The Exorcist (film) shot that obscured his face, as Friedkin felt that Vandis's face would be connected with his previous role in the Woody Allen film "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)". Vandis had previously played Milos Stavros, an Armenian shepherd who was in love with a sheep. Warners had approached Arthur Penn, Stanley Kubrick, and Mike Nichols, to direct, all of whom turned the project down. Originally Mark Rydell was hired to direct, but William Peter Blatty insisted on Friedkin instead, because he wanted his film to have the same energy as Friedkin's previous film,
Alan Caillou Devil's Brigade" (1968), "Hellfighters" (1968), "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)" (1972), "Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo" (1977), "Beyond Evil" (1980), "The Sword and the Sorcerer" (1982) and "The Ice Pirates" (1984). Caillou wrote 52 paperback thrillers under his own name and the nom de plume of Alex Webb, with such heroes as Cabot Cain, Colonel Matthew Tobin, Mike Benasque, Ian Quayle and Josh Dekker, as well as writing many magazine stories. He also wrote books under female names. Several of Caillou's novels were filmed, such as "Rampage" with Robert Mitchum in 1963,