10 Horror Movies That Nearly Killed Actors
3. Ellen Burstyn And Linda Blair - The Exorcist
Everyone knows and loves The Exorcist. It was a cultural phenomenon that still packs a major punch to this day. However, the movie's horror isn't limited to what happens on screen, as the filming featured not one but two horrendous injuries.
During one scene, Ellen Burstyn's character (Chris MacNeil) is slapped across the room by the possessed Regan. To achieve this shot, Burstyn had a wire wrapped around her and was pulled onto her back by a stuntman.
The director (William Friedkin) ignored the actor's attempts to raise concerns about developing a serious injury and informed the stuntman to pull her even harder. This resulted in poor Burstyn landing way too hard on the floor and screaming out in pain, a shot that made it into the movie. The incident resulted in permanent back damage.
As if that wasn't bad enough, 14-year-old Linda Blair also suffered a major back injury. When capturing the horrifying scene where her body thrashes around the room, the young girl was rigged to her bed and thrown back and forth. However, loose lacing caused her to thrash uncontrollably, fracturing her lower spine.
Like Oliver Robins, her screams and cries were mistaken for acting, leading to the poor girl suffering extended pain. This accident would eventually lead to Blair developing scoliosis.