Jamie Lee Curtis became a household name after her role in Halloween. However, her acting career almost began with a different classic horror film.
In an interview on The Drew Barrymore Show, Curtis said that when she was around 12 years old, she was considered for the role of Regan MacNeil, the main character in the 1973 film, The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin. The film’s producer, Ray Stark, knew the Academy Award-winning actor's mother thought she might be a perfect fit for the part. So, he reached out to her about letting her daughter audition for the role, and she promptly shut him down.
Despite how big an opportunity this would have been for Curtis, her mother, who had her best intentions at heart, decided not to let her child take on such an intense role at only 12 years old. The actor recalled having a big personality at the time, and she believed that might have been why the producer considered her. However, years later, she was glad her mom did not allow her to audition for the horror film.
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.'
Curtis revealed that she was lucky that her mom protected her from child stardom. Looking back on it now, she was glad that her mother made sure that she grew up like a normal kid should and shielded her from the pressure that came with growing up in the spotlight. She also recognized that Barrymore wasn't given that same opportunity, as the actor skyrocketed to fame at a very young age.
My mom really wanted me to have — thank God — a childhood, which I understand you didn’t get. You didn’t get that option.
And, it turned out that Curtis' mom's instincts were right. The role of Regan ultimately went to Linda Blair, who broke her silence about the trauma she suffered due to The Exorcist. She was 14 years old at the time and, while filming, she was severely injured and dealt with several mental health issues. Her spine was fractured, which led to scoliosis and chronic pain. She also had depression and drug abuse problems. To top it all off, she also got stalked and received death threats after the film became a success.
