The Exorcist: Believer cast – All actors & characters

Here’s your guide to the cast and characters of The Exorcist: Believer, the first of David Gordon Green’s new trilogy reviving William Friedkin’s horror classic. 

Friedkin’s 1973 The Exorcist well and truly remains in the pantheon of great horror films, widely regarded to be the scariest movie of all time. 

Though the sequels failed to fill those mighty big boots, Green is having a stab at reviving the franchise, starting with The Exorcist: Believer. 

With the new horror flick just around the corner, we’ve broken down the cast of newcomers and familiar faces, including the actors and the characters they play. 

Contents

• Chris MacNeil: Ellen Burstyn
• Victor Fielding: Leslie Odom Jr.
• Angela: Lidya Jewett
• Katherine: Olivia O’Neill
• Paula: Ann Dowd
• Father Maddox: E.J. Bonilla
• Miranda: Jennifer Nettles
• Tony: Norbert Leo Butz

The Exorcist: Believer cast & characters

Before we get into it, here’s the synopsis: “From Blumhouse and director David Gordon Green, who shattered the status quo with their resurrection of the Halloween franchise, comes The Exorcist: Believer.   

“Since the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago, Victor Fielding has raised their daughter, Angela on his own. 

“But when Angela and her friend Katherine disappear in the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, it unleashes a chain of events that will force Victor to confront the nadir of evil and, in his terror and desperation, seek out the only person alive who has witnessed anything like it before.”

Chris MacNeil: Ellen Burstyn

The icon is back, with Ellen Burstyn reprising her role as Chris MacNeil in the The Exorcist: Believer cast. Once again, Burstyn is playing Negan’s mom, and she’s called upon by father Victor to help with his daughter’s possession. 

In a conversation with Dexerto, Green said: “I never thought Ellen would agree to it. But we talked, I pitched her some ideas, she said, ‘Come back when you’ve got a script.’” And the rest, as they say, is history. 

The filmmaker explained that she was “nervous” and “excited” about seeing the finished product, adding: “It was so cute and sweet just to think that this Hollywood icon has butterflies in her stomach about the movie. I just think that couldn’t be cooler.”

Though Burstyn is best known for her role in the original Exorcist movie, she’s also starred in Requiem for a Dream, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and Pieces of a Woman, to name a few. 

Victor Fielding: Leslie Odom Jr.

Leslie Odom Jr. plays Victor Fielding, who suffers a devastating blow at the start of The Exorcist: Believer that makes him a single parent to his daughter Angela. Victor is a caring and loving father to his daughter, despite the strain their grief and loss puts on their relationship. 

Though he’s skeptical about spirituality, his belief system is called into question as the film progresses.

As an actor and singer, Odom Jr. has appeared in Hamilton, Glass Onion, Harriet, and One Night in Miami. 

Angela: Lidya Jewett

Lidya Jewett plays Angela, who lost her mom when she was born. She is left with so many questions about her mother; as she seeks answers, Angela is led down a dark path. 

Jewett’s other acting accolades include Good Girls, Hidden Figures, Grey’s Anatomy, and Feel the Beat. 

Katherine: Olivia O’Neill

Olivia O’Neill takes on the role of Katherine in the The Exorcist: Believer cast. She joins her friend Angela on her quest for answers, with the pair both returning from the woods possessed by demonic forces. 

O’Neill is new to the acting game, with Believer marking her first major role. 

Paula: Ann Dowd

Ann Dowd plays Paula, a nurse who is tasked with looking after Angela. As the possession takes over, we learn more about Paula’s own dark past.

This isn’t Dowd’s first time at the horror rodeo, having starred in Ari Aster’s Hereditary. Other roles include The Handmaid’s Tale, Compliance, Mass, and The X Files. 

Father Maddox: E.J. Bonilla

E.J. Bonilla plays Father Maddox, a young Catholic priest who’s experienced in the world of exorcisms. 

Bonilla is best known for The Long Road Home, Four, The Guiding Light, and Gemini Man. 

Miranda: Jennifer Nettles

Jennifer Nettles takes on the role of Miranda in the The Exorcist: Believer cast. Miranda is Katherine’s mom and a devout Christian.

Nettles is a singer-songwriter and actress, having starred in Harriet, The Righteous Gemstones, and Underground. 

Tony: Norbert Leo Butz

Norbert Leo Butz plays Tony, Katherine’s dad. As Miranda’s husband, he is also of Christian faith. 

Butz is a singer and actor, with some of his previous on-screen roles including Dan in Real Life, Fair Game, Disconnect, and Give or Take.

That’s everything we know about the main cast and characters in The Exorcist: Believer. You can read more about the movie here, and check out some of our other horror coverage below:

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