Modeling was pretty difficult back then. I did not find the business something that I had an interest in. I wanted to be a veterinarian.

Warner Brothers had to hire [a stunt double] and no one thought a child could do this. Billy Friedkin came to me before we were filming [The Exorcist] and said "if you do not do all of this film, the film will be a joke." It's why they stripped the makeup down to the bare minimum, a piece on my chin, piece across my mouth that disfigured my mouth. You have scars here. Take away my eyebrows. It was my real hair. Shampoo was put in it that dried.

When I was thirteen I basically asked my mother if it was possible for this to end, that I'd had enough of it. And I truly had had enough. And that was right about the time that we got a call for a movie interview.

I have done, I hope to say I've done things to help make a difference while I'm on this earth. Are animal issues most important to me? Absolutely. I have an affinity with them, but I also care about children and the elderly and always say that the rest of everybody else can fend for themselves because we're in a age where we can. And we're all able to do so.

I can't answer for my mother. She was a very private person, and did not discuss a lot of things.

Turkeys are misunderstood. Once I adopted turkeys, I understood this large bird to be a great companion.

One of the reasons I don't have kids is because I think people would have been very unfair to them. Think of it. You're still asking me questions about The Exorcist.