Flavorwire

Earlier today we posted a selection of kids’ Halloween costumes that they’re too young to understand. But now we’d like to take another moment to think about the children. More specifically: the fictional children from our favorite horror movies, the ones who once scared — and in many cases, still do scare — the total crap out of us. Aren’t you curious whatever happened to those bloodthirsty/possessed/undead kids? From a former kid zombie who now crafts jewelry to an evil child preacher turned creative writing teacher, we think you’ll be surprised by what we found out.

Linda Blair: Regan MacNeil from The Exorcist (1973)

Linda Blair had been a working actor since the age of six, but she didn’t become a household name until she starred as the possessed Regan MacNeil at 14. After starring in a handful of movies in the ’70s (including Exorcist II: The Heretic), her career hit a roadblock following a drug arrest in 1979. There were some low-budget horror films in the ’80s, Repossessed (an Exorcist spoof) in 1990, and even a cameo in the first installment of Wes Craven’s Scream franchise, but today her focus is promoting veganism and animal rights — she even created the Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation to help rescue abandoned dogs throughout the LA area.