MovieChat Forums > The Exorcist (1973) Discussion > Why makeup Max von Sydow as an old guy i...

Why makeup Max von Sydow as an old guy instead of just casting an older guy?

posted 6 years ago by abigolcwock (517)
16 replies | jump to latest

Or just keep him the same age?

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

It all comes down to casting. Casting agents have a keen eye for what the director is looking for, and since I read the book, I can see why they chose Max. He fit the character of Father Merrin perfectly. They just had to add some make up touches so he looked the part

[–] BooBooCat (652) 4 years ago

The makeup was really realistic though... he actually looked like he looked recently before his dead. Another case when they did it successfully was with James Woods and Robert de Niro in Once Upon a Time in America.

[–] PaladinNJ (21594) 4 years ago

They cast him for star power. The reason they made him older is that the priest dies from exhaustion brought on by the exorcism and that's more believable in an older man.