Jamie Lee Curtis Says Mom Janet Leigh Didn't Let Her Audition For This Iconic Horror Film
- - Jamie Lee Curtis Says Mom Janet Leigh Didn't Let Her Audition For This Iconic Horror Film
Carly SilvaDecember 28, 2025 at 3:10 AM
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Denny Keeler/Getty Images
Jamie Lee Curtis might have played the role of Regan MacNeil, if it weren't for her mother, Janet Leigh.
During a recent conversation on The Drew Barrymore Show, Curtis, 67, recalled being asked to audition for the iconic 1973 horror filmThe Exorcist, but the offer was ultimately turned down by her mom.
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While recounting the memory to Barrymore, Curtis said that her mom, also a famous actress known for the hit Alfred Hitchcockthriller Psycho, received a phone call from a producer on The Exorcist, Ray Stark, to ask if her then 12-year-old daughter would audition for the part.
"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," Curtis stated. "And my mother said, 'No.'"
"My mom really wanted me to have — thank God — a childhood, which I understand you didn't get," she said to Barrymore, who was only 7 years old at the time of her breakout role in 1982's E.T.
"You didn't get that option," Curtis added. "And people didn't step in and say, 'No, [Drew] will have a childhood, she will have protection.'"
Curtis, also the daughter of actor Tony Curtis, would still end up following in her mom's Scream Queen footsteps with the cult-classic Halloween films. Starting with the original film in 1978, Curtis would star as Laurie Strode in seven Halloweenmovies spanning six different decades.
As for The Exorcist role, Regan MacNeil was played by Linda Blair, who was 14 at the time. She would go on to earn an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 1974.
Related: Jamie Lee Curtis Rocks a Completely Different Hairstyle in First Look at New TV Series
This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
