Linda Blair

About Linda Blair

Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning American actress most famous for her role as the possessed child, Regan 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.