Ellen Burstyn on Why Her Career Is Busier Than Ever: “Everybody Else Who Could Play Those Parts Has Already Died”

Ellen Burstyn is busier than she has ever been and she has an idea why.

During a recent conversation with her Law and Order: Organized Crime co-star Christopher Meloni for Interview magazine, the 90-year-old actress said she finds it “so bizarre” how many roles she has landed in the past few years.

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“I turn 91 in December and I’m busier than I can ever remember being at any point in my career,” she quipped. “And I don’t understand it at all. I mean, what’s all this stuff about ageism in Hollywood? How did I get left out of it?”

When Meloni asked why she thinks her acting career has seen such a boom, Burstyn responded, “I don’t know, except possibly that everybody else who could play those parts has already died, so I’m the only actress still standing who can play the great-grandmother or something.”

The entertainment industry is nothing new to the Oscar-winning actress, who got her start in the late 1950s. She has starred in more than 100 projects, including the original 1973 Exorcist film, and is now set to make her return to the hit horror franchise after 50 years in the upcoming The Exorcist: Believer.

As for what she credits for her career longevity and success, Burstyn said she knows “that being real and not faking is my guide.”

“My standard for any moment in a scene is, ‘Is this real to me?'” the Mother Couch actress explained. “I mean, that’s my training. That’s what I aspire to. If I ever feel fake, it’s like eating rotten food or something, it’s just wack. So I protect myself from ever feeling that by being as open as possible.”

Last year, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the stage and screen legend opened up about why she finally agreed to return for The Exorcist sequel.

“You know, what happened was I’ve turned down many versions of The Exorcist 2. I’ve said no every time,” Burstyn said. “This time they offered me a whole bunch of money and I still said no. And then they surprised me and they came back and said, ‘We doubled the offer.’ I said, ‘OK, let me think about this.’ I thought, ‘That’s a lot of money. Let me think about it.'”

She continued, “The next thought that came to mind was: ‘I feel like the devil is asking my price.’ And the next thought that came to mind was, ‘My price is a scholarship program for talented students at our master’s degree program at Pace University. That’s my price.’ So I then went back and upped their up and ended up getting what I want. And I’ve got a scholarship program for young actors.”

The Exorcist: Believer hits theaters Oct. 6.

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