Jamie Lee Curtis recently shared her relief that her mother, Janet Leigh, prevented her from auditioning for the role of the possessed girl in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist when she was just 12 years old. The actress recounted the story on The Drew Barrymore Show, crediting her mother's decision with preserving her childhood. Curtis contrasted her experience with that of host Drew Barrymore, who began acting young in films like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
During an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Jamie Lee Curtis reflected on a pivotal moment in her early life. Five years before her breakout role in the 1978 film Halloween, Curtis nearly auditioned for the part of the young possessed Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin and based on William Peter Blatty's 1971 novel. Producer Ray Stark, a friend of her family, approached her mother, Janet Leigh, about the opportunity.
Curtis recalled the conversation: “He called my mom and said, ‘Hey, I’m producing the movie of the book The Exorcist. Will you let Jamie audition for it?’ And at the time I was probably 12 and, like, cute and kind of sassy and I had some personality, and I’m sure he saw me at a party and was like, ‘Oh, she’d be funny.’ And my mother said, ‘No.’” Leigh, known for her role in Psycho, prioritized her daughter's normal upbringing over early fame.
Curtis expressed gratitude for this protection, telling Barrymore, “My mom really wanted me to have—thank God—a childhood, which I understand you didn’t get. You didn’t get that option.” Barrymore had debuted at age seven as Elliot's sister in Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982.
The role of Regan ultimately went to Linda Blair, who earned an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress in 1974. Blair reprised the character in the 1977 sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic and later parodied it in the 1990 comedy Repossessed.
Curtis entered the horror genre later, debuting at 19 in Halloween as Laurie Strode, a role she recently revived in 2022's Halloween Ends. She also starred in other slashers like The Fog, Prom Night, and Terror Train. The Exorcist franchise has expanded to six films, a 2016-2017 Fox TV series, and an upcoming reboot featuring Scarlett Johansson from writer-director Mike Flanagan and producers Blumhouse, Atomic Monster, and Universal.