Most TV viewers know Mary-Margaret Humes as Gail Leery on the WB hit series Dawson's Creek but before that she was the lucky actress who read with Bruce Willis for his screen test for Moonlighting. We asked her to share her memory of that day on Friday, September 7, 1984 which she graciously did and I will post it in the comment section. Thank you for the memory Mary-Margaret! Moonlighting fans greatly appreciate you giving us a glimpse of that day and for your role in helping Bruce clinch the role of David Addison 😎
I was called by a production manager that I had just worked with on an Aaron Spelling pilot. He asked if they could hire me to fill in for Cybil who wasn't available to do the screen test. She had already been hired at that point to play Maddie. I agreed and the production manager said "Good... because the script has already been delivered and is on your doorstep" 😂 They did not require me to learn the lines and said I could read right off the pages. However, after reading what I thought was a fun light hearted amazing script I thought it wouldn't be fair to the two actors coming in for me to simply be looking at lines and not be fully engaged so I simply memorized both scenes and showed up the next morning. Bruce's screen test was first up. He was absolutely charming and humble. I remember saying to him that he had charisma oozing out of his pores... he blushed. He said he had only done a couple of things on TV before (I believe it was Miami Vice) and wasn't sure he was going to be good enough to get hired. When he had done both scenes and was getting ready to leave he gave me a huge hug and said "Thank you... you made it so much easier by reading with me". I told him it was my pleasure to be there... that I had a feeling that this was "only the beginning for him". Little did I know what I was forecasting at the time but the rest is history. The show creator Glenn Gordon Caron asked me at a later date if I would give permission to add those screen tests to the "extra features" on the Moonlighting DVD (The Anchor Bay release) when it was released which I agreed to. Glenn did the voice over.
It was merely a morning in my life at the time but a morning that also put Bruce one step closer to what would become the genesis of superstardom for him. So when I think back about it my heart smiles.