Barbra Blair

Barbra Blair is the name of a character from the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead.

Barbra was played by actress Judith O'Dea, a 23-year-old commercial and stage actress; when she auditioned, O'Dea was in Hollywood seeking to enter the movie business. She remarked in an interview that starring in the film was a positive experience for her, although she admitted that horror movies terrified her.

O'Dea performed her own stunts in the film, which she modestly says amounted to "lots of running". She also said "I honestly had no idea it [the film] would have such a lasting impact on our culture". She seems just as surprised by the renown the film brought her: "People treat you differently. [I'm] ho-hum Judy O'Dea until they realize [I'm] Barbra from Night of the Living Dead. All of a sudden [I'm] not so ho-hum anymore!"

Links With Empire Of The Dead
The film opens with Barbra and her brother Johnny (Russell Streiner) laying flowers at their father's grave when they are attacked by a zombie, which kills Johnny. This is the first zombie Barbra and her brother encounter and the first zombie of the film. Barbra escapes to a nearby farmhouse. Towards the end of the film Johnny reappears as a zombie and drags Barbra from the house, presumably to kill and eat her. However, we don't see this, and nor do we see her body being burnt with the others at the end of the film. In Issue 1x1 of Empire Penny Jones reveals that Barbra was her older sister and explains what happened after she was dragged from the house.