Linda Blair

Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress and activist. She is known for playing Regan MacNeil in the horror film The Exorcist (1973), which established her as a prominent figure in horror popular culture. Her performance netted her a Golden Globe and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She reprised the role in two sequels: Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) and The Exorcist: Believer (2023).

Blair starred in several television films, including Born Innocent (1974), Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic (1975), and Stranger in Our House (1978). After her role in the musical film Roller Boogie (1979) brought her renewed recognition as a sex symbol, she starred in exploitation and grindhouse films including Hell Night (1981), Chained Heat (1983), and Savage Streets (1984). On television, she was the host of the Fox Family reality series Scariest Places on Earth (2000–2006) and made appearances on the Animal Planet series Pit Boss (2010–2012).

Blair gradually shifted her focus from acting to becoming a prominent activist for the animal rights movement. In 2004, she founded the Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation, a non-profit organization that works to rehabilitate and adopt rescue animals.