Linda Blair finally talked about her surprise cameo in the recently released movie The Exorcist: Believer, the sixth installment in The Exorcist franchise. Her appearance at the end of the Blumhouse sequel came as a shock to many, with no one expecting to see the Horror icon in the film. So, why did she make it? The veteran actress finally broke her silence and explained the reason behind it.
Linda Blair Talked About Surprising Appearance in The Exorcist: Believer
It has been a month since The Exorcist: Believer hit the small screens, but many still can’t believe that Linda Blair made a surprising appearance at the movie’s end. The film’s director, David Gordon Green, and the cast strongly denied the claims of the actress’ return as Regan MacNeil in the movie at first, saying she only served as a consultant on set.
However, the unexpected happened, and a lot of fans were treated with her on-screen cameo, reuniting her with Ellen Burstyn’s Chris MacNeil, 50 years after the original film, The Exorcist, was released in 1973.
🎬I finally saw The Exorcist: Believer (2023) it has you in tension from the beginning to the end, the best moment when Linda Blair comes out at the end 🎬#TheExorcistBeliever @TheExorcistBlvr #terror #actor #actress #cine #Hollywood #LosAngeles @RealLindaBlair pic.twitter.com/3s5Kljttep
— Carlos Miguel Bernardo González (@CarlosMiguel_87) October 7, 2023
In an interview with Screen Rant, Blair revealed the reason behind her appearance in The Exorcise: Believer. She said it all started when Green asked her to do the cameo while working as a supervisor on the set.
As the consultant, she guided the young stars, Lidya Jewett and Olivia Marcum, on how to do the difficult scenes.
At the time, they came to her to say they wanted her to know that they would do the movie. The first thing she said was never to do what she did back then to a child again. Hence, she was asked to join the film as a supervisor to help them do the right thing.
“So, it’s more to do the right thing to make sure the girls are taken care of, and then as time went on, that was when David Green said, ‘Is there any chance you would do a cameo?’ And I was like, ‘Well, you’ve got Ellen, you’ve got the storyline,’” she said. “I helped them work with the characters, Reagan’s character between Reagan and Chris, because they really needed help with that.”
🎬 Two posters for THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER, the direct sequel to the original film, directed by David Gordon Green, commissioned by Blumhouse and Universal Pictures. Ellen Burstyn (Chris) and Linda Blair (Regan) return. In theaters on October 13th. 📅 #TheExorcistBeliever #Horror pic.twitter.com/0S83JznbFO
— BizarroAIHorror 👹 (@BizarroAIHorror) September 23, 2023
The Secrecy of Linda Blair’s Appearance in The Exorcist: Believer
To ensure that Linda Blair’s cameo in The Exorcist: Believer wouldn’t be revealed, they kept it a secret from the movie’s cast and crew.
“First of all, no one knew I was listed under a different name,” she continued. “Everybody’s like, ‘Who’s this person showing up on the set?’ Nobody knew, so it was a surprise.”
The 64-year-old was kept under the umbrellas, ensuring she was hidden from everyone’s prying eyes. The only people who knew of her involvement in the film were the ones from the makeup and wardrobe departments, the first director, and several others.
Finished watching The Exorcist: Believer. The best part of it was the Linda Blair cameo at the end; reuniting with Ellen Burstyn. Nothing can touch the original. #exorcist
— Liya Waran (@LiyaWarana) November 26, 2023
“So, Ellen knew, I knew, of course, and we just kept it a secret and private,” she explained.
Sadly, despite Blair’s cameo, The Exorcist: Believer didn’t live up to expectations, getting negative reviews from critics and fans alike. Its Tomatometer rating is 22%, while it also received criticism from the known horror filmmaker John Carpenter.
“I heard The Exorcist didn’t cut it,” he said, per CBR. “That could be a kickass movie. I don’t understand how you can screw that up.”
The Exorcist: Believer will start streaming on December 1 on Peacock.
LINDA BLAIR is in The Exorcist: Believer 😭😭😭😭 I thank you, goodnight
— Superstar 💫 (@shanxxae) October 7, 2023
It looks like even the appearances of The Exorcist‘s original stars, Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn, haven’t saved The Exorcist: Believer from failing at the box office. Sure, the original film has become the first horror movie to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and nine others, thanks to its cultural conversation, and the highest-grossing R-rated horror film, not to mention a major influence on pop culture, among many other honors and acknowledgments.
But it looks like the original film’s success has already been milked by the several iterations of the movie that tell the same story in the end. Though the success of one of the greatest horror films ever made will never fade, it proves that its greatness can never be surpassed or even matched.
