The supernatural horror film “Carrie” is adapted from Stephen King’s 1974 novel and was released in 1976. It has become a cult classic and stars Sissy Spacek as Carrie White. The story has been reimagined, including the 2013 film “Carrie” starring Chloë Grace Moretz, and the October 2026 Prime Video miniseries starring Summer H. Howell, but for many, the original was the best version. This is a look back at Spacek in her lead role 50 years ago, and what she looks like now.
Sissy Spacek Reflects on Iconic Role
Spacek was 26 when she landed the lead in “Carrie,” and her performance would earn her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. In a November 2025 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Spacek reflected on her iconic role.
“That time, middle school to high school, you’re going through so many changes, and we all have; no matter what, we’ve got Carrie inside of us,” she said. “We’ve got a wounded teenager. It’s a hard, hard time.”
She continued, “Growing up is hard. And it’s kind of heartbreaking. It really hit a nerve, that film. God bless all you teenagers out there. It’s not easy, and it hasn’t changed in all this time. If you’re a bully, we’re gonna get you.”
Spacek is excited about the miniseries starring Howell, and said she would be “first in line to see” it, noting how King’s novel “has found its audience with teenagers.”
Spacek’s standout memory from the film, directed by Brian De Palma, is the fake blood used in one of the most memorable scenes. “How sticky movie blood is,” she said. “It was terrible, terrible, terrible.” But she praised working with De Palma and his passion for the project. “It’s so wonderful to get to work with people who are really into what they are doing,” she said. The film also starred John Travolta, William Katt, Nancy Allen, Amy Irving, and Betty Buckle.
Sissy Spacek Remembers Doubting Herself After ‘Carrie’ Audition
Spacek reflected on meeting De Palma, whom she met through her husband, production designer Jack Fisk, and how she initially felt he did not like her for the role. In an interview on the Awards Chatter podcast, she said she didn’t feel confident after her audition. “I thought, ‘He hates me. He’ll never want me in his film, and I’m not going to get this,’” she recalled, The Hollywood Reporter reports. Fisk later informed her she had the part.
Spacek’s comments are similar to what she made in a 1979 audition with Rolling Stone magazine. “Brian called one day and told me to get the book and read it,” she told the publication. “So I went out and got it, and I was just horrified. But I knew what kind of sense of humor he had, and I was anxious to do it.”
She continued, “He told me that if I wanted to, I could try out for the part of Carrie White, but that I shouldn’t miss my commercial. There was another girl that he was set on, and unless he was really surprised, she was the one.” Despite not being the director’s first choice, Spacek decided to audition for the part. She, and horror fans around the world, are undoubtedly thrilled she did!
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Sissy Spacek Starred in ‘Carrie’ 50 Years Ago – See Her Then & Now