Claim to Fame: I think the role that will forever be associated
with Linda Blair is that of Regan, the possessed child in, 'The Exorcist.'
Which, for me, is the scariest movie ever made.
Family Life: Linda has never been married but she has had
several high-profile relationships. One with Rick Springfield back in the 80's.
She also dated Rick James and Rick's 1983 hit, "Cold Blooded," was supposedly
about his and Linda's brief romance.
And then she dated actor Wings Hauser.
Info:
Linda started her career at the tender age of six, both as a model and in
motion pictures. Out of 600 applicants she got picked for the role of Regan, the
possessed child, in 'The Exorcist.' Linda seemed to be set to take the Academy
Award for that role, but when it leaked how little of the possessed child she
actually had been (dubbed voice by Mercedes McCambridge and liberal use of a
dummy) that dream broke, and with that disappointment probably came the first
blow to what should have been a sure road to stardom. Over the next few years
she had no trouble finding leading roles in a number of pictures, mostly as some
kind of abused child (13-year-old alcoholic, rape victim, to mention a few), but
the early attention brought with it life in the fast lane and Linda, as quite a
few others in recent years, hadn't had the time to learn how to handle it, and
drugs, a stream of unsteady relationships and other factors almost brought her
career to an end.
Trivia: Appeared in 75 commercials and hundreds of magazine catalogs by the
time she was 12.
Received death threats after 'The Exorcist' premiered. Warner Brothers, the
studio which released the film, hired the police to live with the Blair family
for 6 months. The culprit was
never caught.
Flew to Florida to attend funerals for members of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, when
an acquaintance convinced her to go with her and buy cocaine. Blair reportedly
went because she was interested in buying pedigree puppies which the dealers
were supposedly selling. Blair reportedly bought cocaine, and then returned to
Connecticut.
She kept in touch with the dealers, supposedly because she wanted the puppies,
but the Drug Enforcement Agency was tapping the phones. They arrested Blair,
along with 30+ others, and charged her with conspiracy to buy the cocaine in
Florida and sell it in Connecticut.
Police searched her purse, found amphetamines, and then charged her with
possession. The possession charge was dropped, and the conspiracy charge was
reduced. She received 3 years probation.
Is
a vegan.
Owns her own clothing line called Linda Blair's Wild West Collection.
Did all of her own skating in Roller Boogie.
Has chickens and horses as pets in her home.
Linda has won numerous awards for her work as an animal rights activist from
organizations such as P.E.T.A. and Linda also lends her name to helping stop
animal abuse all over the world.
One of Linda's pet dogs was stolen from her and ever since she has become
involved with stopping animal/pet theft.
She's written a book about veganism called "Going Vegan!".
Her frightening turn as Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist (1973) was ranked #9 on
the American Film Institute's villains list of the 100 years of The Greatest
Screen Heroes and Villains.
Won the Presidential Fitness Award during her early teens.
Where
is She Now:
Linda is still acting. The roles are just not as plentiful as they used to
be. She recently completed the film, 'All Is Normal.'
Back in the 90's Linda 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. She also started her own charity, The Linda Blair
WorldHeart Foundation. Here is it's charter:
Benefiting Human and Animal Welfare, World Heart is the lifetime dream of Linda
Blair to create a Community of which the goals are to improve the quality of
life for people and animals alike.
She spends most of her time, when she's not acting, working and promoting this
foundation. In 2005 she personally worked to save, rescue and reunite many of
the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina.
After 'The Blair Witch Project' became a hit, a writer came up and presented to
Linda the idea of creating, 'The Blair Bitch Project." You can get more info on
this by visiting: www.blairbitch.com
WRITE TO LINDA BLAIR @
Linda Blair
4727 Wilshire Blvd Ste 333
Los Angeles, CA 90010-3874
CREDITS:
All Is Normal (2006) .... Barbara
Hitters Anonymous (2005) .... Brenda
Monster Makers (2003) (TV) .... Shelly Stoker
"Chicken Soup for the Soul" (2000) TV Episode .... Ms. Hooper
"L.A. 7" (2000) TV Series .... Joni
"Godzilla: The Series"
S.C.A.L.E. (1999) TV Episode (voice) .... Alexandra Springer
The Blair Bitch Project starring Linda Blair (1999) (V) .... Heather
"Extreme Ghostbusters" (1997) TV Episode (voice) .... Selene
Marina (1997) .... Marina
Scream (1996) (uncredited) .... Obnoxious Reporter
"PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal"
All Hallow's Eve (????) TV Episode .... Rebecca Royce
Prey of the Jaguar (1996) .... Cody Johnson
"Renegade"
Self Defense (1996) TV Episode .... Teddy Ray Thompson
Sorceress (1995) .... Amelia Reynolds
Double Blast (1994) .... Claudia
Skins (1994) .... Maggie
Bad Blood (1993) .... Evie Barnes
Phone (1993)
Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride (1992) (TV) .... Hannah Hawkes
"Married... with Children"
Magnificent Seven (1992) TV Episode .... Ida Mae
Calendar Girl, Cop, Killer? The Bambi Bembenek Story (1992) (TV) .... Jane Mader
Fatal Bond (1992) .... Leonie Stevens
Bedroom Eyes II (1991) .... Sophie Stevens
Repossessed (1990) .... Nancy Aglet
Zapped Again! (1990) (V) .... Miss Mitchell
"MacGyver"
Jenny's Chance (1990) TV Episode .... Jenny Larson
Dead Sleep (1990) .... Maggie Healey
W.B., Blue and the Bean (1989) (V) .... Annette 'Nettie' Ridgeway
"Monsters"
La Strega (1989) TV Episode .... Lia
The Chilling (1989) .... Mary Hampton
Aunt Millie's Will (1989)
Witchery (1988) .... Jane Brooks
Silent Assassins (1988) .... Sara
Grotesque (1988) .... Lisa
Bersaglio sull'autostrada (1988) .... Sally Tyler
Up Your Alley (1988) .... Vickie Adderly
Nightforce (1987) .... Carla
SFX Retaliator (1987) .... Doris
Savage Island (1985) .... Daly
Red Heat (1985) .... Christine Carlson
"Murder, She Wrote" Murder Takes the Bus (1985) TV Episode .... Jane Pascal
Night Patrol (1984) .... Officer Sue Perman
Savage Streets (1984) .... Brenda
Chained Heat (1983) .... Carol Henderson
"The Love Boat" (1982) TV Episode .... Muffy
"Fantasy Island" (1982) TV Episode .... Sara Jean Rawlins
Hell Night (1981) .... Marti
Ruckus (1981) .... Jenny Bellows
Roller Boogie (1979) .... Terry Barkley
Wild Horse Hank (1979) .... Hank Bradford
Stranger in Our House (1978) (TV) .... Rachel Bryant
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) .... Regan MacNeil
Victory at Entebbe (1976) (TV) .... Chana Vilnofsky
Sweet Hostage (1975) (TV) .... Doris Mae Withers
Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic (1975) (TV) .... Sarah Travis
Airport 1975 (1974) .... Janice Abbott
Born Innocent (1974) (TV) .... Chris Parker
The Exorcist (1973) .... Regan Teresa MacNeil
The Sporting Club (1971) .... Barby
The Way We Live Now (1970) .... Sara Aldridge
"Hidden Faces" (1968) TV Series .... Allyn Jaffe
Updated:
1/29/2006
s
a vegan.
