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Linda Denise Blair (born January 22 1959 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American actress most famous for her role as the possessed child in the 1973 film The Exorcist and the sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic.
Child actressBorn in St. Louis, Missouri, she moved with her parents to Westport, Connecticut when she was 2 years old. As a young child, Linda Blair began her career by modeling, then later started acting in commercials, including one for Gulden's Mustard that ran for years. Blair had originally planned to become a veterinarian, but instead accepted a role in The Exorcist because money she would earn would allow her to pursue her interest in horsemanship, particularly show jumping. She was chosen over the very similar-looking Pamelyn Ferdin since the director wanted an unknown, and Miss Ferdin had already become quite visible following her performances in Star Trek, The Odd Couple, and Night Gallery. The Exorcist
Blair gave a strong, credible performance as the young girl possessed by the devil, and was an integral part of the film's phenomenal success. The Exorcist opened in December 1973 and soon was more than a hit film—it was a media phenomenon. Lines at theaters went around the block, and people stood in line for hours to see the film if they didn't pass out or faint during the screenings. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Blair received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe and Peoples Choice award win. The film garnered a total of ten Academy Award nominations. But on Oscar night, Best Picture went to George Roy Hill's film The Sting, and The Exorcist was virtually shut out, although it won awards for Blatty's screenplay and for Best Sound. Blair's chances for an Oscar were undeniably hurt by controversy that erupted when Mercedes McCambridge revealed to the press that she had supplied the voice for the demon, although Linda's voice was underlayed in the track, without getting screen credit, and another woman claimed to have been used as a body double for Blair in several scenes, which the director denies and calls the double's performance insignificant. The Best Supporting Female Actress Oscar that year went to 10-year old Tatum O'Neal for her performance in Peter Bogdanovich's Paper Moon. After The ExorcistAt the age of 15, Blair dated, then lived with pop singer Rick Springfield, despite the ten year difference in their ages[1] and, more importantly, the fact that she was legally a minor. 1970s
According to an interview with John McLaughlin on his program, McLaughlin's One On One, she experienced an uncontrollable weight gain over the next few years which was finally traced to a hormone deficiency which was corrected[citation needed]. Adding to her troubles, in December 1977, Blair was arrested for conspiring to buy and distribute cocaine and for possessing amphetamines, eventually pleading guilty to possession charges and fined. She was also sentenced to three years probation, instructed to appear in several anti-drug commercials, and ordered to enter a nine month drug rehabilitation program. The drug dealers were also dog breeders and phone taps revealed that the word "dog" was a code word for cocaine. There was a real dog but Linda's legal team felt it was better to take a plea then to lose all her money to a long trial and legal fees. This was confirmed on the Linda Blair E! True Hollywood Story episode which aired in October 1999. Linda explained in the episode that the 1977 arrest ruined her career and Hollywood wanted nothing to do with her afterward. 1980sThroughout the 1980s, Blair's career fell into decline, and she appeared in many minor films, often with a horror or slapstick comedy theme. Meanwhile, Linda returned to her first love of riding and showing horses, where she competed under pseudonyms in showjumping events and won numerous equestrian events. During the early 1980s Blair had a friendship with singer Rick James, but left him when she could no longer handle his drug addiction. In 1978, as part of a plea bargain to avoid jail time, she was ordered to stay away from drugs after the December 1977 arrest. 1990sIn 1990, she reprised her Exorcist character in the spoof film Repossessed, in addition to appearing in lower budget movies and concentrating on TV work, including a guest spot on the 1992/1993 season opener of the FOX series Married... with Children, making it the highest watched episode of that series. 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. 2000sIn 2000, she appeared in the British teen show LA 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 was in the Supernatural episode "The Usual Suspects", where a brief homage was paid to her role in The Exorcist in the closing dialogue of the episode; Dean Winchester says that she "looks familiar" and then announces a craving for pea soup. Charity workBlair 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. FilmographyFeatures:
Short Subjects: Television work
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