Linda Blair: Difference between revisions
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| birth_name = Linda Denise Blair |
| birth_name = Linda Denise Blair |
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|01|22}}<ref name="Skin2005">{{cite book|author=Skin|title=Mr. Skin's Skincyclopedia: The A-to-Z Guide to Finding Your Favorite Actresses Naked|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dMMP94fw3mgC&pg=PA14|date=1 January 2005|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-0-312-33144-3|page=67}}</ref> |
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|01|22}}<ref name="Skin2005">{{cite book|author=Skin|title=Mr. Skin's Skincyclopedia: The A-to-Z Guide to Finding Your Favorite Actresses Naked|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dMMP94fw3mgC&pg=PA14|date=1 January 2005|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-0-312-33144-3|page=67}}</ref> |
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| birth_place = [[ |
| birth_place = [[Kirkwood]], [[Missouri]], [[United States|U.S.]] |
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| occupation = Actress, producer |
| occupation = Actress, producer |
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| years_active = 1962–present |
| years_active = 1962–present |
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Revision as of 19:22, 17 July 2017
Linda Blair | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Blair at the 2014 Phoenix Comicon | |
| Born | Linda Denise Blair January 22, 1959[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, producer |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Website | www |
Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959)[2] is an American actress.[3] Blair is best known for her role as the possessed child, Regan, in the film The Exorcist (1973), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe. She reprised her role in Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), for which she was nominated for a Saturn Award.
Early life
The youngest of three children, Blair was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and was raised in Westport, Connecticut. She began her career as a 4-year-old child model and started acting with a regular role on the short-lived Hidden Faces (1968–69) daytime soap opera.[citation needed] Her first theatrical film appearance was in The Way We Live Now (1970).[4] Blair was selected from a field of 600 applicants for her most notable role as Regan in The Exorcist (1973). The role earned her a Golden Globe and People's Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as an Academy Award nomination. She reprised her role in the sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), garnering a Saturn Award nomination for Best Actress of 1978.[2] Between these two films, she appeared in Born Innocent (1974),[5] Airport 1975 (1974), Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic (1975)[6] and Sweet Hostage (1975) opposite Martin Sheen.
Later career
Blair's career took a new turn in the 1980s, as she starred in a film in 1980 entitled Ruckus along with actor Dirk Benedict. She also starred in a number of successful low-budget horror and exploitation films, including Hell Night (1981), Chained Heat (1983) and Savage Streets (1984).
Blair later worked in numerous films, mostly comedies, including the Exorcist send-up Repossessed in 1990,[3] and a cameo role in Scream (1996).[7] In 1997, she appeared in a Broadway revival of Grease. She was cast as a regular in the BBC television show, L.A. 7 (2000). She hosted Fox Family's Scariest Places on Earth (2000–06).
In 2006, she guest starred on the TV Series Supernatural playing the part of Detective Diana Ballard as she aids Sam & Dean Winchester in the Episode: "The Usual Suspects" which aired November 9th, 2006.
In 2013 Blair accepted a role in the comedy webseries Whoa! and has since appeared in the 2016 feature The Green Fairy, as well as the upcoming Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel.
Other interests
Blair also became an animal rights activist and humanitarian, working with PETA, Feed the Children, Variety, the Children's Charity, and other organizations.[2] Blair also devotes time to a non-profit organization she organized, the Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation, which works to rescue abused, neglected and mistreated animals. She commenced to follow a vegan diet, and was a co-author of the book Going Vegan!
Legal problems
Towards the end of the 1970s, Blair encountered trouble with law enforcement authorities as she was charged with drug possession and conspiracy to sell drugs. She pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of conspiracy to possess cocaine, in exchange for three years' probation. Blair was also required to make at least 12 major public appearances to tell young people about the dangers of drug abuse.[8]
Honors
In 1997, she appeared in a documentary for Channel 4 in the UK entitled "Didn't You Used to be Satan?", which served as a biography of her life to that point and how the film The Exorcist had dominated her career and life.
She also appeared in critic Mark Kermode's 1998 BBC documentary "The Fear of God" (which Kermode directed and hosted), included as a special feature on the DVD of The Exorcist. Most of Kermode's linking scenes to camera were removed from the DVD version to shorten the running time. The version shown on BBC TV in 1998 was shown intact.
In 2008, she appeared at the 18th annual Malaga Fantasy and Horror Film Festival to accept a lifetime achievement award for her work in the horror genre.
She appeared in the 2009 documentary Confessions of a Teenage Vigilante, discussing her role as Brenda in Savage Streets (1984). The documentary was included as a bonus feature on the 2009 DVD release of the film.
In 2010 she appeared as herself on the cable series Pit Boss and Jury Duty. She appeared in the 2011 Rick Springfield documentary Affair of the Heart, and was a panelist in a 2011 episode of The Joy Behar Show.
In 2012 Blair appeared at a pre-taped 84th Academy Awards ceremony honoring makeup artist Dick Smith, who had created the iconic makeup for Blair in The Exorcist.[citation needed]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress | The Exorcist | Nominated |
| 1974 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | The Exorcist | Won |
| 1974 | Golden Globe Awards | New Star of the Year – Actress | The Exorcist | Nominated |
| 1978 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress | Exorcist II: The Heretic | Nominated |
| 1982 | Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Actress | Hell Night | Nominated |
| 1984 | Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Actress | Chained Heat | Nominated |
| 1985 | Golden Raspberry Awards | Scream Queen | Herself | Won |
| 1986 | Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Actress | Night Patrol, Savage Island, and Savage Streets | Won |
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | The Way We Live Now | Sara Aldridge | |
| 1971 | The Sporting Club | Barby | |
| 1973 | The Exorcist | Regan MacNeil | Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress |
| 1974 | Born Innocent | Chris Parker | Television movie |
| 1974 | Airport 1975 | Janice Abbott | |
| 1975 | Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic | Sarah Travis | Television movie |
| 1975 | Sweet Hostage | Doris Mae Withers | Television movie |
| 1976 | Victory at Entebbe | Chana Vilnofsky | Television movie |
| 1977 | Exorcist II: The Heretic | Regan MacNeil | Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress |
| 1978 | Stranger in Our House | Rachel Bryant | Television movie |
| 1979 | Wild Horse Hank | Hank Bradford | |
| 1979 | Roller Boogie | Terry Barkley | |
| 1980 | Ruckus | Jenny Bellows | |
| 1981 | Hell Night | Marti Gaines | Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress |
| 1983 | Chained Heat | Carol Henderson | Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress |
| 1984 | Night Patrol | Officer Sue Perman | Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress |
| 1984 | Savage Streets | Brenda | Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress |
| 1984 | Terror in the Aisles | Regan MacNeil | Archive footage |
| 1985 | Red Heat | Christine Carlson | |
| 1985 | Savage Island | Daly | Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress |
| 1987 | SFX Retaliator | Doris | |
| 1987 | Nightforce | Carla | |
| 1988 | Moving Target | Sally Tyler | |
| 1988 | Grotesque | Lisa | |
| 1988 | Silent Assassins | Sara | |
| 1988 | Witchery | Jane Brooks | |
| 1989 | Up Your Alley | Vickie Adderly | |
| 1989 | The Chilling | Mary Hampton | |
| 1989 | Aunt Millie's Will | Unknown | Short film |
| 1989 | W.B., Blue and the Bean | Annette Ridgeway | |
| 1990 | Zapped Again! | Miss Mitchell | |
| 1990 | Repossessed | Nancy Aglet | |
| 1991 | Bedroom Eyes II | Sophie Stevens | |
| 1992 | Fatal Bond | Leonie Stevens | |
| 1992 | Dead Sleep | Maggie Healey | |
| 1992 | Calendar Girl, Cop, Killer?: The Bambi Bembenek Story | Jane Mder | Television movie |
| 1992 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride | Hannah Hawkes | Television movie |
| 1993 | Bad Blood | Evie Barners | |
| 1993 | Phone | Unknown | Short film |
| 1994 | Skins | Maggie Joiner | |
| 1994 | Double Blast | Claudia | |
| 1995 | Sorceress | Amelia Reynolds | |
| 1996 | Prey of the Jaguar | Cody Johnson | |
| 1996 | Scream | Obnoxious Reporter | Uncredited |
| 1997 | Marina | Marina | Short film |
| 2003 | Monster Makers | Shelly Stoker | Television movie |
| 2005 | Diva Dog: Pit Bull on Wheels | Unknown | Short film |
| 2005 | Hitters Anonymous | Brenda | |
| 2006 | All Is Normal | Barbara | |
| 2006 | The Powder Puff Principle | School Board President | Short film |
| 2009 | Imps* | Jamie | |
| 2012 | An Affair of the Heart | Herself |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968–1969 | Hidden Faces | Allyn Jaffe | Unknown episodes |
| 1982 | The Love Boat | Muffy | Episode: "Isaac Gets Physical" |
| 1985 | Murder, She Wrote | Jane Pascal | Episode: "Murder Takes the Bus" |
| 1989 | Monsters | La Strega | Episode: "La Strega" |
| 1990 | MacGyver | Jenny Larson | Episode: "Jenny's Chance" |
| 1992 | Married... with Children | Ida Mae | Episode: "The Magnificent Seven" |
| 1996 | Renegade | Teddy Rae Thompson | Episode: "Self Defense" |
| 1997 | The RuPaul Show | Herself | Episode: "13 December 1997" |
| 1999 | Godzilla: The Series | Alexandra Springer | Episode: "S.C.A.L.E." |
| 2000 | L.A. 7 | Joni Witherspoon | 9 episodes |
| 2000–2003 | Hollywood Squares | Herself | 10 episodes |
| 2001–2006 | Scariest Places on Earth | Host | 15 episodes |
| 2006 | Supernatural | Detective Diana Ballard | Episode: "The Usual Suspects" |
| 2010–2012 | Pit Boss | Herself | 12 episodes |
| 2012 | Celebrity Ghost Stories | Herself | Episode: "Victoria Rowell/Dot Jones/Carlos Mencia/Linda Blair" |
| 2014 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself | Episode: "Scream Queens" |
References
- ^ Skin (1 January 2005). Mr. Skin's Skincyclopedia: The A-to-Z Guide to Finding Your Favorite Actresses Naked. St. Martin's Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-312-33144-3.
- ^ a b c Official website for "The Exorcist". Warner Brothers, "Cast, Linda Blair". Accessed 18 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Linda Blair". The New York Times.
- ^ "The Way We Live Now (1970)". The New York Times. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
- ^ "Born Innocent". The New York Times.
- ^ "Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic". The New York Times.
- ^ "Scream". The New York Times.
- ^ "Actress Linda Blair Gets Probation in Drug Case". Lakeland Ledger. September 6, 1979.
External links
