Known for its cinematic achievements and also hailed as the scariest film, The Exorcist is based on a true story. The 1973 horror film revolves around the real-life exorcism of Roland Doe and set the standard in Hollywood for what a truly scary film can be.
The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, contributing to an impressive 10 Oscar nominations. The plot revolves around a 12-year-old girl named Regan (Linda Blair) who becomes possessed by an ancient demon. William Peter Blatty originally published the book The Exorcist in 1971, and the author based his novel and the screenplay for the film on a real-life exorcism that took place in 1949. A teenager named Roland Doe was allegedly possessed by an evil spirit. We share all the details of the true events that inspired The Exorcist:
Who was Roland Doe and what happened during his exorcism?
Roland Doe, a boy from Maryland, experienced a strange phenomenon at the age of 14, including scratching sounds behind the walls of his bedroom. According to The Guardian, Doe’s family contacted their pastor, Reverend Luther Schulze.
In March 1949, Schulze contacted the parapsychology laboratory at Duke University and wrote to them that “chairs moved with (Doe) and one threw him (out of the chair). His bed shook whenever he lay in it.”
Schulze further said that “a picture of Christ on the wall shook” as Doe approached. The Does took Roland to Georgetown University Hospital but were unable to help him. Afterward, the family sought help from the Catholic Church for an exorcism, trusting that this could free their son from his frightening symptoms. Additionally, an August 20, 1949, article in the Washington Post revealed that Doe underwent the ancient ritual of exorcism approximately 20 to 30 times in his hometown and in St. Louis, Missouri. It also mentioned that Doe was freed from possession by the devil by a Catholic priest, and found it to be the most remarkable experience in the history of religion.
In some of the reported cases, it was noted that words appeared to be etched into Doe’s skin and his bed would slide across the floor or hit a wall when he was sleeping, waking him up. In addition, the boy would break out into a violent fit of rage, screaming and cursing. He even uttered Latin phrases – a language he had never learned. When the priest reached the climax of the ritual, he said, “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, I cast you (the devil) out.”
Although the article used church officials as sources, some questioned the authenticity of the report and its portrayal in the book and film. In 2023, film critic Nat Segaloff told Vanity Fair on the 50th anniversary of the film’s release that the events took place over a few months in 1949 and were not as in the film.
The author of The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear said: “There was no evidence of violent vomiting, levitation or dizziness, but chairs may have tipped over, beds may have shaken and words carved on the boy’s body – possibly self-inflicted. Some people believe he faked it to avoid going to school and mimed Latin prayers to make fun of the priest.”
The fate of Roland Doe: What happened after the exorcism?
Doe returned to living a quiet life after his time as a witness to an exorcism at age 14, as the false name used in the press allowed him to remain anonymous. Doe died in 2020 at age 85, and his identity was publicly revealed as Ronald Edwin Hunkeler. As an adult, he became an engineer at NASA and helped with the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 and other space missions. Hunkeler’s partner, a 29-year-old woman, told the New York Post on condition of anonymity that Doe was always afraid of being exposed as the boy who inspired “The Exorcist.”
She said: “We always left the house on Halloween because he thought someone was coming to his house and knowing where he lived and wouldn’t leave him alone. He had a horrible life of worry, worry, worry.” She explained that Hunkeler’s experience was not just a demonic possession. “He said he wasn’t possessed, it was all just made up and he was just a bad boy.”
Is Doe’s house haunted? Let’s find out
Exorcism: Live!, a 2015 paranormal reality show, went to the St. Louis house where Doe lived during his treatment in 1949. They investigated the house with the help of psychic mediums and religious professionals and then “exorcised” any spirits that were in the house. Producer Jodi Tovay told PEOPLE her theory was that after Roland’s exorcism in St. Louis, all demonic activity moved into the house and has remained there ever since.
Tovay said, “Other parts of St. Louis are haunted as well. … At one point, Roland was taken to the local St. Louis hospital and exorcised there as well.” She also claimed that there were many outrageous stories from the hospital staff who worked there at the time. She said, “Every time they tried to demolish the wing where Roland was, the wrecking ball would get out of control and hit another building!”
Was the original film “The Exorcist” cursed?
After the film’s release, audience reactions were intense, with some even vomiting and fainting in the theater. When audiences saw Regan’s head spinning on her neck, they reacted with instinctive reactions. Blair faced severe criticism for her portrayal of the possessed main character.
The Exorcist had a reputation for being cursed due to unusual problems on set during production. A fire broke out on set before cameras began rolling, causing a six-week delay in rebuilding. Actors Blair and Max von Sydow lost family members within a short period of time during filming. There were reports that other crew members were injured, including Blair and Ellen Bursty, who played the role of Regan’s mother. Eventually, director William Friedkin had a priest brought to the set to bless the production. Friedkin told Castle Frankenstein in 1974 that they were plagued by strange and uncanny things from the beginning, and that it was the hardest thing he ever did in his life.
Is The Exorcist: Believer based on real possessions?
Christopher Chacon, who consulted on possession cases and their portrayal in films, mentioned that the possessions depicted in the 2023 sequel, The Exorcist: Believer, were believable. In an interview with PEOPLE, he revealed that he has observed similar phenomena in real life. Chacon said that these are real phenomena and that the elements we incorporated into The Exorcist: Believer are very authentic and based on real people’s experiences.
Christopher Chacon, who has experienced these phenomena himself, explained that although they can be studied using scientific means, modern technology is often not sufficient to fully understand their complexity. He has observed various phenomena, such as objects moving on their own, dramatic fluctuations in magnetic fields and temperature fluctuations of 70 to 80 degrees.
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