At the young age of 13, Linda Blair made a lasting impression on audiences with her frightening portrayal of Regan MacNeil, the demon-possessed character in the acclaimed movie The Exorcist. Despite controversy surrounding her award-winning performance, Blair’s career faded from the limelight thereafter.
The religious subject matter of The Exorcist, which caused shockwaves among the church, was accompanied by a spine-chilling storyline and demonic imagery that left an impact on the cast and crew. Despite receiving a blessing from a Jesuit priest, the production was plagued with injury and death.
William Peter Blatty’s best-selling novel, based on a real-life exorcism from 1949, served as the inspiration for the film adaptation directed by William Friedkin.
The plot of the 1973 horror movie The Exorcist revolves around 12-year-old Regan MacNeil, whose erratic and aggressive behavior raises suspicions. Her mother, played by Ellen Burnstyn, seeks medical help, but when that fails, she turns to Jason Miller’s character, Father Damien Karras, a Jesuit priest who confirms that Regan is possessed by an evil spirit. Karras pleads with the Catholic Church to perform an exorcism to free Regan from the demon’s control.
Despite its controversial subject matter, The Exorcist was a commercial success and won multiple awards, including Oscars for Best Sound and Best Screenplay, as well as four Golden Globe Awards. It remains the second-highest-grossing R-rated horror movie of all time.
For Linda Blair, The Exorcist marked her breakthrough role and established her as a household name. She had already started her career as a child model at the age of five, appearing in advertisements and commercials for brands such as Ivory Soap, Welch’s Grape Jelly, and Carefree Gum
As a teenager, Blair considered leaving acting to pursue a career working with animals. However, the opportunity to play the lead role in The Exorcist was too tempting to pass up.
Despite being a relative newcomer, Blair was selected by director William Friedkin for the role of Regan after impressing him at auditions. The role required Blair to perform physically demanding and often dangerous stunts, which proved challenging given that it was her first major acting job.
During the 1970s, special effects were not as advanced as they are now, so actors had to perform difficult scenes themselves, putting them at risk of injury and illness.
During the exorcism scene in which a possessed Father Karras falls down the steep steps, a stuntman actually performed the dangerous stunt by throwing himself down the 97 stairs.
While Blair did not have to perform such a risky maneuver, the straps that secured her to the bed during her possession scenes caused discomfort by digging into her back. Additionally, her bedroom set was kept at a frigid temperature of 30 degrees below zero so that the actors’ breath could be seen on camera. The room was also constructed on wheels to create the illusion of shaking.
Blair’s wardrobe for the movie consisted solely of a nightgown, while the rest of the crew were appropriately dressed. The challenging conditions on set affected everyone involved in the production.
The production of The Exorcist was plagued with tragic events. One of Regan’s victims in the movie, Burke Dennings played by Jack MacGowran, passed away due to influenza. Vasiliki Maliaros, the actress who played Father Karras’ mother, also passed away before the film’s release. The fact that their characters in the movie also passed away is quite eerie.
Furthermore, other cast members also suffered personal losses during the filming, including Blair, who lost her grandfather.
Sadly, a total of nine people involved in the production passed away while the movie was being made.
At the time of filming, Blair was too young to fully grasp the gravity of these events, and was unfazed by the mysterious circumstances surrounding the movie’s production. She later explained that she didn’t realize that The Exorcist dealt with anything based in reality, as it was a work of fiction.
Blair received death threats and was accused of promoting Satanism due to her portrayal of Regan in The Exorcist.
Although she considered the film to be fictional, others believed that the religious aspects were authentic.
The media put intense pressure on the young actress, often questioning her about the movie’s themes during press conferences. Blair was unprepared for the level of scrutiny she faced, and described the experience as “awful.”
She struggled to obtain roles that didn’t typecast her as a vulnerable, innocent character after returning as Regan in Exorcist II: The Heretic in 1977.
In 1974, she starred in the television drama Born Innocent as a young girl escaping from an abusive household, followed by a lead role in Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic the next year.
In an attempt to break free from typecasting, she posed nude for the October 1982 issue of Oui magazine. However, this decision had the opposite effect and led to her being offered more exploitative roles in her career.
Returning to her pre-Exorcist passion, Blair founded the Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating abandoned and mistreated animals.
Despite her animal activism and philanthropy, her portrayal in the film continues to negatively impact her life. Blair shared her disappointment, stating, “What’s frustrating at times is the lack of recognition for what I’m trying to do…I’m not angry, just sad about it.”
