William Friedkin’s The Exorcist remains one of the most frightening and influential horror films of all time, thanks largely to the performance of Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil. The film has earned its place in horror history by shocking audiences with amazing atmosphere, acting, and special effects that hold up to this day. Adapted for the screen by William Peter Blatty from his novel of the same name, The Exorcist follows the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and her mother’s attempt to save her through an exorcism.
Widely considered to be one of the best horror films of all time, The Exorcist underwent a lot of setbacks and criticism before gaining its current legacy. There’s a rumor that the film was cursed, with numerous accidents and deaths occurring during the filming. Once released, the film was highly criticized for its shocking content, leaving it banned in many countries.
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of the movie for the filmmakers was the necessity of a 12-year-old girl carrying the film on her shoulders. This would also become one of the most controversial elements of the film as audiences would be horrified to see the young Linda Blair swear at priests, undergo a realistic cerebral angiography, and, infamously, masturbate with a crucifix.
Every Actress Who Almost Played Regan
Before finally landing on the young Linda Blair, Friedkin and Blatty would go through a long process of auditioning actresses in order to find the perfect person to play Regan, reportedly auditioning over 500 girls. Finding the perfect actress for the role would be no easy task, as the film’s success necessitated a unique talent for the part of Regan.
In fact, part of the reason William Friedkin ended up being allowed to direct the project, even though Blatty pushed for him to be given the job, is because many other directors turned down the movie. Mike Nichols (The Graduate) specifically turned down the film simply because he didn’t believe that such a young actress, even a highly talented one, would be able to carry the film, much less be able to handle the psychological stress the story would likely cause.
With the sheer number of girls who auditioned, it’s impossible to know everyone who was considered, but thanks to the reportings of the actresses themselves as well as the filmmakers’ stories, we have quite a few records to pull from for information on who could have nearly been the star of one of the most influential horror films of all time.
The first actresses the studio considered were more famous names. Pamelyn Ferdin, then only thirteen years old, but already a veteran of TV and film, was considered for the role of Regan, but was ultimately turned down by Friedkin and Blatty because she was too well-known by the public. Anissa Jones, known for her role as Buffy in the CBS sitcom Family Affair, also auditioned for the role of Regan, but was also rejected because of her popularity and recognition.
There were also several actresses considered for the role whose parents were too disturbed by the script to allow them to be a part of the project. One such girl was future scream queen, Jamie Lee Curtis, who was thirteen years old at the time; her mother, Janet Leigh, rejected the offer. Denise Nickerson, who played Violet Beauregarde in the 1971 film, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, was also considered, but she wasn’t allowed to join the cast, as the film’s subject matter troubled her parents too much. The now-legendary voice actress April Winchell (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Recess) was also one of the girls seriously considered at the time, but she developed pyelonephritis and had to be hospitalized.
By the time Elinore Blair came in unannounced to the director’s New York office with her daughter Linda, Friedkin was desperate, having auditioned hundreds of girls, even those as old as sixteen, but Linda was perfect. Friedkin describes her in his autobiography, The Friedkin Connection, as “smart but not precocious. Cute but not beautiful. A normal, happy twelve-year-old girl.” When Friedkin found that she was also capable of handling the content of The Exorcist, explaining to him matter-of-factly the things Regan does while possessed, he was ecstatic to have finally found his Regan.
