Oliver Reed, who had worked with Russell previously on "Women in Love", was cast as Urbain Grandier, the philandering doomed priest. Richard Johnson, who had portrayed Grandier in a stage production of "The Devils", had originally been attached to the project in 1969, but eventually dropped out of the production. Reed agreed to do the film for a percentage of the profits. Gemma Jones was cast as Madeleine de Brou, Grandier's mistress. Sister Jeanne des Anges was originally to be played by Glenda Jackson, who had starred opposite Reed in Russell's "Women in Love", as well as in Russell's "The Music Lovers". However, Jackson turned down the role saying: "I don't want to play any more neurotic sex starved parts." Russell later claimed that he felt Jackson had actually turned down the role because it had been truncated from his original screenplay. Jackson was replaced by Vanessa Redgrave.