Trivia: The smile that Damien gives at the very end wasn't scripted. Originally, Damien was supposed to "look really mean," but Harvey Stephens couldn't keep a straight face: he started to smile, then laugh. Richard Donner decided that the smile made Damien look even more evil, so it stayed in the movie.
Trivia: Richard Donner was originally wary of sending the script to Gregory Peck. Combined with the original ending, in which Robert kills Damien, and the fact that Peck's son had recently committed suicide, Donner thought offering the film to him was distasteful. But to Donner's surprise, Peck agreed relatively quickly to do the film.
Answer: A child that age would have very little understanding about the plot or his role and would be told little about it. He would simply respond to directions and cues.
raywest ★