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| Birth Name(s) : Linda Denise Blair |
Date of Birth: N/A |
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Single
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Full Linda Blair Biography
Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an Academy Award-nominated American actress most famous for her role as the possessed child in the 1973 film The Exorcist and its sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic.
Blair was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of Elinore (née Leitch), a real estate agent, and James Frederick Blair, an executive recruiter. She moved with her parents to Westport, Connecticut when she was two years old. As a young child, Blair began her career by modeling, then acting in commercials, including a long-running one for Gulden's Mustard. Blair had originally planned to become a veterinarian, but instead accepted a role in The Exorcist because the money would allow her to pursue horsemanship. She was chosen over the very similar-looking Pamelyn Ferdin since the director wanted an unknown, and Ferdin had already gained notoriety after appearing in Star Trek, The Odd Couple and Night Gallery.
Based on William Peter Blatty's best-selling novel, The Exorcist was directed by William Friedkin, who had recently won an Oscar for directing The French Connection. The cast included Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Max Von Sydow and Kitty Winn. Blatty produced the film and wrote the screenplay.
Blair gave a strong, credible performance as a young girl possessed by the devil, and was an integral part of the film's phenomenal success soon after opening in December 1973. Lines at theaters extended around blocks, with people standing in line for hours. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and Blair received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, as well as Golden Globe and People's Choice Award wins. Blair received a Golden Globe nomination for the now defunct "most promising female star" category.
At age 15, Blair dated and cohabitated with pop singer Rick Springfield, despite a ten year difference in their ages and the fact that she was legally a minor.
Following the success of The Exorcist, Blair appeared in several controversial television films, including Born Innocent and Sarah T...Portrait Of A Teenage Alcoholic, which were the highest rated in their respective years. She was also featured in Airport 1975. Soon afterward, her role in the failed Exorcist sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic, nearly killed her career. She did, however, receive a Saturn Award Best Actress nomination for her performance in the film.
Adding to her troubles, Blair was arrested in December 1977 for conspiring to purchase and distribute cocaine and for possessing amphetamines. It was revealed that Blair's cohorts happened to be dog breeders; phone taps indicated that the word "dog" was a code word for "cocaine". Though there was an actual dog discussed in the phone tap recordings, Linda's legal team preferred to cop a guilty plea rather than deplete Blair's finances with a lengthy trial. She was fined for possession, sentenced to three years probation, instructed to appear in several anti-drug commercials, and ordered to enter a nine month drug rehabilitation program. Blair mentioned the legal woes on a October 1999 episode of E! True Hollywood Story, claiming that the 1977 arrest ruined her Hollywood career.
In 1990, she spoofed her Exorcist character in the comedy film Repossessed, in addition to appearing in lower budget movies and on television, including a guest appearance on the 1992 season opener of the FOX series Married... with Children.
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.
In 2000, she appeared in the British teen show L.A. 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 occurred in the Supernatural episode "The Usual Suspects", where a brief homage was paid to her Exorcist fame in the closing dialogue of the episode, when Dean Winchester says that she "looks familiar" and expresses a craving for pea soup.
The Canadian band Alexisonfire has a song called "That Girl Possessed" on their second album Watch Out! mainly about Blair and what her character from The Exorcist experienced during her possession.
Short Subjects:
- Phone (1993)
- Marina (1997)
- Diva Dog: Pit Bull on Wheels (2005)
- The Powder Puff Principle (2006) |
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