Susan McCray - Memories of LHOTP & Michael Landon

Susan was casting director for Michael Landon's "Little House on the Prairie" / "Little House: A New Beginning" (Season 9, final season title) TV series. Susan began casting the show in 1976. She had been credited as Susan Sukman during the course of the series. She was very close to Michael Landon the executive producer/star of "Little House on the Prairie." Susan's husband Kent McCray was Michael Landon's producer on all of his projects and was his partner in Michael Landon Productions. Mr. Landon considered Mr. McCray "the brother I never had." Susan was the Vice President of Talent for Michael Landon Productions.

After the series Little House ended in the early 1980s, Susan cast other Landon projects including the 3 NBC-TV movies; "Little House: Look Back To Yesterday", "Little House: Bless All The Dear Children", & "Little House: The Last Farewell". When Mr. Landon began his new series, "HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN" in 1984, Susan cast the 2 hour pilot and all 5 years of the series.

Susan was casting director on Michael Landon's film, "WHERE PIGEONS GO TO DIE" starring Art Carney. Mr. Carney received an Emmy nomination for the film in 1990, Susan cast, what would be Mr. Landon's final project before his passing from pancreatic cancer. The two hour pilot "US" aired in 1991. Susan was casting director for two films about Michael's life; "SAM'S SON" in 1984 and "THE LONELIEST RUNNER" in 1976. An interesting bit of trivia, Susan married Little House producer, Kent McCray in 1984. They have been married for 26 wonderful years together.

I hope everyone checks out Susan's radio show, "GETTING TO KNOW YOU" which can be heard every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. eastern and pacific time, by going to the internet station at: www.ksav.org. All previously aired shows are Archived and can be heard on Susan's website at www.susanmccray.com Susan also has a new one hour show on KSAV. She named it Orchestra Hall after the venue in Chicago where her father, Academy Award winning composer and concert pianist, Harry Sukman, gave several concerts. The show airs on alternate Sundays at Noon pacific and eastern time. Susan also has a new fragrance called "Nightfall" after one of her father's compositions. It is scheduled to be introduced in October of this year. It will have its own website www.Nightfall.com and be available in shops.

Susan recorded this entire interview in a recording studio in Southern Californian. This was the first interview I was able to conduct that was recorded in a professional setting. The Little House theme music you hear was edited into the show by Susan. Thank you so much Susan. We support everything you are doing as well as all your work with Michael Landon and the great two hour tribute show you and your husband Kent produced entitled: "MEMORIES WITH LAUGHTER AND LOVE" Bless you. My special thanks goes to Susan and her team for arranging the interview.