An iconic horror film actress made a glamorous return to the spotlight at the Venice Film Festival on Monday.
The star, one of an elite selection of actors who have received acting’s Triple Crown (winning an Oscar, a Tony and two Primetime Emmy Awards), received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the festival.
At the age of 93, she plays the role of Marilyn Monroe opposite Dakota Johnson in her latest film.
Her most famous role was as a desperate mother trying to cure her possessed daughter in a 1973 horror film that was called the scariest of all time.
She starred alongside other Hollywood greats such as Al Pacino, Anne Hathaway and Jared Leto.
So can you guess who she is?
An iconic horror film actress made a glamorous return to the spotlight at the Venice Film Festival on Monday
The star, one of an elite selection of actors to have received acting’s Triple Crown (winning an Oscar, a Tony and two Primetime Emmy Awards), was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the festival – who is she?
It’s The Exorcist star, Ellen Burstyn! The legendary actress looked incredible as she made a stunning appearance at the prestigious festival before receiving the glittering award.
Burstyn wowed in a green watercolor suit before donning a vibrant orange ensemble for her tearful acceptance speech.
Now in her 90s, Burstyn’s career remains as vibrant as ever. In her latest short film role, Flesh Impact, she plays a 100-year-old version of Monroe in the project, which is both written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Described as “a love letter” to Monroe, the short film stars Dakota Johnson as a young Marilyn and will premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September, just three months after what would have been the late actress’s centenary.
As she received her award in Venice, a tearful Burstyn said: “You make me cry! You overwhelm me, you know! I don’t know how to recover from that generous greeting.
It’s The Exorcist star Ellen Burstyn! She played Chris MacNeil in the iconic 1973 horror
Burstyn wowed in a green watercolor suit, before donning a vibrant orange ensemble for her tearful acceptance speech
The Oscar winner received the award from festival director Alberto Barbera
Burstyn looked as glamorous as ever in her striking orange outfit
She received an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974). Above, with Diane Ladd, left
‘You can’t imagine how meaningful this is to me. It’s one thing to win an Oscar, a Tony or an Emmy – and I won them all. But this… it’s a lot.
‘At 93, it means you have quite a life to look back on, I thought. Perhaps it is a record not only of what you have accomplished, but also of what you have learned.”
Burstyn has starred in films such as The Exorcist (1973), Requiem For A Dream (2000), Interstellar (2014) and Pieces Of A Woman (2020).
She received an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974).
The Exorcist debuted in December 1973, after Burstyn’s Chris MacNeil enlisted the help of two priests (Max Von Sydow and William O’Malley) to exorcise a demon named Pazuzu from her daughter Regan.
William Friedkin (The French Connection) directed the original, while The Exorcist author William Peter Blatty wrote the screenplay adaptation based on his book.
Based on the book of the same name by William Peter Blatty – who adapted it into a film himself – the film suffered from problems during production.
An unexplained fire burned most of the set at one point, delaying filming for six weeks, but the bedroom where Blair’s character, Regan, endures her demonic possession was strangely spared.
The film is still considered one of the scariest of all time. Burstyn reprized her role in the 2023 sequel, The Exorcist: Believer
Meanwhile, both Linda Blair and Burstyn suffered painful back injuries during filming. Their real cries of pain can be heard in the film.
Linda reportedly suffered long-term back injuries after landing on her coccyx.
Among the many controversies plaguing The Exorcist, some claim that a series of fatal events associated with the film’s cast amounts to a “curse.”
The film is still considered one of the scariest of all time. Burstyn reprized her role in the 2023 sequel, The Exorcist: Believer.
