One of the most exciting new shows of the fall is, hands down, Fox’s reimagining of The Exorcist, and, if last week’s season premiere is any indication of what’s to come, this series may be what horror fans have been hoping for.
In the premiere, a young priest (Alfonso Herrera’s Father Tomas) is drawn into the lives of some of his parishioners as Rance family matriarch Angela (played to perfection by Geena Davis) seeks his help when she believes that her house and family are being overtaken by a demonic entity. Throughout the pilot, we’re led to believe that Katherine (Brianne Howey), the oldest daughter of the family, is the one that is drawing the possession, but a final act twist tells us that it’s really Casey, the younger daughter played by Hannah Kasulka. It’s a great turn of events that leaves you excited for the eventual payoff.
I got a chance to ask Hannah Kasulka a few questions about her role and the series ahead of tonight’s new episode, so take a look at what she had to say!
TVOvermind: When you were getting involved with The Exorcist, what was it about the show that stuck out to you and made you really want to be a part of it?
Hannah Kasulka: The writing. Jeremy Slater [The Exorcist‘s showrunner] did an incredible job of creating a show with complex characters while still providing scares.
Were you familiar with the film that the series is based on, or is this something that you came to in a completely fresh mindset?
I had never seen the movie before. I don’t like scary movies. I just get too scared. I have only seen three or four scary movies my whole life. After I booked the pilot, I felt like a fraud not seeing the movie. However, I figured since I had waited that long without seeing it, I should just wait until after we finished filming the pilot so I wouldn’t be influenced by anything that they did in the original film.
Throughout most of the premiere, it seems like the show is setting up that Katherine will be the possessed child in the family, but then we’re given a great twist where it turns out that Casey is really the afflicted one. What’s it like actually playing a role like this, and how do you get in the mind of the character?
It’s a lot of fun and super challenging! When I initially got the audition and [read the script], I was really dreading it because it was intimidating. I had to do a longer version of the Gabriel and Marcus scene from the pilot in my audition where I barked like a dog and just acted crazy. I worked with a great coach at Warner Loughlin, Hillary Tuck, who helped me get over the initial fear of it. Now that I am working on the show, getting into the makeup helps a lot. Our makeup artist, Tami Lane, is amazing, and she makes it look so real.
The hardest part of playing this character, I think, is that there are so many things going on at once. It’s really physical, and I’m basically always playing two different parts at once: Casey and the demon. Plus, the demon likes to take on other forms, so I’ve had to learn different languages, do different accents, and adjust my physicality to match those different personalities. But, ultimately, I just approach it like I would any other character. I try to keep it grounded in reality even though I’m playing a demon.
As Casey, you’re getting to really play two completely different sides of a character. Does that make it more difficult of a role, or is it more of a fun challenge?
It’s definitely difficult, but it’s a lot of fun. It’s rare for an actor to get to play several different people at once. So, I’m excited to get that opportunity. Especially for women, the parts tend to be pretty limited. So, I’m excited that I get to sink my teeth into a challenging part like this. I’d much rather be playing the devil than a dumb blonde.
What can you preview about what’s coming this season?
I can’t say too much. But, I will say that I’m always excited to read the scripts and after I finish one I want to know what happens in the next episode. So, I hope people will feel the same excitement when they’re watching this season. I think they will!
I want to thank Hannah for taking the time to speak with me about the show, and I encourage any horror fan to check out The Exorcist! The pilot can be viewed on-demand, and the second episode airs tonight at 9/8c on Fox.
Have you seen the premiere of The Exorcist? Are you looking forward to seeing what comes next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
[Photo Credit: Fox/Patrick Ecclesine]
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