Linda Blair
Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959)[1][2] is an American actress and activist. Known for her work in the horror genre, she first came to prominence with her portrayal of Regan MacNeil in the film The Exorcist (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe Award and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The film established her as a scream queen and she reprised her role in two sequels: Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) and The Exorcist: Believer (2023).
For the Canadian Olympic speed skater, see Linda Johnson-Blair.
Linda Blair
- Actress
- activist
1968–present
Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation
Blair has starred in several television films, such as Born Innocent (1974), Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic (1975) and Stranger in Our House (1978). Her role in the musical film Roller Boogie (1979) brought her a reputation as a sex symbol.[3] She has appeared in various exploitation and grindhouse films, such as Hell Night (1981), Chained Heat (1983) and Savage Streets (1984). Blair was the host of the Fox Family reality series Scariest Places on Earth (2000–2006) and made regular appearances on the Animal Planet reality series Pit Boss (2010–2012).
Blair is a prominent activist for the animal rights movement. In 2004, she founded the Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation, a nonprofit organization that serves to rehabilitate and adopt rescue animals.
Early life[edit]
Linda Denise Blair was born January 22, 1959, in St. Louis, Missouri,[4] to James Frederick and Elinore (née Leitch) Blair.[5] She has an older sister, Debbie, and an older brother, Jim.[6] When Blair was two years old, her father, a Navy test pilot-turned-executive recruiter, took a job in New York City, and the family relocated to Westport, Connecticut.[6][7] Her mother worked as a real-estate agent in Westport.[8] Linda worked as a child model at age five,[9] appearing in Sears, J.C. Penney and Macy's catalogues, and in over 70 commercials for Welch's grape jams and various other companies.[6][7] Blair secured a contract at age six for a series of print ads in The New York Times.[4] At the same age, she began riding horses, later becoming a trained equestrian.[10]