Linda Blair, at the age of 13, delivered a convincing performance as the demon-possessed Regan MacNeil in the horrific film The Exorcist. Blair, who was embroiled in controversies, retreated from public life after earning so many accolades for her performance that she was dumbfounded.The Exorcist’s horrific plot, heightened by spine-tingling demonic imagery, startled the church in addition to its religious theme.
Despite gaining a Jesuit priest’s blessing, the cast and crew were plagued by accidents and deaths. William Friedkin directed The Exorcist, a film based on a 1949 real-life exorcism that inspired William Peter Blatty’s best-selling novel of the same title. The Exorcist is a 1973 horror film that follows 12-year-old Regan MacNeil, whose aggressive and unpredictable behavior causes concerns.
When medical treatment fails, Regan’s mother, played by Ellen Burnstyn, consults Father Damien Karras, a Jesuit priest, who confirms that Regan is under the power of a demonic spirit. Karras wants the Catholic Church to perform an exorcism to free Regan from the demons’ control. The Exorcist, a supernatural horror film that won four Golden Globes, an Oscar for Best Sound and Best Screenplay, and other awards, was a box office triumph despite its controversial themes.
It is presently the second highest-grossing R-rated horror film in history. Blair played a scary character in her first major film role, which propelled her to notoriety. Blair began her career as a child model, appearing in print and television commercials as young as five. Her credits include Carefree Gum, Welch’s Grape Jelly, and Ivory Soap. Blair considered giving up acting as a young adolescent to deal with animals.
However, the pull of playing the lead in The Exorcist proved too much to resist. Friedkin recognized the newcomer as the perfect fit during her audition and chose her to play Regan above thousands of other contenders. Blair was never given the runaround and was forced to perform physically demanding, difficult, and frequently dangerous activities, despite the fact that it was her first important role.
People had to perform challenging roles in films from the 1970s, when special effects were not driven by technology, leaving them vulnerable to disease and injury. At the end of the film, a stuntman hurled himself down the 97 steps shown in the exorcism sequence, where a possessed Father Karras slides down the legendary steep steps to his death.
Blair did not have to fall down any stairs; instead, the straps that held her to the bed, where she was thrashing around, dug into her back. Her bedroom was built to tremble, and it was kept at -30 degrees below zero so that cameras could capture the mist of ice created when an actress inhaled. Blair was the only member of the team dressed appropriately, while the others were only wearing nightgowns. Everyone on site recognized the difficulties.
The Exorcist set was riddled with production-related tragedies and deaths, giving the idea that it was cursed. Marcel Vercoutere, the pioneer of special effects, observed, “There was definitely a feeling it (something bad) could happen,” in the book “The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist.” One of the most unusual happenings occurred when a bird attacked a lightbox, igniting a massive fire that destroyed the entire set where Regan’s exorcism was meant to take place.
Six weeks of production were lost while the set was being rebuilt. Friedkin directed Thomas Bermingham, a Jesuit priest who worked with Blatty on his book and served as technical advisor, to exorcise the set the day before it caught fire. Declaring that there was insufficient proof for a legitimate exorcism, he blessed the whole cast and crew. Regardless, tragedy continued to strike production. Jack MacGowran, who played Burke Dennings, Regan’s first victim in the film, died from influenza.
Vasiliki Maliaros, who played Father Karras’ mother in the film, died before it premiered. The fact that both of their characters in The Exorcist die is really unsettling.Blair was unconcerned by the strange events surrounding the film’s production since he was too young to fully appreciate the concept’s complexity and sensitivity. She emphasized that “The Exorcist” was a work of fiction. I had no idea it had anything to do with reality.”
Blair thought the premise was made up, but some viewers found the religious connotations to be very real, and Blair began to receive criticism from those who said the film was to blame for their own religious crises. She received death threats and accusations that she was glorifying Satan by playing Reagan. The 14-year-old found it daunting to appear in front of the media because she was frequently asked questions by curious reporters during press conferences about the movie’s concept.
Blair told Dread Central, “The amount of pressure that came down on me was not something I was prepared for.” Especially with all of the pressure the press has put on me. They believed I had all the answers regarding faith and Catholicism. “It was probably the worst thing you could imagine.” Blair was disturbed by her role as Regan, which she reprised in the 1977 film Exorcist II: The Heretic. Blair struggled to find roles that didn’t show her as a sad, defenseless youngster.
She portrayed a little girl leaving her abusive family in the 1974 television drama Born Innocent. A year later, she played the main character in Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic. She made the mistake of appearing naked in the October 1982 issue of Oui magazine in an attempt to break industry stereotypes, which backfired and sent her career spiraling into situations of exploitation.
Reverting to her original interest before The Exorcist, she founded the Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of mistreated and forgotten animals. Despite her activism and sympathy for animals, the role she played fifty years ago still has a negative impact on her life. “What’s very discouraging at times is the inability (of the media) to look at what I’m trying to do,” Blair told The Australian. “I’m sad, but I’m not mad at them,” she said.