Who Played Me in "The Exorcist"? Quiz

Answer: Max von Sydow

Von Sydow, born on April 10th, 1929 in Skane Ian, Sweden, was cast as Father Merrin in "The Exorcist". Father Merrin was seen in the opening scenes when he was on an archaeological dig in Iraq. He was contacted later on in the film when the church asked that he assist Father Damien Karras in exorcising a demonic spirit from Regan MacNeil's body. During the exorcism, Father Karras stepped out for a second and, when he next saw Father Merrin, Merrin was dead. Von Sydow had roles in the films "The Night Visitor", "Rush Hour 3" and "Minority Report".

In 1989, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Motion Picture for his role in the film "Pelle the Conquerer", but he lost to Dustin Hoffman of "Rain Man". Other Oscar nominees for Best Lead Actor in a Motion Picture that year were Tom Hanks for "Big", Gene Hackman for "Mississippi Burning" and Edward James Olmos for "Stand and Deliver".

Answer: Linda Blair

Blair, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, landed the part of Regan MacNeil. Regan lived with her mother, actress Chris McNeill, in Washington, D.C. while Chris was filming a movie. Regan at one point played with an Ouija board and told her mother that Captain Howdy said Chris could not play with it. During a party, Regan came downstairs and told the people they would "die up there". Chris took her daughter to the doctor and the doctor prescribed her Ritalin. Throughout the film, it started to become apparent that Regan's problems were not medical and that was when it was suggested she was possessed.

The church approved an exorcism to remove the demonic spirit from Regan's body and the demonic spirit eventually was cast out of Regan's body. Regan had no recollection of being possessed. Blair guest starred on the TV series "Supernatural", "Married with Children" and "Fantasy Island".

In 1974, Blair received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Regan in "The Exorcist" but lost to Tatum O'Neal of "Paper Moon".

Other Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actress that year were Candy Clark for "American Graffiti", Madeline Kahn for "Paper Moon" and Sylvia Sidney for "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams".

Answer: Reverend William O'Malley

Reverend O'Malley had the small part of Father Dyer. Father Dyer appeared at the end of the film when he came to visit Chris. He heard about Regan being possessed and he wanted to check up on Regan as a favor to Chris. Chris told Father Dyer that Regan did not remember anything about the possession. Regan came outside and introduced her daughter to Father Dyer. Regan and Chris left the house when they moved and Father Dyer watched as they rode off in their car. Reverend O'Malley's only acting credit was as Father Dyer in "The Exorcist".

Answer: Ellen Burstyn

Burstyn, born in 1932 in Detroit, Michigan, got the role of Chris MacNeil. Chris temporarily lived in Washington, D.C. since she was filming a movie there. When Regan started to behave strangely, Chris took her to the doctor and the doctor told Chris that Regan cursed when he examined her. Chris could not believe it since she never knew Regan to swear. Chris became terrified at one point when Regan crawled down the stairs and looked like a spider (this scene can only be seen in certain versions of the film). Chris got in touch with Father Damien Karras and begged him to do an exorcism on her daughter since she felt Regan was possessed by a demonic spirit. Chris was relieved when the spirit was exorcised from Regan's body at the end of the movie. Burstyn starred in the movies "W.", "Requiem for a Dream" and "The Cemetery Club".

In 1974, Burstyn received an Academy Award nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Motion Picture for her role of Chris in "The Exorcist" but lost to Glenda Jackson of "A Touch of Class".

Other Oscar nominees for Best Lead Actress in a Motion Picture that year were Marsha Mason for "Cinderella Liberty", Joanne Woodward for "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams" and Barbra Streisand for "The Way We Were". However, Burstyn won an Academy Award for Best Lead Actress in a Motion Picture in 1975 for her role in the movie "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore". Other Oscar nominees for Best Lead Actress in a Motion Picture that year were Faye Dunaway for "Chinatown", Diahann Caroll for "Claudine", Valerie Perrine for "Lenny" and Gena Rowlands for "A Woman Under the Influence".

Answer: Barton Heyman

Heyman portrayed Dr. Klein in "The Exorcist". Chris wondered why Regan had been acting so bizarrely so she took her to see Dr. Klein. Dr. Klein told Chris that Regan had trouble concentrating and he theorized that Regan might have symptoms of depression as a result of her parents' separation. Klein remarked that, if she had depression, he would have to refer Regan to a psychiatrist but he told Chris he would prescribe Ritalin and they would wait and see if it worked.

The Ritalin proved to be ineffective for Regan so Dr. Klein consulted with another doctor, Dr. Taney, and they took x-rays of Regan's brain.

They found nothing on the x-rays and consulted with many other doctors who could not figure out what was wrong with Regan. Heyman had guest starring roles on the TV series "The Cosby Mysteries", "Law and Order" and "Kate and Allie".

He passed away on May 15th, 1996 in New York City.

Answer: Kitty Winn

Winn, born on February 21st, 1944, in Washington, D.C., landed the part of Sharon Spencer. Sharon was Chris's social secretary while she was in Washington, D.C. and she was first seen when Chris had a fit that Regan's father did not call her to wish her a happy birthday. Sharon gave Chris some reasons as to why he might have not contacted Regan but Chris would not hear of it. Midway through the film, Chris went up to Regan's room and saw that the window was open but she remembered she had left it closed.

She told Sharon that she should not have left Regan all alone but Sharon told Chris that she went to the drugstore to get Regan's medication and had Burke Dennings watch Regan. Winn was seen in the movies "The Panic in Needle Park", "They Might Be Giants" and "Peeper".

Answer: Lee J. Cobb

Cobb, a native of New York City, was cast as Detective Lieutenant William Kinderman. Kinderman at one point invited Father Damien Karras to go to the movies with him and he told Damien that the theater was playing "Othello". Father Karras said he could not go to the movies with him.

When Kinderman went to see Chris MacNeil about midway through the movie, he theorized to her that Burke Dennings did not commit suicide by jumping out of Regan's bedroom window but that someone had murdered him. Chris did not believe Kinderman since the only other person in the room when Burke jumped out the window was Regan and she felt Regan would never murder someone. Kinderman asked Chris for an autograph and she gave him one.

At the end of the movie, Kinderman asked Father Dyer if he wanted to go to the movies and he told them the theater was playing "Wuthering Heights" so Father Dyer agreed to go with Kinderman (this scene can only be seen in certain versions of the film). Cobb guest starred on the TV series "Gunsmoke", "McCloud", and "General Electric Theater".

He died on February 11th, 1976, in Los Angeles at the age of 64.

Answer: Jason Miller

Miller, born in 1939 in Long Island City, New York, portrayed Father Damien Karras in "The Exorcist". Father Karras started to have doubts about his faith after his mother's mental health declined. In one scene, Father Karras visited his mother in the hospital and she died a couple of days after this visit.

When Chris went to talk to Father Karras about Regan, she told him she believed Regan was possessed by a demonic spirit and that she needed him to perform an exorcism. Father Karras told Chris that exorcisms were rarely performed and that the church had to approve an exorcism before it could happen and this would take time.

The church needed some type of proof that the body was invaded by a demon, such as that the person spoke a language he/she never learned.

The church approved an exorcism for Regan MacNeil and Father Damien Kerras was assisted by Father Merrin. When Father Karras realized that a possessed Regan killed Father Merrin, he struggled with her and managed to get the demonic spirit to invade his body.

When Father Karras became possessed, he leaped out of Regan's bedroom window and went down a flight of stairs. Miller had parts in the films "Trance", "Murdered Innocence" and "Toy Soldiers". In 1974, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Father Karras in "The Exorcist" but lost to John Houseman of "The Paper Chase". Other Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actor that year were Vincent Gardenia for "Bang the Drum Slowly", Randy Quaid for "The Last Detail" and Jack Gilford for "Save the Tiger".

Answer: Vasiliki Maliaros

Maliaros was cast as Father Damien Karras' mother. Karras' mother had many health problems and she was institutionalized at a psychiatric hospital. Damien went to visit her one day and she was restrained to her bed. Damien's mom blamed him for her condition and she got so upset that a couple of nurses came and told Damien he had to leave. Damien found out a couple of days later that his mother died.

While Damien assisted in exorcising the demonic spirit from Regan MacNeil's body, a possessed Regan taunted Damien about his mother and said that Damien was the reason why his mother died.

This agitated Damien and Father Merrin told Damien not to listen but the possessed Regan was successful in getting under Damien's skin. Maliaros' only acting credit was as Father Damien Karras' mother in "The Exorcist".

She passed away on February 9th, 1973, in The Bronx, New York, at the age of 89.

Answer: Jack MacGowran

MacGowran, born on October 13th, 1918 in Dublin, Ireland, landed the part of Burke Dennings. Burke was a great friend of Chris' and he was the director for the movie that Chris starred in while she resided in Washington, D.C. Burke was a guest at Chris' party and he prevented a fight between two of the guests. One night, Burke came over to Chris' house and Sharon told him she needed to go to the drug store to get medicine and asked Burke to look after Regan. Burke agreed and went to Regan's room and looked after her.

It was revealed that Burke died when he fell out of Regan's window. The cause of his death was believed by many to be suicide but it was a possessed Regan that pushed him out of the window to his death. MacGowran had guest starring stints on the TV series "The Champions", "Parkin's Patch", and "Banacek".

He died on January 30th, 1973 in New York City at the age of 54.