Original Exorcist Star Reveals Why They Returned for Believer

Linda Blair explains why she agreed to cameo in The Exorcist: Believer.

By Jamie Jirak

Halloween reboot director David Gordon Green revived another classic horror franchise earlier this year: The Exorcist. The Exorcist: Believer starred Leslie Odom Jr. as the father of a possessed child who turns to original Exorcist star Ellen Burstyn's Chris MacNeil for help. This marked the first time Burstyn had appeared in the franchise since William Friedkin's original film was released in 1973. Turns out, Burstyn wasn't the only star from the original film to appear in the newest installment. Linda Blair, who played Chris' Pazuzu-possessed daughter, Regan MacNeil, made a brief appearance at the end of the movie. Blair also starred in the 1977 sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic. During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Blair revealed why she agreed to cameo, and said she would come back again under one condition. 

Blair signed on to the project as a technical advisor, but agreed to make a cameo to both show her support for the film and to honor her longtime friendship with Burstyn. The actor explains that the pair "knew this would be something very special and magical, so we brought everything that we needed to bring to the scene. It was just one take, one take, one take, and they did a little behind-the-scenes [shooting], but very little because Ellen didn't want it. She really stays in character. I can pop in and out, probably because of the original movie. I had to learn out to pop in and out of character!"

Blair added that she would be willing to make another appearance in the future, but she would only agree if she got support for her non-profit, the Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation. 

"If the audience wants me to come back, they need to help me to change the plight of the animals right now," Blair added. "I'm hoping the public will understand. I want to go back and work, but I won't leave my animal friends."   

Why Did Ellen Burstyn Return For The Exorcist: Believer? 

Burstyn previously admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that it was the huge payday that helped get her back.

"You know, what happened was I've turned down many versions of The Exorcist 2. I've said no every time," Burstyn explained. "This time they offered me a whole bunch of money and I still said no. And then they surprised me and they came back and said, 'We doubled the offer.' I said, 'OK, let me think about this.' I thought, 'That's a lot of money. Let me think about it.' The next thought that came to mind was: 'I feel like the devil is asking my price.' And the next thought that came to mind was, 'My price is a scholarship program for talented students at our master's degree program at Pace University. That's my price.' So I then went back and upped their up and ended up getting what I want. And I've got a scholarship program for young actors."

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Burstyn added, "And I've shot most of the picture. The writer-director, David Gordon Green, I like very much. I met with him and we talked about the script and so forth and I promised him four more days if he needed them. And he's edited the film and he wants the four days, so I'm going back in November to shoot four more days. And it'll come out in [2023] on the 50th anniversary of The Exorcist, the original."

The Exorcist: Believer is now streaming on Peacock.

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