Linda Blair had the makings of a real star since she was a child. Her parents decided to make full use of her potential and talent by signing her up to a modeling agency. Her debut was a commercial in which she appeared at the age of 5, and soon after she received a role in the soap opera “Hidden Faces”. She didn’t have to wait long for further offers, and her first cinema role was the drama “The Way We Live Now” from 1970. However, real success was yet to come.
She was 14 years old when she starred in the cult horror film. This role earned her an Oscar nomination
Without a doubt, a breakthrough in Blair’s career came in 1973, when she joined the cast of the cult horror film directed by William Friedkin, the script of which was based on the book of the same title by William Peter Blatty, based on true events. The aspiring actress then played the role of Regan, possessed by a demon, defeating over 600 other candidates for the role at the casting. The film was a huge box office success, breaking viewing records, although some groups, especially religious ones, called it blasphemous. The 14-year-old received many excellent reviews, as well as a Golden Globe and a nomination. And although the Academy Award statuette did not go to her in the end, because information leaked just before the voting that the demonic voice was actually provided by another actress, she still felt fulfilled.
Blair decided she would do whatever she could to make the most of her proverbial five minutes. Initially, she received countless offers. She appeared in many hit productions, including: in the controversial TV movie “Born Innocent”, as well as in the second part of “Airport”, but she failed to repeat her success. The professional crisis coincided with problems in her private life, and the decisive factor in her failure was an incident that took place in December 1977. The actress was detained by the police for possessing illegal narcotic substances and accused of wanting to sell them. The case went to court, and during the hearing she immediately admitted to the crimes she was accused of, for which she ultimately received a suspended prison sentence of 3 years.
Linda Blair ended up working in B-grade movies. Today she is involved in charity work
Many thought that the verdict would ruin Blair’s chance for a career, and to some extent it did. A year later, the actress returned to the role that brought her to the top in the sequel. Instead of being a success, it turned out to be a complete failure and was hailed as the worst in the history of cinema. After that, her career gradually began to decline. She appeared only in the background, and eventually ended up in B-class productions, for which she received two statuettes for the worst actress and several nominations for this anti-award.
On January 22, 2024, the actress celebrated her 65th birthday. Although her good streak is gone forever, she is still extremely popular. It is true that he appears on screen from time to time, playing episodic roles, such as, among others, in the 2023 horror film “The Exorcist: The Confessor”, but mainly focuses on charity work. She is a declared vegetarian and willingly promotes a healthy lifestyle on her social media profiles and encourages her fans to follow her example. She also runs her own foundation, The Linda Blair World Heart Foundation, which focuses on rescuing and adopting sick and abandoned animals.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
