dreyfuss or Harrison Ford. Most of the lead actors in Graffiti are millionaires now, but at the time most were just struggling to get by and worked for scale. "I got $1,000 a week and Harrison Ford got $400 a week," Cindy Williams recalls. "I always love to say that because now he gets millions for waking up in the morning.� |
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| Paul LeMat also remembers receiving a low salary. "I'd just been kicking around Hollywood driving a cab and working at a gas station," he said. "I think a major reason I got the role is because George Lucas is so cheap. There was no actor in Hollywood who would do it. I got $600.00 a week." Winning several medals during his stint in Viet Nam during the late -'60s, LeMat seemed like a natural choice to play tough guy, "John Milner." Further testament to his ruggedness was the fact that he was a retired professional boxer winning the L.A. Diamond Belt Welterweight Division title and the Southern Pacific AAU title in 1972. |
| Paul LeMat and Ronny Howard during their video test |
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| Kathleen Quinlan (Peg) graduated from Mt. Tamalpais High School in 1972. A month later she was back at her school acting in a feature film. When Fred Roos asked the school drama teacher if anyone was a good actor he immediately thought of Kathleen. |