Exclusives
[Exclusive] “The Exorcist” Star Ben Daniels Reveals His Favorite Moments So Far
“I got to say, ‘The power of Christ compels you.’ My life is complete.”
Our favorite new horror show on TV, “The Exorcist” returns to FOX tonight, November 4th, to kick off the second half of its inaugural season. We’ve seen some pretty crazy things go down thus far, including the shocking Episode 5 reveal that Geena Davis’ character is actually a grown-up Regan MacNeil(!), and we cannot wait to see how crazy the series gets from here.
Star Ben Daniels, who plays the grizzled Father Marcus on the show, is as excited for us to see the remainder of the season as we are to, well, see it, and in celebration of the return, he just shared with us his favorite moment from each episode thus far – up to and including tonight’s brand new episode. He also explained why he loves each scene, and FOX provided us with the clips.
Enjoy this head-spinning Bloody Disgusting Exclusive!
Chapter One:
The scene where little Gabriel the possessed boy dies [is my favorite]. It’s our version of the 360 degree head turn, which is one of the most iconic moments in cinema history. In our version there’s no such thing as a rubber neck.
Chapter Two:
Definitely for me being a huge horror film fan and Exorcist nut the scene with the possessed woman, brilliantly played by Oksana Fedunyszyn, in the tent towards the end of the episode. It was a late addition to the episode, we shot it just a day before the episode aired. I got to say “The power of Christ compels you.” My life is complete.
Chapter Three:
It has to be the interrogation of Casey in Tomas’s office where Marcus chases the demon out of hiding.The full sequence is a few minutes long and there’s always something very exciting about filming such a long take in one go. I could use everything I’d learned as an actor on Law and Order UK mashed up with my love of horror! I also got to speak German, Japanese and Aramaic. A first!
Chapter Four:
This episode has a lot of needles and syringes in arms and up nostrils. Any of those moments make me turn away. I’m very squeamish when it comes to hospital horror.
Chapter Five:
There are so many moments I love in this episode. For Marcus I particularly like the appearance of his mum. I wanted it to sit in an area where it looks like he’s being taken in by the demon but what’s happening is something completely different. One of the few memories he has of his mum is his dad killing her in front of him at aged 7. He has no photographs, nothing. So when the demon rifles through his memory and makes her three dimensional he can’t resist looking at her.
I said to Jason Ensler, our amazing director of episode 5, that when he sees her it’s like he hangs out over a 200 foot drop by his fingertips. Sort of exhilarating, sort of terrifying, sort of fascinating and the longer he holds the weaker his grip gets. He’s aware of the danger of letting the demon into his head but can’t resist.
Chapter Six:
The underpass of horror when Marcus is looking for Casey. I love the sequence and it was as horrific as it looks in the episode. Completely disgusting to film in. It’s a real underpass, filled with everything underpass!
It was pitch black and wet and filled with smoke so you couldn’t see a thing. I was wet to my skin from rolling around on the floor during the fight sequence. We were shooting for hours all night in there.
My whole body was black from underpass dirt… I’ve never wanted a shower so much in my life!
Don’t miss new episodes of “The Exorcist” Friday nights on FOX!
Exclusives
‘The Haunting of Pennhurst’ Exclusive Clip Trains Scare Actors For Historic Haunt in Tribeca Doc
The past and present collide in haunting, poignant ways in the genre documentary The Haunting of Pennhurst, which sees a Halloween haunt serve as a reclamation of true historic horrors.
Ahead of its world premiere at the 25th Tribeca Film Festival, we have an exclusive clip that sees scare actors in training for the Halloween season. The catch? This haunt is opening at the historic Pennhurst State School & Hospital site, a facility that caused immense harm to its disabled patients over decades of its operation.
In the documentary, “For over seventy years, Pennhurst State School & Hospital was called a place of care. What happened inside killed over half its population. It closed in 1987, leaving behind unmarked graves and an unresolved history. Today, on those same grounds, disabled performers – many living with the same conditions that once sent people to Pennhurst – put on their makeup, pull on their costumes, and prepare to scare people for a living.
“Through grit, compassion, and buckets of blood, the eclectic performers of the Pennhurst Asylum haunted attraction are wrestling with a space that is at once a lucrative business and a gravesite.”
The upcoming documentary hails from directing trio Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak, who explore their socially-relevant subject through archival footage, first-hand accounts, and an immersive verité.
“Pennhurst has haunted us since we first passed through its dragon-tooth gates; the horrors of the institution echo through the site today. We are so grateful to bring this film to the Tribeca Festival, particularly the Escape from Tribeca section, which feels right for a story where past and present bleed together. We hope audiences leave unnerved and asking the same uncomfortable questions we did,” Attie, Stenberg, and Poljak said in a statement.
Watch the clip below that sees disabled and neurodivergent scare actors learning the ropes of a Halloween haunt, reclaiming the site’s grim history in the process.
Tribeca Screenings:
- Public 1 (Premiere) Screening – Friday, June 5 at 9:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 2 Screening – Sunday, June 7 at 3:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 3 Screening – Tuesday, June 9 at 6:15PM at Village East by Angelika
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