20 Things You Didn't Know About The Exorcist
1. William Friedkin Used To Fire Guns Off Without Warning To Scare The Cast
By now, it should be clear that the director of The Exorcist was extremely committed to getting the most he could out of his cast.
Striking a priest before a take. Forcing actors to endure some gruelling working conditions that caused them injury. With this being a horror film, Friedkin had a pretty unique approach to making sure his cast appeared apprehensive, if not genuinely terrified - at all times.
Friedkin would occasionally walk up behind an actor right before a take and fire a gun before yelling "action". Whilst startling the actor in question and producing more genuine shock for each take, actors would constantly live in apprehension that Friedkin would suddenly appear behind them and fire off more shots.
This approach helped ensure the actors remained consistently on edge throughout filming and added to their performance, although it wasn't the most fun. Friedkin reportedly used live ammunition a few times whilst trying using this particular form of encouragement. It's a wonder that no one was hurt or left deaf as a result of the shots ringing out on the set.