Words from Michael Blatty

Hi. I just stumbled upon this site while looking up something unrelated. I am the eldest son of William Peter Blatty, and I spent some time in the company of Jason Miller while he was with my dad on the set of "The Exorcist" (I was an undergrad at Georgetown U. at the time.) Thought I would share my impressions of him in brief.
First, I think he was a terrific actor and perfect in the role of Karras. (If you haven't seen him in the made for tv film about F. Scott Fitzgerald you have missed another great performance.) I know that my dad had Richard Burton and then Stacey Keach in mind initially, but no one could have been better or more haunted in the role than Mr. Miller.
When I first met him (at lunch with my dad in The Tombs pub in Geogetown) he was in his priest's garb from the film and I thought he was one of the actual priests advising my dad about exorcisms, etc. His language was pretty salty (to say the least), and afterwards I remarked to my dad, "Gee, I never heard a Catholic priest talk that way before!" My dad looked at me, incredulous, and said, "That's Jason Miller, the actor! He's not a priest!" Embarassing. Several weeks later, in New York City, I was with my dad and Mr. Miller at Elaine's where he absolutely mesmerized me with his brilliant conversation even though it was obvious that he had been drinking more than he should. Sometime later I tried to find a copy of his play, "That Championship Season," but none of my local bookstores carried it. When I next saw him, at my dad's house at Malibu Beach, I asked him rather ungraciously if he would send me a copy since I couldn't find it anywhere (not particularly sensitive of me, but he inspired bluntness of speech.) I gave him my address but didn't really expect him to follow through, as busy a man as he then was. A week later a package arrived at my house. It was a first edition of his play in hardback, inscribed to me:
"Michael! Keep the faith!
Jason Miller, S.J."
That's the sort of considerate person he was.
I never saw him in the flesh again, but when I saw him in my dad's film "Exorcist 3" I felt sad because he looked so run down. Then years later, I saw that he had died. I am glad that he will be preserved forever on film for future generatons and that so many of his friends in Scranton and elsewhere will keep the memory of such a beautiful human being alive.
Thanks for letting me share these brief memories with you on these pages.