What happened to Linda Blair, the girl in ‘The Exorcist’ who ended up fighting for animal rights
The 65-year-old actress, whom we have seen very little of in Hollywood after starring in ‘The Exorcist’, still has after-effects from the terrifying film.
That “The Exorcist” (1973) would define Linda Blair’s career was predictable when she received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress and won the Golden Globe for her role in the horror classic.
What was not known at the time was that there would not be a significant film career to speak of in the coming decades for the girl whom we will always remember as Regan MacNeill, the character possessed by Lucifer.
There are several reasons why her career went downhill from the height that it reached with “The Exorcist”. Like other actors who reach the peak early on, Blair had to deal with the trappings of early fame.
However, she dealt with major issues outside of the usual problems celebrity brings. Because of her particular reason for being famous, several religious fanatics threatened to kill her for her role in the film, which led to her having surveillance 24/7.
She also had to undergo a back operation caused by one of the scenes, as director William Friedkin did everything possible to make the film more realistic by scaring and taking the actors to the extreme.
Movies that didn’t do her justice, drugs and psychological problems
As if the young actress didn’t have enough to deal with, Blair had to face thousands of journalists who constantly asked her if she was mentally stable, and reported that she had a mental breakdown, a charge that she denied.
Given the enormous impact of the film, the girl became an icon of horror films at 14 years old, and, unfortunately, a symbol of the devil that was taken too literally by religious fanatics.
Hollywood squandered the young girl’s unquestionable talent. Blair participated in films that were a failure such as ‘Born Innocent’ and ‘Airport 1975’. It was around that time, at only 15 years of age, when she had a famous relationship with singer Rick Springfield and even went to live with him.
Three years later, in 1977, she had the opportunity to take control of her career by starring in the sequel to ‘The Exorcist’ (‘The Heretic’), but the film was a resounding failure and caused Blair to remain in the shadows.
To make matters worse, that same year she was arrested for something we have also seen more than once in the Hollywood world: possession and distribution of cocaine and amphetamines. She was sentenced to three years of community service and spent nine months in a detoxification center. When she got out, her story of struggle was not over. She overcame the addiction, but had to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital for depression.
What is Linda Blair doing now at 65 years old?
After overcoming depression, Blair’s career took off on a different tangent. She posed nude in several magazines including Playboy, and also took off her clothes in films such as The Burning Man (1983) and The Wild Side (1984).
But after a few more attempts to remain in the film industry (including Repossessed and Scream), in 2000 the actress changed her ways and began to fight for animal rights.
Although she still makes film and TV appearances, she has remained on this path. Blair became vegan, published a book in which she talks about the benefits of her diet, launched her own fashion line and even founded the Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation in 2004, an association that rescues abandoned and abused animals that is still active today.
Blair has admitted in more than one interview that she is still affected by her role in “The Exorcist” because the public has never let her move on from that movie.
It seems she cannot escape the image of the 14-year-old girl who vomited pea purée, levitated in bed and turned her head 360 degrees.