The 70s was a great era for the horror genre in Hollywood, as two groundbreaking movies shook the box office records and left moviegoers terrified and engrossed at the same time.
William Friedkin with The Exorcist (1973) and Steven Spielberg with Jaws (1975) forever set the benchmark despite limited technological advancements. Not many horror genre movies have come close to the standards set by these two classics. The Exorcist, in particular, stands as perhaps the scariest film of all time.
The way superstars like Tom Cruise push the boundaries when it comes to taking risks to deliver impressive action sequences, it seems Friedkin pushed the boundaries with his unsettling antics to make The Exorcist possible.
Why The Exorcist Director William Friedkin Gave Linda Blair Milkshakes During the Movie’s Filming
The plot of The Exorcist, which was based on William Peter Blatty’s novel of the same name, revolved around a young girl, who is possessed by a mysterious entity, and her mother’s attempts to rescue her by seeking the help of two priests through an exorcism.
Accordingly, it demanded a lot of disturbing dialogue and antics from the actor. Finding an ideal girl to mimic the character of Regan MacNeil, who was corrupted by demonic powers, proved to be a very challenging task for William Friedkin.
Eventually, the filmmaker found Linda Blair. Recalling his early conversations with the young actress, he said [via Entertainment Weekly] : “She sat down with her mother, and I said, ‘Linda, do you know anything about The Exorcist?.’ She said, ‘Yeah, I read the book. It’s about a little girl who gets possessed by the devil and then does a whole bunch of bad things.'”
Blair knew the character she was auditioning for did unsettling things, including hitting her mother and masturbating with a crucifix. Some of the scenes of the movie remain controversial to this day, but the young talent’s understanding of Regan’s experiences eased Friedkin’s task.
But the late director still tried to make sure the atmosphere on the set during filming was relaxed. In order to do that and make Blair comfortable, a prop man would hand her a milkshake after every take.
How The Exorcist Impacted Linda Blair’s Career
Before bagging the role in The Exorcist, Blair had been mostly modeling clothes for advertisements. As such, the movie proved to be a huge breakthrough for her in Hollywood.
Despite the controversies Friedkin’s unsettling masterpiece generated, Blair, 14 at the time, received plaudits for her performance and was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Having said that, such was the sheer success of the movie that Blair ended up becoming typecast, and similar roles followed. From Exorcist II: The Heretic to Hell Night, the ‘scream queen’ kept landing roles in dark movies. She even starred opposite Leslie Nielsen in the comedy film Repossessed – a parody of The Exorcist.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
