Article

Father Karras speaks
reflects on religion, the devil and 'The Exorcist'

Jason miller by Theresa Conroy
Daily News Staff Writer

He snuck in late for the last show Thursday night, sitting in the back of
the SamEric theater Thursday to watch himself - for the first time in 25
years - expel a convulsing, spewing Satan out of little Linda Blair.

Jason Miller's dark hair is streaked with gray now. His chiseled features,
camouflaged by a mustache and goatee.

Nobody in the movie theater recognized Miller as Damien Karras, the young
priest from "The Exorcist." And nobody heard the series of wicked one-liners
he whispered to his friend, restaurateur Joe Varalli.

"To watch it with me is like an exercise in satire," Miller said Friday.

To do anything with Miller is like an exercise in satire. And intellect. And
philosophy. And religion. And all that is weird and scary.

Miller, 60, was raised Roman Catholic - "The IHM nuns for 4th to 12th grade,
the Jesuits, the Dominicans." He is fascinated by the sacred (God, miracles,
religious mysteries) and has an artistic crush on the dark side (evil,
Satan, death).

Does he believe in God? He hesitated, then said that, well, yes, he believes
in gods.

How about the devil? "Oh, yeah," he said immediately. No doubt about it.
Then Miller went on to recount his theory on why Lucifer defied God and was
kicked out of heaven.

This is a little spooky, coming from Father Karras.

But the most disturbing aspect of Father Karras' character, however, was how
very much you wanted to see him in his undershirt. Somehow, Miller made
celibacy seem extremely sexy.

He's still sexy.

He comes by this not only from the fact that he has a striking face and that
great hair, but because he has been blessed with that lady-killer ability to
look deeply into your eyes and see everything in your soul.

He's also a profound writer and an inspired actor.

"The Exorcist," re-released late last month, earned Miller an Academy Award
nomination. It also managed to scare the living daylights out of a
generation while simultaneously throwing evangelist Billy Graham into a
religious frenzy.

Now that it's back, with 11 minutes of additional footage, Miller believes
the movie is likely to scare a whole new generation.

Local theaters have been filled with screaming 18-year-olds and cringing
45-year-olds watching the exorcism of Regan MacNeil.

On opening weekend, Sept. 22-24, "The Exorcist" was sold out at the UA
Riverview, said manager Molly Kohler.

"It's like the younger kids, they laugh at some of the stuff.. . .They find
it amusing, you know, when she's in there with the cross.

"The older crowd is still horrified by it," she said.

All this amuses Miller - to an extent.

A Scranton resident, Miller has spent weekends in Philadelphia since early
last month, acting in "Barrymore's Ghost," a one-man play he wrote. The
play - a haunting combination of Miller's writing and acting talents - runs
through Sunday at Theatre Double, 1619 Walnut St.

Miller, who won a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for his play, "That
Championship Season," is more interested in talking about writing than about
acting. He'd rather dwell on John Barrymore's profile than on the vomit
scene in "The Exorcist."

"I see it in the land of objectivity," Miller said of the movie.

He sees Barrymore, however, a bit more subjectively.

"I thought it was the quintessential representation of a genius destroyed by
his own devices," Miller said of Barrymore's story. "I suppose it's kind of
an intellectual cliche."

In the play, Miller plays Barrymore's ghost, sentenced for eternity to haunt
theaters and face the ghosts of his painful life. It's an achingly vivid
portrayal.

"He did have those satyrs and he did have those demons, which were obviously
liquor and a deep sense of self-distrust," Miller said. "At the height of
his power, he feels himself going into decline."

He said he didn't have to go far for inspiration.

"Of course there's a lot of my life in there, and a lot of the actors I
know."

Miller seems more comfortable fighting Barrymore's ghost than continuing
that old battle with Lucifer. Watching himself in "The Exorcist," Miller
said, made him feel "disembodied."

"Somewhere between delirium and dream."

As the audience screamed and Linda Blair's body convulsed, Miller looked on
with detached amusement, thinking, "What did we have for lunch that day?"
and, "Oh, s---, that's where she flubbed the lines three times."

Until the scene with the crucifix.

"I forgot about the cross," Miller said of the profane scene in which Regan
masturbates with a crucifix.

"The cross, the symbol of everything, and, whammo," he said, simulating the
move Blair made in the film.

It spooked him a bit.

"I think the terror of the film, behind the gestures of the crucifix and the
outrageous and the shocking, you can look at two ways: The priests were very
heroic and sacrificed their lives by taking Satan out of her, or Satan
really wanted the priests and used these two guys," he said.

Miller, who hasn't thought much about demonic possessions since he filmed
"The Exorcist III" in 1990 (and he'd rather not talk about that), was
surprised that the 25-year-old horror flick stood the test of time on the
big screen.

"There are so many imitators," he said. "I was very surprised it didn't get
stale. I thought for sure it may get stale."

No one recognized Miller in the light of day, either, as he sits in the
lobby of the Sofitel hotel, wearing a yellow shirt, baggy pants and beat-up
sneakers.

Arranged on the glass table in front of his overstuffed chair is everything
he needs in the world right now: A pack of Marlboro Lights, an ashtray, a
lovely silver pen, a copybook, a fluted glass of Yuengling Lager and the
script he's writing for Showtime about his ex-father-in-law, Jackie Gleason.
Actor Paul Sorvino is slated to play Gleason, Miller said.

He talked about visiting Barrymore's grave at Mount Vernon Cemetery; the
success of his sons, actor Jason Patric and author Joshua Miller; how
comfortable he feels in Philadelphia; writing; acting; mutual friends;
Ernest Hemingway; and the beauty of a game of shuffleboard.

Finally, Miller turned his head back around to "The Exorcist."

"It enlightens people," he said. "It opens their mind to what is a religious
horror story:

"Why are we in the middle of this tremendous antagonism around the supreme
universal beings, their chess game? It's like Shakespeare says, we are flies
to the wanton gods. They kill us for their sport.

"That contains all the despair of the universe, that line."

Two new pics

They're in the gallery, of course.

Interview with Tom Flannery

Did Jason ever tell you anything regarding his experiences acting in The Ninth Configuration and Legion?

No, he never mentioned either role to me.

What was Jason’s take on The Exorcist controversy was and whether he ever regretted being in the film given its notoriety? I should also like to ask whether he ever had any thoughts about the sequels versus the originals.

He was extremely proud of being part of the film. He never regretted it, that’s for sure. I think he just looked at the notoriety of it all as good for business. In showbiz there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Regarding the 2nd film, he never spoke to me about it, but I’ve yet to meet anybody who doesn’t think it’s embarrassingly bad…..so I suspect he was thrilled to have nothing whatsoever to do with it. Blatty did talk him into doing the 3rd film…from what I hear actually traveling to Scranton to twist his arm personally. According to a friend of mine out in California who worked on the set, Jason was in pretty bad shape during the filming. He was only there for a few days. I doubt he looked at it as anything more than paying some bills.

Did he made a conscious effort to get away from movie acting or whether he felt, like Linda Blair did, that the movie damaged her prospects?

I don’t think so. He certainly made a bunch of films. He was brilliant as Fitzgerald in that TV movie. And onstage, he was mesmerizing. But he was blessed, or cursed, with being great at 2 things. I’ve always considered him a playwright who happened to do some acting. I thought he could have made people say "Arthur or Jason?" when they mentioned "Miller the playwright". Others look at him as an actor who just happened to write a famous play. A juicy role like Karras is a once in a lifetime thing. For whatever reason he never really got the chance to shine on the big screen again. He could’ve been a DeNiro if the cards fell right. I actually heard a rumor from a woman who is currently making a documentary film about Jason. She told me she heard Jason turned down the lead in Taxi Driver. I don’t know if that’s true or not. But history might have been quite different…..

What was he like as a man to just hang out with, away from the Exorcist and all that?

He was an extremely generous man…..funny, incredibly articulate. Had this mammoth dog he named Regan that would practically maul you to death when you went to his apartment. Jason was loyal to his hometown and his friends. Extremely approachable. I remember a bus ride we shared together, coming back to Scranton from Philadelphia. Great stories! Hollywood. Broadway. The craft of acting. The craft of writing. The awards. The highlights and lowlights of it all. As a writer, if I had questions, I could just call up a guy who had been awarded a Pulitizer Prize in Drama. Not a bad number to have in your rolodex.

Was he a practicing Catholic before during and after the filming? If so did he have bull sessions with Blatty about Catholic issues, including possession and exorcism?

He was raised a Catholic……was an altar boy at St. Pat’s grade school. How much he practiced later in life I do not know. Regarding his role as Karras, I know he did a tremendous amount of research for the role.

How exactly did he audition for the part, and how did he learn that Keach had been bounced from the role?

Friedkin saw a performance of "That Championship Season" in New York and approached Jason about the role….intrigued that here was a real Jesuit. He asked him to take a screen test….and gave him a first class ticket to Hollywood. Jason told me he’d never flown first class before, and kept waiting for somebody to tell him he had to go back to coach. I never heard the bit about Keach. I know Ryan O’Neal and Jack Nicholson both tested for the part.

How did he get along with Fr. O’Malley, and what was it like to learn from him "how to act like a priest"?

This I do not know. But for Irish Catholics in Scranton taught by the Jesuits, "acting like a priest" isn’t that hard.

As a creative writer, did he ever entertain thoughts about tackling the supernatural in his plays, etc.?

I don’t think he was that interested in the "supernatural". He was proud of Fr. Karras, but then he moved on. His plays ("Nobody Hears a Broken Drum", "It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie", "Lou Gehrig Did Not Die of Cancer", "That Championship Season") dealt with the flaws and redemption of ordinary people in this world.

What were his thoughts on coming back as Damien Karras/Gemini-Damien Karras/imprisoned Damien Karras? His evaluation of Dourif’s performance? His experience of Blatty’s direction as opposed to Friedkin’s?

I think he did it for the money. The movie didn’t exactly make people forget the original. He used to laugh about Friedkin though. Said he was nuts. Always pushing, keeping actors on edge. Said he’d walk up behind an actor and fire a real gun past their ear.

What were his thoughts about the paranormal? Did he have any experiences?

One story he told in an interview that I write about in the play.

JASON: Oh shit. That reminds me. One night during "The Exorcist" -- after being on the set all day -- I go to my apartment. I’ve got a pet bird there but I can’t stand to lock it in it’s cage so I let the door open. And now the bird’s wings are spread out and nailed to the landing rod … like a crucifixion. The door’s locked…nobody has been in here.

That’s a little too spooky for me.

Which actors did he admire? What was his favorite movie?

I know he loved Helen Hayes. Martin Sheen. Jason and Paul Sorvino were good friends. He loved James Dean. I couldn’t say what his favorite movie was. His tastes were too varied for that.

What jokes did he like to tell?

I can’t tell you that. I promised my Mother I’d never use that type of language.

This is a dumb tabloid question: What sort of music/artist did he like? Did he hang out with you while you were working on songs?

No. The only extended time we spent together was during theater stuff. I couldn’t say what his musical tastes were.

How did he handle being recognized by fans?

He was always extremely gracious. Always had time for a word or two. Or a picture. When he first moved back here it was a real novelty for everyone. He was always getting stopped when he was out. But after a while, he’s just Jason. He never acted like a big shot. Folks say hello. But him a drink. If you were downtown you’d always see him. He’s just your neighbor.

What advice did he give to young writers/actors etc?

He was so generous. When he was directing my play…..we were going through re-writes. He was so conscious of how hard it can be on a writer. Thinking you’ve come up with some brilliant bit, only to see that it’s not working onstage and needs to be cut. He just did it in such a gentle way. "Thomas", he’s say. "It’s just pruning". That’s the word he always used. I’ve used it ever since. I never "cut" anymore. I "prune". Then he’d tell me of his agonies when he’d been forced to cut bits from "Championship Season". I just learned so much from him. He was the perfect director because he was a both a writer and an actor. He understood both mindsets….and knew how to handle each. I can tell you that is a rarity.

What was your first exposure to him before meeting him?

I saw him in the Exorcist when I was a kid. The movie scared me to death and I haven’t watched it since.

What books did he like? Who were his favorite authors and influences?

I think Fitzgerald was his favorite. He also mentioned Hemingway to me as well. And of course Shakespeare. He could quote reams of Shakespeare in his sleep.

How did he take life?

Usually with a chaser.

Can you tell us about the first time you met him?

My Dad and he were friends, and back in the mid 80s my parents had a party for him at the house…..to celebrate the release of Championship Season I think. I was probably 20 or so. That night Notre Dame was on TV, and Jason was watching and he cursed at the screen. My mother yelled at him. "Jason, I don’t allow that kind of language in my house". I thought I was gonna die. He apologized like the perfect Irish gentleman and held his tongue the rest of the night.

What is your fondest memory of him?

Probably watching him work on my play. I never got the feeling that he didn’t care about it as much as I did. He could have mailed in his direction. I was just thrilled to have his name on the damn playbill. But he put the time in. He worked. I’ll never forget that. On the last night both of us were called onto the stage and he gave me a big hug and told me how proud he was of me. That’s a memory I’ll always have. Nobody can take that away. He never acted you he was special, but he always treated you like you were. You couldn’t help but love the guy.

What is the most important thing you learned from him?

That it’s possible. Here was this kid from West Scranton who, if only briefly, made it to the top of 2 worlds. This is a tough city. A lot of grinding goes on here. But he did it. He got out and touched millions. And then he came home. It’s possible.

Pics too big for the gallery

Site news

So, the gallery is pretty well complete. I should still receive some screencaps from Ryan though. I'm also thrilled to say that I've talked to Tom Flannery, Jason's friend, and I'm going to do an interview with him! Now I have to think of good questions... I'm near giddy about it! Here are some touching and heartwarming words from him. Endless thanks for your participation, Tom.

Remembering Jason Miller

Jason Miller was my mentor. He was the first to say that I had the ability to become a successful playwright. Yet when Jason offered support, it was frequently more than verbal....so he offered to direct my play, "The Driveway". During the course of the production, we became good friends, and I'll always remember those days picking up the phone and hearing that gravely, poetic voice..."Thomas", he'd say in a low rumble. "Jason here..." I felt like a child at the foot of the master, which indeed I was. I loved every minute of it.

I remember going out on my front porch and calling for my wife in the yard to tell her that Jason was my director. I was using the porch railing as leverage to jump up and down, higher and higher, until she began to think I was having some sort of bizarre fit. "No", I yelped to her. "Guess who is going to direct my play?" She didn't believe me. She finally got to meet him opening night. As she was setting up the reception area for the post show party, Jason ambled over, introduced himself, and pointed to some filled glasses and asked..."hello Darling. Is this wine?" Perfect.

During rehearsals I remember mentioning how I loved Hal Holbrook's portrayal of Mark Twain in perhaps the greatest one man show in theatrical history, "Mark Twain Tonight". Jason agreed and casually offered to call Holbrook and ask him for any assistance that we may require. I had forgotten that I was dealing with Jason Miller, the only man in history to win a Pulitzer and be nominated for an Academy Award. People with resume's like this are allowed to call Hal Holbrook on the phone. I just stuttered and said..."um, yea, that's good to know."

As it turned out, "The Driveway" was Jason's last production. He died in May of 2001, and when I got the news, I hung my head and sobbed. While those of us who knew him were aware that Jason loved life, we also knew too well the side of him that may have loved it too much. He was in turn a poetic, lovable, disheveled Irish rogue with a twinkle in his eye, who could infuriate and then lift your spirits all while sipping the same drink...and the most down to earth, most generous man I have ever known.

We spent many hours talking, and I remember him telling me about his mother, whom he adored. The burning intensity in his eyes as he described this woman was spellbinding. Tears welled up in his eyes as he told me of her funeral...and how he did not want to let go. His hands had to be literally pried away from her.

Well now I know he is back in her arms again, where I know he feels safe. And we are left with his gorgeous words on paper, and his searing image on screen. But some of us are left with even more than that.

Gallery updates

It's on it's way! Justin set this up for me and I couldn't be happier with it. I'll add pics as soon as I can. And Ryan is going to make screencaps (bigger than mine, too) of Jason. Thanks, guys, you're the best!

Jason Miller interview

This'll go in the video category once I figure out how to do that.

A friend in need is a pest indeed

Ha-ha, that's me. I'm very grateful to Cat (and Rick), Justin, the JM fan group and the good peolpe of Captainhowdy.com for their support and Shout Outs. When this place is great, it'll be thanks to them.

Getting started

I'm starting a Jason Miller tribute site. Mostly because of the encouragement from my new pal, Cat. I was complaining about the lack of a site dedicated to him. She said I should create one, since what I wanted didn't seem to exist. I'm taking her good advice and giving his fans a place to go. From what I hear, he wasn't big on being famous. Whether or not he wanted to be famous, he has fans. I'll do my best with this place. If I post a picture that belongs to you, please tell me and I'll be sure to give you the credit you deserve. I want to share all the pictures of him I have compiled over 3 years of knowing about this wonderful actor. You are more than welcome to contribute your photos, anecdotes, etc. If you knew him as a friend, or only as Father Karras on the silver screen, your memories are also appreciated. By a fan, for the fans, this should be an interesting endeavor. Go Irish!