At just 13 years old, Linda Blair played Regan MacNeil, the possessed girl from “The Exorcist”. The film, which hit the big screen in 1973, was considered at the time one of the most terrifying films in the entire history of cinema, as it caused some viewers to even faint at its premiere.
The media attention and the constant interviews about her role made the young interpreter fall into addictions to alcohol and drugs. She was even arrested for illicit association and drug trafficking.
However, those difficult times are in his past, as he is currently dedicated to rescuing and helping as many animals as possible. Next, we tell you his story in detail.
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Linda Blair’s Addictions
After the success of her role as Regan MacNeil, the actress continued to play characters that were pushed to the limit in other films, such as “born innocent”, “Portrait of a teenage alcoholic” and the “exorcist 2″, the sequel to the classic that ended up being a box office flop.
By then, in 1977, Linda was already suffering from alcohol and drug dependency. “For me, taking anything I could drink, vodka or whatever, was enough to know that I could throw myself on the bed and pass out.”, told in the program “Intimate portrait”.
During the same show, she commented on her involvement with a criminal drug gang, which led her to be arrested for illicit association and drug trafficking.
“A ‘dealer’ asked me if I knew someone to sell him cocaine and I said yes and all this was recorded by the police investigating the band. Those were the words that condemned me,” Blair said.
The interpreter was sentenced to probation and to join groups that dealt with the consequences of drug use.
Linda Blair’s recovery
In the late 1970s, his work life began to change, as he was only getting roles for small or independent productions. It wasn’t until recordingrepossessed”, in 1990, that she was able to achieve a desired success again that would help her financially.
Likewise, Blair decided to continue with one of the passions she had since she was a child: caring for and giving love to animals. During a press conference, she explained that she, while she was recording “The Exorcist”, she brought one of her cats to the set because she missed him so much.
Her love for pets led her to start as a volunteer in various assistance groups for abandoned animals. Later, she decided to create her own NGO called Linda Blair WorldHeart.
During a report for Dread Central, the 63-year-old actress sent a clear message: “We are not doing enough in our communities to help defenseless animals that are suffering. I want to prevent shelters from having to euthanize because they have no other choice. I want to help communities find better ways to serve people and even help people who are losing their homes and pets.”
On her Instagram account, the interpreter shares her daily life helping animals, in addition to various images that bring her character back as Regan MacNeil.
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