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.