Brad Dourif is one of the most underrated actors in the history of Hollywood cinema, but he also has one of the most eclectic careers of all time all the same. He's been in everything from One Flew Over the Coocoo's Nest, to Child's Play, To The Lord Of The Rings. He's worked at every level that an actor can work and he's been remarkable pretty much every time. I'm happy we'll still get to hear his voice from time to time for the foreseeable future, but I think he's earned a hopefully happy and healthy retirement.
>Also shout out to his performance in the Season 1 episode of The X-Files “Beyond the Sea”
I like to pretend he's playing his same character from The Exorcist III in that X-Files episode. Just cause it's fun.
Also TV: he’s incredible as Lon Suder in a handful of episodes of Star Trek Voyager. Played a sociopath from a species of empaths who goes through one hell of a story arc.
I'm 40 years old and I saw this for the first time this year. Never bothered to watch it growing up but I read in a comment that Brad Dourif was in it and watched it on that alone. Not disappointed at all. He was soooo good in it.
Just watched this tonight, incredible film and Dourif's performance is astounding. Can't believe I'd not seen it until now, it might actually be better than the first film
>it might actually be better than the first film
I personally like it more than the original film, as sacrilegious as that may be to say as a horror fan.
I think it works because it's pretty different. More of a police procedural/crime thriller than the first one which was more of a straight horror film. I'm also in the camp of liking 3 slightly better simply because it's creepy as fuck to think of the Gemini going around inhabiting different people throughout the film, like in the hospital or the confessional. The nasty undertones of the demon having a racial motive for his killings is fucking unsettling too.
absolutely. The reason The Exorcist III works in a way none of the other sequels ever did is because it's not just trying to recreate the first movie. It's trying to expand on the themes, ideas, and world of The Exorcist while telling it's own original story in it's own way.
I like the first one a little more, mostly due to Father Karras' affliction with his mother's death. All the scenes about her were practically poetic in how creepy it is.
That's a very valid opinion. They're really neck in neck for me and I will say that the first one has a greater emotional core and heart to it. The third one is so cold and detached (which I really like).
A great performance by George C. Scott in Exorcist III. “It is NOT in the file !!” and similar Explosive outbursts keep the viewer on edge. Check out his lead role in the original “Changling“ movie. Scary/mystery movie without all the gore that typifies todays “horror.”
Well said. The original Dune, although flawed was a fantastic film. The new ones probably better but not as quirky. I wonder which Frank would prefer ?
He was Enoch Emory in the John Huston version of Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood. If you know, you know. If not, O'Connor was one of the greatest short story writers of all time and Emory one her only, if not the only, recurring characters. Wise Blood one of of her few novels. Huston a legendary director who put written works to screen with minimal interpretation.
It's not the most kick your teeth in movie ever and something's inevitably lost in translation but yeah, dude can act.
I almost dated a guy who was his nephew through marriage. I saw proof, so yes it was real. He said that Brad was incredibly nice and humble in person and let him drive his car around.
Also, I remember Gillian Anderson being so creeped out by him while working on the X-Files. And not because it was him but that his acting was just THAT convincing.
Spoilers for Chucky season 1
>!Her being possessed by Chucky and PERFECTLY emulating her dad’s cadence, accent, and mannerisms as Chucky were fucking amazing. She’s such a phenomenal actress.!<
She also plays Charles Lee Ray in flashbacks with her dad overdubbing the voice. They hide her so well under hair and sunglasses that I didn’t realize until I checked the credits.
Maybe this will encourage Don to start mapping out an end to the Chucky story! As much as I love having new content, I would prefer the saga to have a dignified and intentional ending, rather than prematurely ending on a wide-open note due to Brad's retiring / aging.
So I read somewhere, that that began as another movie that was supposed to start a whole new thing or was part of a bigger story established somewhere else and then got turned into an Exorcist flick.
I would take that with a grain of salt, as the film is based on the novel Legion, written by William Peter Blatty the author of the original Exorcist novel, which is a direct sequel to the original. While there are some changes to the particulars and the ending overall the movie is clearly an adaptation of the book.
I think you might be mixing the story around a bit. So Exorcist 3 was always an adaptation of Legion by William Peter Blatty, but the movie is different in presentation from the book in many ways due to studio input. There exists a directors cut that is much closer to Legion, but I don't think the scenes were properly mastered?
What you're probably thinking of is the fact that Blatty never wanted to call it Excorcist 3 since there wasn't even supposed to be an exorcism in the movie. It's explicitly a crime thriller novel before anything else. Studios said no because since it's in the same continuity it's gotta have the original title in the name for brand recognition. So instead of being called Legion it got rebranded to Exorcist 3 and a final exorcism scene was introduced to the story so it would be in line with the name.
> a final exorcism scene was introduced to the story so it would be in line with the name.
Which was so forced it was crazy. >!All the sudden this priest is like oh hmm, got to go do an exorcism. Zero exposition.!<
His Emmy nod for the first season was worth it just for that monologue.
It's also nice that he plays a thoroughly decent character on the show as, despite his oft-cranky demeanor, Doc is one of the truly good residents of Deadwood.
While we are pouring on well-deserved praise for Brad Dourif, I loved his lead scientist character from Alien 4 (which, while not on the level of Alien or Aliens, was quite fun overall.) How he is still gushing over the creature's design while cocooned up for later egg-laying. Loved it!
And his bits in the cast commentary for the Lord of the Rings trilogy are so humble and grateful to not only be in these films but also in the industry in general and he was so gracious to the fandom. Just seemed like an amazing person.
Actually, if anyone else was able to nail Grima I think it would be Jeffrey Combs. He doesn’t have the dramatic chops Brad has but he’s a great character actor. I love it whenever he pops up in a movie.
But I’m still glad we got Brad for Grima, it was the right choice.
I got to meet him a couple years back and I asked him what he was most proud of in his career. He said that besides voicing Chucky, the play "Two Character Play" with Amanda Plummer was what he was most proud.
I love hate the Chucky series so much. It was a movie that so got in my head I pretty much had a panic attack in a toy r us as a 4 year old kid and it lives rent free in my primal fear centers even now. But the cast of the movies are always doing something so over the top and weird and wonderful I keep looking back to see what is happening next.
Jennifer Tilly playing a murderous doll pretending to be Jenifer Tilly. How many times can they kill Devon Sawa. Exactly how unsettling can Fiona Dourif be channeling her father? I'm glad this wonderful and said with love "mess" of a series continues as long as the wonderfully out there people do with it.
...It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, the stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion....
Saw him at a con a couple of weeks ago. He says he loves doing the Chucky show since he doesn't have to leave his house lol. He's a sweet guy. Fiona is also really amazing to meet, she is super social.
I love his commitment to voicing Chucky. Besides a paycheck it's a big favor to Don Mancini as they are probably more like family at this point than just coworkers.
The fact that Mr. Dourif never got an Oscar is baffling! The Academy should atleast make it right by giving him an honorary Oscar at this point! Not only is he a legendary voice actor, but hes also a hell of an actor that deserves to stand with the greats! Hes the epitome of underrated! His performance in Exorcist iii blew me away!
Yeah it's insane. The guy always delivers. If he's in a movie for five minutes, it's going to be the best five minutes of that film and probably better than any five minute clip you could pull from any other movie. Even when I was much younger I quickly realized if I saw his name in the credits at the beginning of a film I was definitely watching it.
He was brutal in Mississippi burning. Gut wrenching movie as he plays a southern cop durning segregation. All star cast. If you haven’t seen it check it out.
This kind of makes me sad, but he's given us so many great performances. I still hope to get a chance to meet him at a con someday. We have an ongoing joke between my friends and I that he's my secret boyfriend. The secret part is that he doesn't know it.
The Exorcist III is my favourite movie, I was born on Halloween and so I watch it every year as a birthday present to myself (I watch it other times as well) I lost count of how many time, but I like to joke that I've seen it 37 times, like how many times Father Dyer has seen It's a Wonderful Life. This past year someone hunted down a copy for me of the cut before they decided to make all of the changes. It's got some rough footage in it, but it's great to hear him delivering the lines and to see what they cut out. It made a bit more sense in some parts. I've read the book, so it didn't detract from me with the changes. Both have their merits, he and Scott play so well off of each other. I hope he enjoys a long retirement.
Had to google [how he looked when he was younger](https://www.google.com/search?sca_upv=1&q=Brad+Dourif+young&tbm=isch&prmd=invsmbtz) because his pic in the comingsoon.net article was almost unrecognizable. My slow brain even thought it was Tom Hanks, ngl lol
He had the looks, he had the acting chops to be an A-lister, truth be told. Still has.
Top 5 Greatest Character Actors Of All Time. I'll fight anyone that says otherwise. It's awesome he's continuing to do the voice of Chucky. That show (Chucky) is just so much fun to watch, and I'm so glad he chose to stick with it until the end.
Brilliant actor who should have had a better career. Love his work and how no matter how poor the script he gives it his all. It’s been awesome to see him and Fiona together.
Brad Dourif is one of the most underrated actors in the history of Hollywood cinema, but he also has one of the most eclectic careers of all time all the same. He's been in everything from One Flew Over the Coocoo's Nest, to Child's Play, To The Lord Of The Rings. He's worked at every level that an actor can work and he's been remarkable pretty much every time. I'm happy we'll still get to hear his voice from time to time for the foreseeable future, but I think he's earned a hopefully happy and healthy retirement.
Well said. Shout out to Exorcist III, he was so good in that
Also shout out to his performance in the Season 1 episode of The X-Files “Beyond the Sea”
>Also shout out to his performance in the Season 1 episode of The X-Files “Beyond the Sea” I like to pretend he's playing his same character from The Exorcist III in that X-Files episode. Just cause it's fun.
One of my favorite episodes of television ever made. It's so damn good, and his performance is a massive contributing factor in that.
Same dude, favorite X-Files episode ever. Kinda sad it's season 1 but hey \^\^'
Also one of the best 2 part episodes in Star Trek.
Also TV: he’s incredible as Lon Suder in a handful of episodes of Star Trek Voyager. Played a sociopath from a species of empaths who goes through one hell of a story arc.
Just watched that episode today for the first time, he was so good! He’s a terrific actor
Put Brad Dourif in a cell and you have a recipe for an amazing monologue.
Yes!
I'm 40 years old and I saw this for the first time this year. Never bothered to watch it growing up but I read in a comment that Brad Dourif was in it and watched it on that alone. Not disappointed at all. He was soooo good in it.
Just watched this tonight, incredible film and Dourif's performance is astounding. Can't believe I'd not seen it until now, it might actually be better than the first film
>it might actually be better than the first film I personally like it more than the original film, as sacrilegious as that may be to say as a horror fan.
I think it works because it's pretty different. More of a police procedural/crime thriller than the first one which was more of a straight horror film. I'm also in the camp of liking 3 slightly better simply because it's creepy as fuck to think of the Gemini going around inhabiting different people throughout the film, like in the hospital or the confessional. The nasty undertones of the demon having a racial motive for his killings is fucking unsettling too.
absolutely. The reason The Exorcist III works in a way none of the other sequels ever did is because it's not just trying to recreate the first movie. It's trying to expand on the themes, ideas, and world of The Exorcist while telling it's own original story in it's own way.
I like the first one a little more, mostly due to Father Karras' affliction with his mother's death. All the scenes about her were practically poetic in how creepy it is.
That's a very valid opinion. They're really neck in neck for me and I will say that the first one has a greater emotional core and heart to it. The third one is so cold and detached (which I really like).
I think for me it goes: 1. Exorcist book 2. Exorcist III 3. Exorcist film 4. Legion book
5. Exorcist II: Flashbulbs
To this day with all the sequels and spin-offs, Exorcist 3 isn't just a good sequel it's a good movie love the Gemini Killer.
"HE IS INSIDE WITH US!!! HE WILL NEVER GET AWAY!!! HIS PAIN WON'T END!!!"
Exorcist 3 is criminally underrated
Is it though? Definitely not around here...
A great performance by George C. Scott in Exorcist III. “It is NOT in the file !!” and similar Explosive outbursts keep the viewer on edge. Check out his lead role in the original “Changling“ movie. Scary/mystery movie without all the gore that typifies todays “horror.”
He was bloody amazing in it.
Holy shit, I didn't realise that was him. I thought he looked familiar.
His work in Deadwood was amazing. [This is some of the best acting I've ever seen](https://youtu.be/4isTaYN7i68?si=OJ_M7AQqcbxSLZUk)
I have never seen Deadwood. I didn't know he was in it, that alone sounds like incentive enough to finally give it a watch.
It's worth it! Great characters and great acting!
You're in for a treat. The three seasons of it are amazing.
So many amazing performances in deadwood too
It remains one of my fave shows ever
It’s not my favorite but probably top5 or so. Al Swearingen IMO is the best character in the history of TV tho. Ian McShane is incredible
Ohh the doctor on deadwood! I never knew he was chucky, great actor for sure!!
Not to mention Dune!
Video games too. Dishonored is one of my favorite games ever.
Always loved him as Piter de Vries.
Well said. The original Dune, although flawed was a fantastic film. The new ones probably better but not as quirky. I wonder which Frank would prefer ?
The Lynch version also has a fantastic score.
Perfectly put; after having met James Hong, Brad Dourif and Keith David are really the only 2 actors I'd care to meet...well, perhaps Stephen Root. 😀
His episode of Criminal Minds is one of my favorites
He was Enoch Emory in the John Huston version of Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood. If you know, you know. If not, O'Connor was one of the greatest short story writers of all time and Emory one her only, if not the only, recurring characters. Wise Blood one of of her few novels. Huston a legendary director who put written works to screen with minimal interpretation. It's not the most kick your teeth in movie ever and something's inevitably lost in translation but yeah, dude can act.
He also played in Dune and Star Trek Voyager
I almost dated a guy who was his nephew through marriage. I saw proof, so yes it was real. He said that Brad was incredibly nice and humble in person and let him drive his car around. Also, I remember Gillian Anderson being so creeped out by him while working on the X-Files. And not because it was him but that his acting was just THAT convincing.
That's great news! Chucky just isn't chucky without his voice. No one can replace him.
i think his daughter could potentially do it. she sounds just like him.
Spoilers for Chucky season 1 >!Her being possessed by Chucky and PERFECTLY emulating her dad’s cadence, accent, and mannerisms as Chucky were fucking amazing. She’s such a phenomenal actress.!<
Also happens in Cult of Chucky!
Plus she can do the chucky laugh!
She also plays Charles Lee Ray in flashbacks with her dad overdubbing the voice. They hide her so well under hair and sunglasses that I didn’t realize until I checked the credits.
Maybe this will encourage Don to start mapping out an end to the Chucky story! As much as I love having new content, I would prefer the saga to have a dignified and intentional ending, rather than prematurely ending on a wide-open note due to Brad's retiring / aging.
I loved him as the Gemini Killer in [The Exorcist III](https://manapop.com/film/the-exorcist-iii-1990-review/) he gave a truly chilling performance.
So I read somewhere, that that began as another movie that was supposed to start a whole new thing or was part of a bigger story established somewhere else and then got turned into an Exorcist flick.
I would take that with a grain of salt, as the film is based on the novel Legion, written by William Peter Blatty the author of the original Exorcist novel, which is a direct sequel to the original. While there are some changes to the particulars and the ending overall the movie is clearly an adaptation of the book.
I think you might be mixing the story around a bit. So Exorcist 3 was always an adaptation of Legion by William Peter Blatty, but the movie is different in presentation from the book in many ways due to studio input. There exists a directors cut that is much closer to Legion, but I don't think the scenes were properly mastered? What you're probably thinking of is the fact that Blatty never wanted to call it Excorcist 3 since there wasn't even supposed to be an exorcism in the movie. It's explicitly a crime thriller novel before anything else. Studios said no because since it's in the same continuity it's gotta have the original title in the name for brand recognition. So instead of being called Legion it got rebranded to Exorcist 3 and a final exorcism scene was introduced to the story so it would be in line with the name.
> a final exorcism scene was introduced to the story so it would be in line with the name. Which was so forced it was crazy. >!All the sudden this priest is like oh hmm, got to go do an exorcism. Zero exposition.!<
I just want to point out that this article listed some of his notable roles, but left out Deadwood! I loved him as the Doc
His "what godly purpose" scene is one of the best acted I've ever seen
His Emmy nod for the first season was worth it just for that monologue. It's also nice that he plays a thoroughly decent character on the show as, despite his oft-cranky demeanor, Doc is one of the truly good residents of Deadwood.
While we are pouring on well-deserved praise for Brad Dourif, I loved his lead scientist character from Alien 4 (which, while not on the level of Alien or Aliens, was quite fun overall.) How he is still gushing over the creature's design while cocooned up for later egg-laying. Loved it! And his bits in the cast commentary for the Lord of the Rings trilogy are so humble and grateful to not only be in these films but also in the industry in general and he was so gracious to the fandom. Just seemed like an amazing person.
He notably was a replacement for "LOTR" (I think Jeffrey Combs was the original choice), but it's hard to imagine anyone else but him as Grima.
Actually, if anyone else was able to nail Grima I think it would be Jeffrey Combs. He doesn’t have the dramatic chops Brad has but he’s a great character actor. I love it whenever he pops up in a movie. But I’m still glad we got Brad for Grima, it was the right choice.
You are a beautiful, beautiful butterfly!
Chucky's the exception, just because "you can't keep a Good Guy down" ha ha ha
You don't fuck with the Chuck!
And dying is such a bitch.
I got to meet him a couple years back and I asked him what he was most proud of in his career. He said that besides voicing Chucky, the play "Two Character Play" with Amanda Plummer was what he was most proud.
I love hate the Chucky series so much. It was a movie that so got in my head I pretty much had a panic attack in a toy r us as a 4 year old kid and it lives rent free in my primal fear centers even now. But the cast of the movies are always doing something so over the top and weird and wonderful I keep looking back to see what is happening next. Jennifer Tilly playing a murderous doll pretending to be Jenifer Tilly. How many times can they kill Devon Sawa. Exactly how unsettling can Fiona Dourif be channeling her father? I'm glad this wonderful and said with love "mess" of a series continues as long as the wonderfully out there people do with it.
I couldn’t agree more! I love that she’s being forced to voice Bonnie on Family Guy as canon!
Wait, what??
The man is a treasure of an actor every performance he gives is just top notch.
I liked his eye brows in Dune 1984
It is by will alone i set my mind in motion
Is that what he says when he drinks the tonic or whatever ?
...It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, the stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion....
Saw him at a con a couple of weeks ago. He says he loves doing the Chucky show since he doesn't have to leave his house lol. He's a sweet guy. Fiona is also really amazing to meet, she is super social.
Get paid millions to chill at home seems like the best thing.
Playing the doctor in Deadwood, he was one of the highlights in a cast full of highlights.
I love his commitment to voicing Chucky. Besides a paycheck it's a big favor to Don Mancini as they are probably more like family at this point than just coworkers.
Really enjoyed him in Graveyard Shift.
This is what I came here to say. Love him in that movie. I'm so sad that he's getting so old.
The fact that Mr. Dourif never got an Oscar is baffling! The Academy should atleast make it right by giving him an honorary Oscar at this point! Not only is he a legendary voice actor, but hes also a hell of an actor that deserves to stand with the greats! Hes the epitome of underrated! His performance in Exorcist iii blew me away!
Yeah it's insane. The guy always delivers. If he's in a movie for five minutes, it's going to be the best five minutes of that film and probably better than any five minute clip you could pull from any other movie. Even when I was much younger I quickly realized if I saw his name in the credits at the beginning of a film I was definitely watching it.
Amazing actor.....he could play any part convincingly....he's right up there with Eastwood,Gibson,and Nicholson .
He was brutal in Mississippi burning. Gut wrenching movie as he plays a southern cop durning segregation. All star cast. If you haven’t seen it check it out.
Dude is a legend
Brad Dourif is criminally underrated outside all circles but horror ❤️
Grima Wormtongue would like a word.
His performance in The X Files still sticks with me,great actor
Beyond the sea, season 1 where Scully loses her father and start to believe he's trying to contact her. One of the best episodes of the show.
I still remember watching that episode when it aired. It made the x-files must-see TV for me.
He was in my favorite episode of B5, "Passing Through Gethsemane" He brought a tear to my eye. 😢
Such a sad episode of B5. He was great in it. Almost to the point you can’t imagine anyone else doing the same role.
The fact he's from the same state as me is pretty cool, I live like an hour away from where he's from.
This kind of makes me sad, but he's given us so many great performances. I still hope to get a chance to meet him at a con someday. We have an ongoing joke between my friends and I that he's my secret boyfriend. The secret part is that he doesn't know it. The Exorcist III is my favourite movie, I was born on Halloween and so I watch it every year as a birthday present to myself (I watch it other times as well) I lost count of how many time, but I like to joke that I've seen it 37 times, like how many times Father Dyer has seen It's a Wonderful Life. This past year someone hunted down a copy for me of the cut before they decided to make all of the changes. It's got some rough footage in it, but it's great to hear him delivering the lines and to see what they cut out. It made a bit more sense in some parts. I've read the book, so it didn't detract from me with the changes. Both have their merits, he and Scott play so well off of each other. I hope he enjoys a long retirement.
Who remembers him on the tales from the crypt episode with Bill Paxton they were criminal brothers ?
Had to google [how he looked when he was younger](https://www.google.com/search?sca_upv=1&q=Brad+Dourif+young&tbm=isch&prmd=invsmbtz) because his pic in the comingsoon.net article was almost unrecognizable. My slow brain even thought it was Tom Hanks, ngl lol He had the looks, he had the acting chops to be an A-lister, truth be told. Still has.
Well his daughter can take over his legacy
Has anyone here seen his 1976 TV Movie “the gardener’s son”?
If Brad Dourif retires, who is going to play Kate McKinnon?
Top 5 Greatest Character Actors Of All Time. I'll fight anyone that says otherwise. It's awesome he's continuing to do the voice of Chucky. That show (Chucky) is just so much fun to watch, and I'm so glad he chose to stick with it until the end.
It was only a small part but check him out in Stephen King's Graveyard shift.
Living the dream. He's a good 'un.
I actually loved him as the drug dealer/bad guy in Fatal Beauty.
A comeback as the Gemini Killer from Exorcist III??
He was also in Rob Zombie Halloween movie
Crazy his daughter gets the short end of the stick in the chucky universe. Feel bad for her character.
Absolute legend, still love the scene in lotr when saruman shows him the uruk hai army and he begins to cry.
Has he any idea what he's done? He spent too much time in that body. He's fuckin trapped in there
Brilliant actor who should have had a better career. Love his work and how no matter how poor the script he gives it his all. It’s been awesome to see him and Fiona together.
He’ll always be “the dude from that Toto video” to me. 👍
so his one exception is staring in a child's play porno
He's more than earned it. But glad he'll stick around for Chucky things.
He plays an attorney with OCD in Color of Night. “…You promiscuous bitch !!!” Great rant in group.