>> reporter: her first oscar came in 1972, as mother to cybil shepherd jacy in "the last possibilityanovich as director. >> we had a scene where i hear my lover drive up. oh, good, my lover is here. and i'm just about to open the door, and my daughter comes in. and then i realize, oh, it's not my lover coming to see me. it's my daughter. oh, my gosh, my daughter has been with my lover. and so i said, peter, i have eight different things to express here, and i don't have a line. and he went, i know. [laughter] >> and i said, well, how am i supposed to do that? and he said, just think the thoughts of the character, and the camera will read your mind. that was the most important acting for a film lesson i ever got. it was just brilliant. because that's the truth. >> what did you do today? >> reporter: next came "the exorcist," another mother with a daughter possessed by the devil. and another oscar nomination. a year later... >> how much money is there left? >> don't ask. >> reporter: ..."alice doesn't live here anymore," as a single mother trying to do it all. >> it is my life, not som