<Tr> <Th> Years active </Th> <Td> 1962--present </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> www.lindablair.com </Td> </Tr> <P> Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress . Blair is best known for her role as the possessed child, Regan, in the film The Exorcist (1973), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe . She reprised her role in Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), for which she was nominated for a Saturn Award . </P> <P> After The Exorcist she remained active in film, usually lower - budget b - movies and exploitation films, as well as supporting charitable causes . </P>

Who played the little girl in the original exorcist