This article explores Sophie Thatcher’s impactful, albeit brief, performances in Fox’s The Exorcist as a younger Regan MacNeil. It highlights her ability to convey the trauma and emotional turmoil of the character, showcasing her talent and foreshadowing her success as a Scream Queen.
Fox's The Exorcist, the series that spawned from the 1973 horror film of the same name, made huge strides in prestigious horror television despite only having two seasons, running from 2016 to 2017. With constantly evolving and consistently great performances from Alfonso Hererra (Ozark, Sense8), Interview with the Vampire’s Ben Daniels, and film icon Geena Davis, you would be forgiven for not remembering all the smaller roles that pad the series.
With Companion in theaters and a new season of Yellowjackets, it’s the perfect time to revisit two brief appearances by the current strongest frontrunner in the Scream Queen game, Sophie Thatcher. Thatcher, only a young teenager while filming The Exorcist, is better than she needs to be in her brief appearances as a younger Regan MacNeil to Geena Davis’ adult portrayal for the show. Regan is, of course, the possessed child at the heart of William Friedkin's original movie and arguably all the Puzuzu-verse franchise. The character is so iconic that her original actor, Linda Blair, has had a life defined by it. Blair received a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Regan. In short, this is no small role to fill. Making an impact in two short scenes spread over two episodes compounds that pressure. But Thatcher rises to the occasion, not simply taking up space and conveying a simple sadness at Regan’s circumstances, proving herself a consummate performer and making the role her own. Sophie Thatcher Humanizes Regan MacNeil in 'The Exorcist' TV ShowClose In the Season 1 episode “Star of the Morning,” a young Regan is on the receiving end of difficult questions on a talk show promoting her mother’s book The Devil in My Daughter. Here, Thatcher shows a keen ability to think in character and balance expression with the human urge to hide our tears. Regan maintains that she remembers very little about the possession. Still, as with real and tangible trauma, Thatcher portrays an inner struggle between what you do remember to the extent that other people can understand it, what you don’t remember but still feel in your body, and processing what of that – if anything – is safe to share. The conflict and despair Regan feels after the events shown in the original film have to justify Regan running away from her mother entirely and changing her name to Angela Rance. The first season of The Exorcist relies heavily on the gut punch of this identity reveal. The journalist asks, “Do you ever think you’ll be capable of having a normal life? Are you worried they’ll all say, ‘my God, it’s the demon girl?' Do you think this is a story that’s going to follow you around for the rest of your life?” Thatcher perfectly responds to this questioning without saying anything. From the way her eyes glaze over and her shoulders collapse to the shortened breathwork and an attempt to look at her mother before faltering, she dissociates as her eyes drift somewhere off in the middle distance, and it is clear that Regan hadn’t thought that far. We see Regan processing in real-time that no matter how deep she buries the trauma of possession, others will always see it in her.Related The 10 Best Occult TV Shows, RankedIn the mood for magic and monsters?PostsShe appears again as a bit of psychological warfare against the adult Regan two episodes later in “The Griefbearers.” Davis’ Regan finds herself lost in the past, witnessing the moment she first used a Ouija board. She looks on as Thatcher’s Regan — just 12 when she was possessed — innocently handles the planchette. Pre-traumatized, she portrays an earnestness and naivety that is heartbreaking. She balances this with the loneliness and conflict that opens the young girl up to be preyed upon in the first place. Her playful demeanor fades as she asks the Ouija board, “Captain Howdy, is my mom ever gonna get married again? How am I gonna have a new dad if my mom never finds someone?” As the younger Regan only sees the moving planchette, the Salesman (Robert Lunney) — one of Pazuzu's forms along with Captain Howdy — appears to Davis to confirm that it was his hand moving it along. He forces present-day Regan to watch as he takes control of her younger body, mimicking her voice to send her mother away, leering over the teenager as he makes her drool. Thatcher is frozen in terror until she collapses onto the Ouija board as the Salesman violates Regan's adult body by licking her face. 'The Exorcist' Laid the Scream Queen Foundations For ThatcherWhile brief, these scenes demonstrate an understanding of duality, conflict, and trauma. This is the heightened, but disciplined performance style that would go on to make Yellowjackets' Natalie Scatorccio — and any character Sophie Thatcher gets her hands on – unforgettable and infinitely watchable. She holds her own with actors far above her in age, experience, and renow
THE EXORCIST SOPHIE THATCHER REGAN MACNEIL SCREAM QUEEN HORROR TELEVISION PERFORMANCE ACTING YELLOWJACKETS
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