Ellen Burstyn
- Actress
- Producer
- Director
![50 years after the original, 'The Exorcist' is revived with this direct sequel to the first film. Ellen Burstyn is confirmed to return as Chris MacNeil, mother of the possessed Regan and keep your head on a swivel for a potential surprise cameo from Linda Blair. Filmmaker David Gordon Green is planning a trilogy that ignores the existing sequels and series that followed 'The Exorcist' (1973), much like Green did with his 'Halloween' legacy sequels that brought Jamie Lee Curtis back to that franchise. Green, who broke out with raunchy comedies and stirring indie dramas, sees 'The Exorcist' as a brand new challenge. "To me, it's as different as making 'Stronger' and 'Pineapple Express.' ['Halloween' and 'The Exorcist'] are just so unbelievably different. One is very primal and the other is very academic," says Green. Leslie Odom Jr. ('Glass Onion,' 'Hamilton') stars as the father of a possessed child, who seeks out Burstyn's character for support since she's been there, done that. Lidya Jewett ('Vivo,' "Good Girls") plays the bedeviled young daughter, and Ann Dowd ("The Handmaid's Tale," 'Hereditary') plays her nurse. 'The Exorcist: Believer' haunts your local theater in October 2023.](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMGIxY2ViNWEtNzFiNi00ZTA5LTljZGItMTYyZDFkOGJjMzdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQWFsZWxvZw@@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg)
Ellen Burstyn was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Correine Marie (Hamel) and John Austin Gillooly. She is of Irish, French/French-Canadian, Pennsylvania Dutch (German), and Native American ancestry.. She worked a number of jobs before she became an actress. At 14, she was a short-order cook at a lunch counter. After graduating from Detroit's Cass Technical High School, she went to Texas to model and then to New York as a showgirl on The Jackie Gleason Show (1952). From there, it was to Montreal as a nightclub dancer and then Broadway with her debut in "Fair Game (1957)". By 1963, she appeared on the TV series The Doctors (1963), but she gained notice for her role in Goodbye Charlie (1964). Ellen then took time off to study acting with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.
Her big break came when she was cast as the female lead in The Last Picture Show (1971). For this role, she received nominations for the Golden Globe and Academy Award. Next, she co-starred with Jack Nicholson in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), giving a chilling performance. Then came The Exorcist (1973). She was again nominated for the Golden Globe and Academy Award. In 1974, she starred in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), for which performance she won the Oscar and BAFTA awards as Best Actress. For the Golden Globe, she was nominated but lost to Marsha Mason. The same year, she made history by winning a Tony Award for the Broadway play "Same Time, Next Year". She won praise and award nominations for her performances in the film versions of Same Time, Next Year (1978) and Resurrection (1980).
In "Resurrection", she played a woman with the power to heal. A succession of TV movies resulting in two Emmy nominations kept her going as did the series The Ellen Burstyn Show (1986). The TV movies continued through the 1990s. Also in the 1990s, she was cast in the supporting role in such movies as The Cemetery Club (1993), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), The Baby-Sitters Club (1995) and The Spitfire Grill (1996). In addition to her acting, She was the first woman president of Actor's Equity (1982-85).
Her big break came when she was cast as the female lead in The Last Picture Show (1971). For this role, she received nominations for the Golden Globe and Academy Award. Next, she co-starred with Jack Nicholson in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), giving a chilling performance. Then came The Exorcist (1973). She was again nominated for the Golden Globe and Academy Award. In 1974, she starred in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), for which performance she won the Oscar and BAFTA awards as Best Actress. For the Golden Globe, she was nominated but lost to Marsha Mason. The same year, she made history by winning a Tony Award for the Broadway play "Same Time, Next Year". She won praise and award nominations for her performances in the film versions of Same Time, Next Year (1978) and Resurrection (1980).
In "Resurrection", she played a woman with the power to heal. A succession of TV movies resulting in two Emmy nominations kept her going as did the series The Ellen Burstyn Show (1986). The TV movies continued through the 1990s. Also in the 1990s, she was cast in the supporting role in such movies as The Cemetery Club (1993), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), The Baby-Sitters Club (1995) and The Spitfire Grill (1996). In addition to her acting, She was the first woman president of Actor's Equity (1982-85).
Known for
Actress
Producer
Director
More to explore
Add demo reel with IMDbPro
How much have you seen?
Keep track of how much of Ellen Burstyn’s work you have seen. Go to your list.
