Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress and author often mentioned in the Scream films. She is mentioned repeatedly throughout and appears in archive footage in the original Scream (1996 film), and was later mentioned by Robbie Mercer in Scream 4 (2011 film) and Amber Freeman in Scream (2022 film).
Although she was initially known as a "scream queen" because of her starring roles in many horror films early in her career such as Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night and Terror Train, Curtis has since compiled a body of work that covers many genres. Her 1998 book, Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day, made the best-seller list in The New York Times.
She is married to actor Christopher Guest (Lord Haden-Guest) and, as the wife of a lord, is titled Lady Haden-Guest, but she chooses not to use the title when in the United States. She was once the spokeswoman for Activia and a blogger for The Huffington Post online newspaper.
Quotes[]
- "How come Jamie Lee Curtis is in every one of these movies?" "She's the scream queen."
- "When do we get to see Jamie Lee's breasts? I want to see Jamie Lee's breasts."
- "No, Jamie, look behind you!"
- "Beyond Jamie Lee Curtis, forget Linda Blair... I mean, this is the ultimate."
- "Can't have a bonafide Halloween without Jamie Lee!"
Early life[]
Curtis was born in Santa Monica, California, the child of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Her paternal grandparents were Hungarian Jewish immigrants. Curtis' parents divorced in 1962 and her mother then married Robert Brandt. Curtis has an older sister, Kelly Curtis, who is also an actress, and several half-siblings (all from her father's remarriages), Alexandra, Allegra, Ben, and Nicholas Curtis (who died in 1994 of a drug overdose). Curtis attended both Westlake School in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills High School, but graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall. Returning to California in 1976, Jamie attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Jamie considered majoring in social work, but left after a semester in order to pursue a career in acting.
Career[]
Film[]
Curtis' film debut was the 1978 slasher Halloween, playing the role of Laurie Strode, the only central teenage character in the film who is not killed. The film was a major success and was considered the highest grossing independent film of its time, earning status as a classic horror film. Curtis was subsequently cast in several horror films, garnering her the title of a "scream queen".
Her next film following Halloween was the horror film, The Fog, which was directed by Halloween director John Carpenter. The film opened in February 1980 to mixed reviews but strong box office, further cementing Curtis as a horror film starlet. Her next film, Prom Night, was a low-budget Canadian slasher film released in July 1980. The film, for which she earned a Genie Award nomination for Best Performance by a Foreign Actress, was similar in style to Halloween, yet received negative reviews which marked it as a disposable entry in the then active "slasher film" genre.
That year, Curtis also starred in Terror Train, which opened in October and met with a negative reaction akin to Prom Night. Both films performed only moderately well at the box office. Curtis had a similar function in both films - the main character whose friends are murdered, and is practically the only protagonist to survive. Film critic Roger Ebert, who had given negative reviews to all three of Curtis' 1980 films, said that Curtis "is to the current horror film glut what Christopher Lee was to the last one-or Boris Karloff was in the 1930s". Curtis later appeared in Halloween II (1981), Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998), and Halloween: Resurrection (2002), as well as giving an uncredited voice role in Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982).
Her role in 1983's Trading Places helped Curtis leave her horror queen image behind. 1988's A Fish Called Wanda achieved near cult status – while showcasing her as a first rate comic actress. She won a Golden Globe for her work in 1994's True Lies. Her recent successful film roles include Disney's Freaky Friday (2003), opposite Lindsay Lohan. The movie was filmed at Palisades Charter High School in Pacific Palisades, California, near where Curtis and Guest make their home with their children. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy in this movie.
In October 2006, Curtis told Access Hollywood that she has closed the book on her acting career to focus on family. However, she returned to acting after she was cast in June 2007 in Disney's live-action-animated film, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, co-starring opposite Piper Perabo as one of two live-action characters in the film.
Later, she also successfully returned to the Halloween franchise in Halloween (2018) as Laurie Strode and its two eventual sequels, Halloween Kills (2021) and Halloween Ends (2022).
Currently, she is set to star in three upcoming movies, with them being, in 2024, The Last Showgirl, and in 2025, Ella McCay and Freakier Friday, a sequel to Freaky Friday.
Personal life[]
Curtis married actor Christopher Guest on December 18, 1984, becoming Lady Haden-Guest, when her husband inherited the Barony of Haden-Guest in 1996, upon the death of his father. The couple has two adopted children. In addition, Curtis is actor Jake Gyllenhaal's godmother.
On her website, Curtis tells her young readers, that she "moonlights as an actor, photographer, and closet organizer." She takes time to support various philanthropic groups. Curtis was Guest of Honor at the 11th annual Gala and Fundraiser in 2003 for Women in Recovery, Inc., a Venice, California-based non-profit organization offering a live-in, twelve-step program of rehabilitation for women in need. Past Honorees of this organization include Sir Anthony Hopkins; the 2005 honoree was Angela Lansbury. Curtis is also involved in the work of the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, serving as the annual host for the organization's "Dream Halloween" event in Los Angeles, launched every year in October.
Curtis appears on the cover of the May/June 2008 issue of AARP Magazine, sporting gray hair and in water up to her chest.
Curtis is an alcoholic who was also once addicted to pain killers that she started using after a routine cosmetic surgical procedure. She got sober in 1999 and maintains that recovery is the greatest achievement of her life.
During California's 2008 General Election, Curtis appeared in the "YES on Prop 3" TV ads.
Horror Filmography[]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Halloween | Laurie Strode | |
| 1980 | The Fog | Elizabeth Solley | |
| Prom Night | Kimberly "Kim" Hammond | ||
| Terror Train | Alana Maxwell | ||
| 1981 | Roadgames | Pamela "Hitch" Rushworth | |
| Halloween II | Laurie Strode | ||
| 1982 | Halloween III: Season of the Witch | Telephone Operator | Voice only, uncredited |
| 1998 | Halloween H20: 20 Years Later | Laurie Strode | |
| 1999 | Virus | Kelly "Kit" Foster | |
| 2002 | Halloween: Resurrection | Laurie Strode | |
| 2018 | Halloween | ||
| 2021 | Halloween Kills | ||
| 2022 | Halloween Ends |
