Today, "The Exorcist" is considered a cult classic. But, it resulted in a wave of controversy at the time of release, largely due to its themes of Catholicism and demonic possession. Linda Blair's young age didn't shield her from the resulting media storm, with the teenager regularly receiving death threats and being accused of "glorifying Satan" (as per OWN).
The film also somewhat typecast Blair, who struggled to land parts that didn't portray her as a helpless victim or recalled her original horror character. She eventually reprised her role as Regan in 1977's sequel "Exorcist II: The Heretic" — though it failed to match the critical and commercial success of the original.
The "Hidden Faces" actor also struggled with substance abuse, culminating in an arrest on drug charges at age 18 (per The New York Times), just a few years after her major breakthrough role. But, despite these public struggles, Blair didn't follow the same tragic fate as many of her fellow child stars. Read on to see what Blair is up to these days.
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