I’m sure you noticed that now and again I put up a celebrity encounter of an actor or actress who had a very small and possibly inconsequential role in some film or TV show that I like, but I don’t think you’ll encounter a performer who had less screen time than Eileen Dietz. When I say that I’m referring only to her role in the iconic Oscar nominated film The Exorcist. But as you can see below if you’re not familiar with her, that face won’t soon be forgotten and will likely to be pop up in some of your worst dreams. I got the chance to meet her in person at the Scarefest in Lexington, Kentucky on September 15, 2013.
Instead of counting seconds of on-screen time, we can actually limit it to frames of film that Ms. Dietz appeared as Pazuzu – aka “Captain Howdy” – or better known as simply the demon who was possessing Linda Blair as Regan. It’s those split second scenes of her in the demon makeup that would likely stay with you for those quick frames that flash on the screen, but she did have another 9 or 10 seconds of screen time as the possessed Regan as well.
Although it didn’t take much ‘acting’ for this role, Eileen Dietz is a bona fide actress nonetheless, although I wouldn’t claim have seen anything else she’s done. But of interest to me is that she did star in one episode of Happy Days. Among her other notable credits were Barnaby Jones, the TV film Helter Skelter, the TV show Planet of the Apes, Trapper John M.D., and Rob Zombie’s Halloween II.
But clearly it because of the face of the Exorcist demon that I chose to shell out $20 for the signed photo. I was groping for the name Pazuzu for her to write on the photo but couldn’t seem to pry it from my head, so she added the demon’s other moniker to the photo. She was super nice and posed for a free photo, and would have done the same for Carolyn… had Carolyn not been so freaked out about the role that Eileen Dietz had played.
The celebrities from the 2013 Scarefest in Lexington will conclude in the next posting…
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