On March 26 at the age of 90, Ron Faber, a stage performer who received an Obie Award and was best known for his small but memorable role in the horror classic “The Exorcist,” passed away from lung cancer.
David Patrick Kelly, a friend and coworker who recently learned of his demise, paid him tribute on Facebook, calling him a “great artist and gentleman with a wonderful voice and laugh.”
In 1972, Faber won an Obie Award for his performance in “And They Put Handcuffs on Flowers,” an off-Broadway show. Director William Friedkin saw him and cast him in the role of Chuck in the 1973 movie “The Exorcist.”
Chuck is the assistant director of the movie-within-a-movie called “Crash Course,” which stars Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn). His connection with Burstyn’s character in the scene where he breaks the news of Burke Dennings’ (Jack MacGowran) demise is what stands out in his memory the most.
Along with his work onscreen, Faber also contributed some of the demon’s guttural, deeper vocalizations to Mercedes McCambridge’s recordings, suggesting that Regan (Linda Blair) was the abode of more than one entity.
McCambridge was given the primary role in Friedkin’s attempt to give the demon multiple voices. In a 2016 interview with ComingSoon, Faber admitted that he felt resentful about not getting credit for his contributions.
To get the desired result, the sound design team experimented with the voices, including Faber’s. The devil was wheezing, and McCambridge, the well-known asthmatic, was to blame.
Along with Kojak, The Edge of Night, Law and Order, and Third Watch, Faber also made appearances on television. Along with his wife Kathleen Moore Faber, his surviving children are Hart, Raymond, Elise Manuel, and Anthony. His son Eric passed away before him.