Linda Blair's Career
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Linda Blair
Raysand — 11 years ago(December 09, 2014 07:44 AM)
The Exorcist was the undisputed hit of 1974, nominated for 10 Academy Awards, it went on to be one of the top grossing movies of the 70's. A seminal movie, it spawned countless copycat films, spoofs, comedies, and even cartoons. It genuinely electrified the nation and the world to the point that many people had sleepless nights and meetings with their psychiatrists and priests.
As a result, the star at the center of this storm, Linda Blair became the undisputed star of 1974. She was everywhere, on the cover of magazines, in TV interviews, in gossip magazines, etc.. This is why I often wonder why Linda's career took the path that it did? Why did she start doing cheap made-for-TV movies after the Exorcist? I.E. "Born Innocent," "Sarah T," "Sweet Hostage," etc I often thought that this was a mistake. Back in the 1970's, major stars rarely did TV movies. That was for B stars and Linda in 1974, was anything but a B star. It almost seems as if she had an agent, who would accept any role without caring for her career. Look at Ellen Burstyn by comparison, she went on to do "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," and won an Academy Award. No cheap-made-for-TV movies for Ellen. I think that Linda's post-Exorcist movie choices hurt her. Any thoughts? -
r_jayy_dylan — 11 years ago(January 03, 2015 04:00 PM)
The Exorcist was1e8 a big hit for her but it was also tough to break away with it, even now, it's the film people associate her with. It can be a blessing and a curse. I think she did drama to show her range similar to how Jamie Lee Curtis felt the need to do something other than horror to avoid being stuck in the genre but after a lot of legal issues with drugs, she found it hard to get work outside of the genre which resulted in a lot of B-movies. I think Exorcist II was so badly panned in a way, it 2000was all she could do. It's a shame. She does so quite a range but unfortunately, she became stuck in the horror genre.
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cookiela2001 — 10 years ago(April 15, 2015 09:09 PM)
I don't think there were a lot of films focusing on 15 year-old girls (her age upon the release of
The Exorcist)
which is why she accepted TV work that focused on teen heroines.
It's also possible she simply did not audition well for other roles she was up for. In her other projects, she has come across as a docile, very conventional performer.
There are roles in which some young performers just clicked in the 1970's: Blair in
The Exorcist,
Tatum O'Neal in
Paper Moon,
Brooke Shields in
Pretty Baby.
None have ever been as good again, since.
Their contemporary Jodie Foster from
Taxi Driver
is a far more accomplished performer, and that is why she endured where the others eventually twinkled out.
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shango7200 — 9 years ago(January 15, 2017 04:54 PM)
The next role after The Exorcist was AIRPORT 1975 . pathetic SMALL role for Linda
But Yes- I asked myself a hundred times "How did that happen?"
She's in the biggest movie on the planet then lousy cheap roles.
But yeah- starring roles for 15 year old girls in the 1970s ? Nope.
"The ENEMY of my ENEMY is my FRIEND" -
bigbadwolf666 — 3 years ago(April 18, 2022 12:39 AM)
Aint no doubt about it anywhere you put this girl was a Major Star.
Now there are many many reasons for this I suspect.
One, though she was a major disturbing character that haunted the entire world and still does to this day. I think this came at a hollywood price of burying her career in the process. Had she stayed doing big films the world wouldnt have no longer been scared of her and this film and thus burying all the occult profits and statuses. People wouldve gotten over her and it wouldve probably just been just another horror film. I also think her willingness to do anything just like film got her in trouble even afterwards for doing films she shouldnt have and got her in trouble again for being with Rick James and doing drugs. I think after that, just for being caught, you were blacklisted something that everyone got for anything back in the day till almost recently.
Without strife, your victory has no meaning.
Without strife, you do not advance.
Without strife, there is only stagnation.