Linda Denise Blair (born January 22 1959 in
St. Louis, Missouri) is an Academy
Award-nominated American actress most famous for her
role as the possessed child in the 1973 film The Exorcist and its sequel, Exorcist II: The
Heretic.
Child actress
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she moved with her parents to Westport, Connecticut when she was two years old. As a young child, Linda Blair began her career
by modeling, then acting in commercials, including a
long-running one for Gulden's Mustard. Blair had originally planned to become a veterinarian, but instead accepted a role in The
Exorcist because the money would allow her to pursue horsemanship. She was
chosen over the very similar-looking Pamelyn Ferdin since the director wanted an unknown,
and Ferdin had already gained notoriety after appearing in Star
Trek, The Odd Couple and Night Gallery.
The Exorcist
Based on William Peter Blatty's best-selling novel, The Exorcist was directed by William Friedkin, who had
recently won an Oscar for directing The
French Connection. The cast included Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Max Von Sydow and Kitty Winn. Blatty produced the film and wrote the screenplay.
Blair gave a strong, credible performance as a young girl possessed by the devil, and was an integral part of the film's
phenomenal success soon after opening in December 1973. Lines
at theaters extended around blocks, with people standing in line for hours. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and Blair received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, as well as Golden
Globe and People's Choice Award wins. Blair received a Golden Globe nomination for the now defunct "most promising female star" category.
Despite the film's several nominations, the Best Picture Oscar went to George Roy
Hill's film The Sting. The
Exorcist was virtually shut out, although it won for Blatty's screenplay and for Best Sound. Blair's chances for an
Oscar were undeniably hurt when Mercedes McCambridge revealed to the press that she
had provided the (initially) uncredited demonic voice, though Linda's voice was underlaid in the track, and another woman claimed
to have body-doubled for Blair in several scenes, though the director dismissed the contributions of the double as insignificant.
The Best Supporting Actress Oscar instead went to 10-year old Tatum O'Neal for her
performance in Peter Bogdanovich's Paper
Moon.
After The Exorcist
At age 15, Blair dated and cohabitated with pop singer Rick Springfield, despite a
ten year difference in their ages[1] and the fact that she
was legally a minor.
1970s
Following the success of The Exorcist, Blair appeared in several controversial television films, including
Born Innocent and Sarah T...Portrait Of A Teenage
Alcoholic, which were the highest rated in their respective years. She was
also featured in Airport 1975. Soon afterward, her role in the failed
Exorcist sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic, nearly killed her
career. She did, however, receive a Saturn Award Best Actress nomination for her
performance in the film.
According to an interview with John McLaughlin on McLaughlin's One On One, Blair experienced an uncontrollable weight gain over the next few years after
Exorcist II which was finally traced to a hormone deficiency which was corrected[citation needed].
Adding to her troubles, Blair was arrested in December 1977 for conspiring to purchase and
distribute cocaine and for possessing amphetamines. It was
revealed that Blair's cohorts happened to be dog breeders; phone taps indicated that the word "dog" was a code word for
"cocaine". Though there was an actual dog discussed in the phone tap recordings, Linda's legal team preferred to cop a guilty
plea rather than deplete Blair's finances with a lengthy trial. She was fined for possession, sentenced to three years probation,
instructed to appear in several anti-drug commercials, and ordered to enter a nine month drug rehabilitation program. Blair
mentioned the legal woes on a October 1999 episode of
E! True Hollywood Story, claiming that the 1977 arrest ruined her
Hollywood career.
1980s
Throughout the 1980s, Blair's career deteriorated with her appearance in several minor films, often with a horror or slapstick
comedy theme. Meanwhile, Blair returned to her love of horsemanship, where she competed under various pseudonyms in a number of
showjumping events, winning several equestrian awards.
During the early 1980s, Blair had a relationship with singer Rick James, but left him when
she could no longer handle his drug addiction. It is rumored that James's hit "Cold Blooded" was inspired by Linda Blair.
1990s
In 1990, she spoofed her Exorcist character in the comedy film
Repossessed, in addition to appearing in lower budget movies and on television,
including a guest appearance on the 1992 season opener of the FOX series Married...
with Children.
In 1996, Blair had a brief uncredited cameo appearance in the box office smash
Scream, in addition to performing in the 1997 stage
revival of Grease.
2000s
In 2000, she appeared in the British teen show L.A.
7 featuring the popular pop group S Club 7, while starring in several independent
movies. She also hosted Fox Family's series Scariest Places On Earth.
One of Blair's latest appearances occurred in the Supernatural
episode "The Usual Suspects", where a brief homage was paid to her
Exorcist fame in the closing dialogue of the episode, when Dean Winchester says
that she "looks familiar" and expresses a craving for pea soup.
The Canadian band Alexisonfire has a song called "That Girl Possessed" on their second
album Watch Out! mainly about Blair and what her character from The Exorcist
experienced during her possession.
Charity work
Blair has long been active in charities involving prevention of cruelty to animals with her own Linda Blair WorldHeart
Foundation, and is a committed vegan. She received the City of Los Angeles Proclamation for
her hard work with abandoned and abused animals.
Filmography
Features:
Short Subjects:
- Phone (1993)
- Marina (1997)
- Diva Dog: Pit Bull on Wheels (2005)
- The Powder Puff Principle (2006)
Television work
References
- ^ http://www.nndb.com/people/007/000024932
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
