How Brian De Palma Picked Sissy Spacek For ‘Carrie’

In film historian Laurent Bouzereau’s new book The De Palma Decade: Redefining Cinema with Doubles, Voyeurs, and Psychic Teens, iconic director Brian De Palma opens up about his breakthrough film, 1971’s Carrie,  including how he selected an incredible cast packed with then-unknown actors.

De Palma shared, “George Lucas and I were both looking for unknowns, and because we were looking at everybody, we opened up the casting to any kid that wanted to come and try out for the parts in Carrie and Star Wars [1977]. It took weeks and weeks; we sat together and, basically, went through hun­dreds of boys and girls.”

He continued, “I knew Sissy Spacek because she was [production designer] Jack Fisk’s girlfriend, and, ultimately, his wife. She had helped paint sets on Phantom of the Paradise. She had done a couple of films, but I had my eye set for another young actress I had seen in a movie where she gets an abortion [Betsy Slade in Our Time, 1974]; she was very touching and moving, and I thought this girl was perfect for the part.”

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Sissy Spacek admitted that she didn’t feel that she would get the part and almost didn’t come in to audition because she had a commercial lined up. Of course, she ended up coming in eventually, recalling, “I had re-read the book the day before the screen test and I think I rubbed Vaseline in my hair. I found some old sailor suit that my mother had made for me in seventh grade, I took the hem out of it, and I was really into it. I was feeling very sorry for myself, which was perfect for the character. So, when I went into the test the next morning, I don’t think I even washed my face.”

Everett Collection

At the time, Spacek thought that she was not favored for the role, but De Palma admitted that they were all blown away by her audition. She waited for him afterward and he told her right away that she got the part. De Palma said that his experience helped him learn how to spot young talent and give them a chance. He said that they spent a long time casting the other roles and he was so happy that most of the actors were very eager to do anything he asked.

'Eight is Enough' Actress Betty Buckley Worried She Might Actually Die While Filming 'Carrie'

It was her first major role and that look of terror was very real.

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