Scream, Spooky Stephie!!: Spotlight On: Linda Blair

Actor Spotlight: Linda Blair

Today's post focuses on legendary horror star Linda Blair. She's a bonafide b-movie legend and scream queen. Still most famous for her role as Regan in what is widely considered to be the scariest film of all time, The Exorcist.

Blair was born in St. Louis, Missouri on January 22, 1959. She grew up in Westport, Connecticut. Her career started at the age of 6 as a child model. Her first acting role was on the short run Daytime Soap Opera Hidden Faces from 1968-1969. She was selected from over 600 applicants to play Regan in The Exorcist. For this role she won a Golden Globe and a People Choice Award. She was also nominated for an Academy Award. Awards like this, even in the 70's, were rarely given to horror films. She reprised the role of Regan in The Exorcist II: The Heretic in 1977. The film was received poorly but gained Blair another award, a Saturn Award for Best Actress in 1988.

Between the two Exorcist films she appeared as the lead in the highly controversial television film Born Innocent in 1974. The same year she appeared in Airport 1975. The following year she was in two more television movies; Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic and Sweet Hostage opposite Martin Sheen. In 1978 she took the lead role in the Wes Craven directed tv horror Summer of Fear.

In 1979, she starred in the film Roller Boogie. Throughout the 80's Blair appeared in numerous successful low budget b-movies, mostly horror and exploitation, including Savage Streets with Linnea Quigley, Chained Heat, Hell Night, Savage Island, Grotesque, Witchery, & more.

Since the 80's she's made guest appearances in films and television, including Wes Craven's Scream and Supernatural. She also hosted the series Scariest Places On

Earth and appeared on Celebrity Ghost Stories.

Blair has had a long and memorable career in horror and will remain a legend in horror history for her role in The Exorcist. She is also an advocate for animal and human welfare. She has her own foundation, the Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation which you can check out here: http://www.lindablairworldheart.org/