With such a big legacy, The Exorcist: Believer cast and characters have a lot of expectations to fulfill. Following on from the events from William Friedkin's 1973 film adaptation, The Exorcist: Believer is the first installment in David Gordon Green's reboot trilogy and will see a father desperately seeking help from Chris MacNeil (Regan's mother) after his child becomes possessed by a similar entity that took hold of Regan. While there have been several other movies (and a TV show) released before this, Green has confirmed that these sequels can still be considered canon and won't affect his vision for the other movies (via GamesRadar).
Since The Exorcist was the first horror film nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards and grossed over $441 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo), there's no doubt that the reboot has a lot of expectations to fulfill. However, it does seem like the reboot is heading in the right direction as Green has already recruited several familiar faces, as well as award-winning actors, to help bring brevity and depth to his story.
Leslie Odom Jr. as Unnamed Father
In The Exorcist: Believer cast, Leslie Odom Jr will play an unnamed father whose daughter goes missing for three days and comes back possessed. Although not too many details have been revealed about his character, Odom will likely provide another memorable performance given his impressive credits in film, TV, and Broadway (which include playing Aaron Burr in Hamilton, [a role that saw him win a Tony Award for Best Actor], Lionel Toussaint in Glass Onion, Owen Tillerman in Central Perk and Sam Cooke in One Night in Miami...). For his role as Sam Cooke, Odom also attained his first Academy Award nomination for Best ing Actor.
Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil
Ellen Burstyn ed The Exorcist: Believer cast as Chris MacNeil, a woman whose daughter Regan had previously become possessed by a demon. Although MacNeil is her most famous role, Burstyn's also maintained an extensive acting career in both movies and TV. Burstyn's major roles include Alice Hyatt in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore and Sara Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream. She also portrayed Elizabeth in Pieces of a Woman, a drama about a woman who sadly loses her child in a home birth. Burstyn plays the main character's mother who helps initiate the lawsuit against the home birth specialist.
Ann Dowd as Nurse
Ann Dowd will play a nurse who cares for the two possessed children and notices their inhuman behavior in The Exorcist: Believer. Interestingly, this role contrasts with her most famous role. Dowd played the manager named Sandra in Compliance, who partakes in crimes against her employee at the behest of a pretend police officer—(based on the crime against Louise Ogborn). The difference in roles shows Ann Dowd's acting abilities. In addition to these films, Dowd also played Joan in Hereditary and Congressional representative Becky in 2004's The Manchurian Candidate. Dowd also ed The Handmaid's Tale cast as Aunt Lydia (a role which earned Dowd her first Primetime Emmy Award).
Jennifer Nettles as Unknown Character
As of May 2023, it's unclear who Jennifer Nettles will play in The Exorcist: Believer cast. However, there's no doubt that her participation in The Exorcist: Believer will give her a chance to show what a great actor she is. Although Nettles is best known for being in the award-winning country music band, Sugarland, she has also gained notoriety for portraying Eliza Brodess in Harriet, Avie Lee Parton in Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors, and Aimee-Lee Gemstone in The Righteous Gemstones.
The Exorcist 2023 ing Cast & Characters
(Rumored) Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil: According to reports, Linda Blair is set to return to The Exorcist: Believer to reprise her role as Regan MacNeil, the child possessed in the original Exorcist film. She's also known for her role as Brenda in Savage Streets, Marti in Hell Night, Terry in Roller Boogie, and Nancy in Repossessed.
E.J. Bonilla as Father Maddox: E.J. Bonilla will take on the role of Father Maddox, a priest involved in exorcisms. Bonilla's most popular film roles are Dexter in Four and Marino in Gemini Man. He also plays Lt. Shane Aguero in The Long Road Home as well as Rafe Rivera in Guiding Light (a role which Bonilla was nominated for in the 2009 Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series).
Lidya Jewett as Unnamed Child: The Exorcist: Believer cast centers on two young girls who become possessed after getting lost in the woods for three days. Alongside Olivia Marcum, Lidya Jewett will play one of the possessed children. In 2018, Lidya Jewett played Young Nakia in Black Panther. She also played Sara Hill on Good Girls for three years and Nancy, the big sister of Bean, in the Netflix trilogy Ivy and Bean.
Olivia Marcum as Unnamed Child: Olivia Marcum and Lidya Jewett will play the possessed children at the center of The Exorcist: Believer's plot. Marcum is a brand-new actor who has never done a screen acting job prior to the new Exorcist trilogy. However, she has acted onstage as Matilda in Matilda: The Musical.
Norah Murphy as Hannah: Relatively new to acting, Norah Murphy will play a little girl named Hannah in The Exorcist: Believer cast. She's recently acted in the Peacock miniseries A Friend of the Family, playing Older Susan Broberg, the sister of Bob Berchtold's victim. Murphy also played Temperance in Kindred and Sarah in Karen.
Okwui Okpokwasili as Unknown Character: The Exorcist: Believer cast haven't all been named. Okwui Okpokwasili predominantly works as an artist and dancer in New York. However, she has done some work onscreen. In 2017, Okpokwasili wrote and performed in Gothic Bronx, a one-woman semi-autobiographical show. She's also performed as Tour Guide in The Interpreter, Malika in The Hoax, and Nurse in Madeline's Madeline.
Raphael Sbarge as Pastor: Raphael Sbarge is set to play Pastor in The Exorcist: Believer. Sbarge has acted in a number of major blockbusters including Independence Day, Pearl Harbor, and Risky Business. He also acted as the series regular Dr. Archie Hopper in the Emmy-nominated TV show Once Upon a Time. He is the real-world version of Jiminy Cricket and works as a therapist in Storybrooke.
