Linda Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress famous for her role as the possessed child in The Exorcist. and its first sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic.

She did not receive the Academy Award for the role and it is thought that this was due in part to the fact that her voice was dubbed and a dummy was used in many scenes. Linda Blair began her career as a young child modelling and then moved into commercials. Blair had originally planned to be a doctor but was offered The Exorcist role.

Following the success of this film, Blair appeared in the controversial television films Born Innocent (in which Blair portrays a girl sent away to face the brutal life of a women's prison. A controversial movie due to the actress's age, the tagline of the film was "She was born innocent, but that was fourteen years ago.") and Sarah T...Portrait Of A Teenage Alcoholic. She also had a featured role in the disaster film Airport '75. Blair's career went into decline afterwards and she appeared in many minor films often with a horror theme.

During the early 80's she had a passionate relationship with the popular singer Rick James, but left him when she could no longer handle his drug addiction.

In 1990, she spoofed her "Exorcist" character in the film Repossessed that also starred Leslie Nielsen. In the late 1990s, Blair won wide acclaim for her performance in the stage revival of Grease. Linda Blair has long been active in charities involving prevention of cruelty to animals such as PETA.

Filmography

• The Exorcist (1973)
• Born Innocent (1974, TV movie)
• Airport '75, (1974)
• Exorcist II: The Heretic, (1977)
• Roller Boogie , (1979)
• Hell Night , (1981)
• Chained Heat , (1983)
• Savage Streets , (1984)
• Grotesque , (1988)
• Witchery , (1988)
• Up Your Alley , (1989)
• The Chilling , (1989)
• Repossessed, (1990)
• Fatal Bond , (1991).

See also

• List of Scream Queens

External links

• Shawn's Linda Blair fanclub