The problem is, Special Guest is a billing, not a casting practice, really. It's usually used for a famous actor taking a relatively small part or a part that is only going to be in a limited arc. But it's really more about billing position; for instance, in the first season of Mission:Impossible, Martin Landau was billed as a "Special Guest" for every single episode. As it's written, it duplicates the definition of Stunt Casting. But it's mis-defined. Both of them are, really.
...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.
At they are written now, it looks to me that Stunt Casting is about spending the money to get a big name in a fairly small or unimportant role, just so you can use their name. Special Guest focuses on the practice of having a particular star come in just to pep this episode up. Really being a "Special Guest". This is why the billing is called as such (and why I think we have another trope to deal with the oddity of something like Martin Landau's case)- it is meant to be on an episode by episode basis. On the other hand, Stunt Casting occurs with movies alot where the biggest name gets the top billing and the biggest face on the poster despite only being in it for five minutes.
Landau got Special Guest billing because at the time, he was a bigger star than any of the other regulars. But he wasn't the main character, so he couldn't be billed as "Starring".
...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.
And lots of modern shows only use special guest billing for former regulars who appear, and just make the people who would be counted here normal guest stars. Like Lost.
Re cut: Has twice the wicks of the thing it supposedly duplicates. Cutting the wrong item? Also ... this is about about one actor and Stunt Casting is about a practice.
Edited by FastEddie Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty Hide / Show Replies