Linda Blair Talks Her 'Exorcist' Cameo and Animal Rights Advocacy (EXCLUSIVE)

The Gist:

• Linda Blair discusses her role in The Exorcist: Believer reboot trilogy, reprising her iconic character from the original film, Regan MacNeil.

• Serving as a consultant and surprising audiences with a cameo, Linda aimed to support young actors on set and reshape perceptions about her character.

• Beyond her acting career, Linda emphasizes her dedication to animal rights and environmental causes, using her platform to advocate for compassion and positive change in the world.

It’s been over 50 years since The Exorcist changed film forever, turning the horror genre into an experience of fear instead of camp. Now, The Exorcist: Believer, a reboot of the original 1973 film, is out in the ether with the help of Linda Blair. Linda played the original victim of the demon Pazuzu, who possessed her character, Regan MacNeil.

Linda’s part in The Exorcist kickstarted a successful film and television career, as well as providing a platform for Linda to speak out on issues she’s passionate about. Distractify spoke with Linda about her role in the rebooted Exorcist franchise and how she’s using her voice for good.

After playing Regan in The Exorcist, Linda had a difficult reputation to overcome because many people saw her as the embodiment of the demon in the film. Without psychological and emotional resources, Linda had to climb out of that idea of her and prove the world wrong.

“The Exorcist was one of the greatest novels ever written by [William Peter Blatty],” Linda told Distractify. “And it was a very difficult journey for them to get it produced, financed, and off the ground as a film because its nature was so different than anything that had been done before in the film business.” 50 years later, however, The Exorcist is still influential, so the reboot had a little more backing. Naturally, the reboot will have two sequels to make a trilogy.

“I know nothing about it for real,” Linda said of the next film, The Exorcist: Deceiver. “I just wanted to help protect the kids on the film and make sure that they kind of held the content that they could for the audience.”

Linda’s role on the set was to make sure that the young actors in the film had more support than she did.

Of course, her role as a consultant turned into a cameo that we loved. “The surprise cameo that I did, that was for the audience,” she explained. “Reagan was — I didn’t want them to keep talking about Reagan in a certain way, or, ‘Oh, well, she’s dead or out on a mountain with sheep.’ Right? I wanted to be part of that.”

“[Being in The Exorcist] gave me a new life, a journey that I didn’t expect,” Linda shared. “It has taught me to be compassionate, to care about the environment. To see firsthand poverty in the Philippines — when you see things that change your life, you must act upon it and do something. The movie gave me that platform.”

Linda often advocates for human and animal rights, and now that she’s back in the limelight, she’s not backing down. “I have been blessed with being able to help others, but I am asking that the public and the corporations in the world help me to help make the world better, to stop this atrocity for the animals,” she shared. “And for people. We need support. And I have dedicated my life back to the animals and to what I think the world needs right now.”

In fact, Linda is so determined that she’s putting her community and advocacy ahead of her acting career.

“I know that they do [have a] plan [for The Exorcist: Deceiver.] But right now, they know I’m not part of it until the world gives me back what I am asking, which is compassion, and just stop killing my animal friends. I can’t walk away from this and I’m not willing to go back to the industry unless I produce projects I want.”

So let’s rally behind Linda to protect animals, humans, and all disenfranchised populations. If compassion isn’t enough incentive, hopefully her work on The Exorcist reboot is!

Reporting by Bianca Piazza