Brown-eyed, brunette former child model Linda Blair debuted in the feature "The Way We Live Now" (1969) and followed with "The Sporting Club" (1970) before her breakthrough role as the sweet but possessed teenager in "The Exorcist" (1973) brought her national recognition and ended her dream of veterinary school. Nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her head-turning performance, she segued into strong TV vehicles, starring first in the sensationally-promoted movie about juvenile delinquency, "Born Innocent" (NBC, 1974), which included a graphic broom-handle rape of Blair that the network subsequently deleted. She then acted the title role in "Sarah T.--Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic" (NBC, 1975), played Kirk Douglas' daughter in "Victory at Entebbe" (ABC, 1976) and revisited familiar terrain as the victim of witchcraft in Wes Craven's "Stranger in Our House" (NBC, 1978).
Blair returned to the big screen, working steadily and almost exclusively in exploitation films, low-budget fare and straight-to-video items, although "Savage Streets" (1984), in which she headlined as an L.A. girl-turned vigilante after the brutal gratuitous rape of her mute younger sister, and the ambitious comedy "Up Your Alley" (1989) were a definite cut above the worst of the lot (e.g., "Roller Boogie" 1979, "Hell Night" 1981, "Chained Heat" 1983, "Savage Island" 1985). She even got to spoof her best-known role in "Repossessed" (1990), but most movies either wanted an obligatory demon possession (i.e., "Witchery", "A Woman Obsessed" both 1989) or a little 'T & A', showing her in sexy shower or tub scenes (i.e., "Bedroom Eyes II" 1989, "Bail Out" 1990). She surfaced as an obnoxious reporter in Craven's hit "Scream" (1996) and made her Broadway debut, replacing Lucy Lawless in the role of Rizzo, in the never-ending revival of "Grease" (1997).