Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress known for her role as the possessed child, Regan, in the 1973 film The Exorcist, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and two Golden Globes, winning one.Blair was raised in Westport, Connecticut. She began her career as a six year old child model and started acting with a regular role on the short-lived Hidden Faces in 1968. Her first film role was in 1971's The Sporting Club. Blair was selected from a field of 600 applicants for her most notable role as Regan in The Exorcist. The role earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and an Academy Award nomination. She reprised her role in the 1977 sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic.