Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis Headshot

Actress

Birth Date: November 22, 1958

Age: 64 years old

Birth Place: Los Angeles, California

Parents: Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis

Actress and author Jamie Lee Curtis's screen career arced from early success as a heroine in peril in horror films like "Halloween" (1979) to critical praise and awards for brassy turns in comedies like "Trading Places" (1983) and "A Fish Called Wanda" (1988) and later, a fearless embrace of middle-aged and senior women with brio to spare in "Freaky Friday" (2003) and "Halloween" (2019). Born November 22, 1958 in Santa Monica, California, she was the daughter of two popular postwar Hollywood actors-Oscar nominee Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh-who divorced when she was four years of age. Though raised in a show business family, she initially showed little interest in following in her parents' footsteps, and focused on life at Westlake School and Beverly Hills High School, before graduating from Choate Rosemary Hall. She found those experiences emotionally draining due to her low self-confidence, and made it through a single semester at the University of the Pacific before dropping out to try her hand at acting. She made her television debut as a military nurse on the short-lived "Operation Petticoat" (ABC, 1977-79), a sitcom based on the 1960 comedy that starred her father, before segueing to guest roles on other series, including "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries" (ABC, 1977-79). She was not the first choice to play the teenaged heroine of "Halloween" (1979), a low-budget horror film by USC grad John Carpenter, but her connection to Leigh, who had famously starred in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" (1960), helped to win her role; the film became a runaway success at the box office and launched not only an enduring film franchise but also the slasher film boom of the 1980s. For Curtis, it led to a string of starring roles in other horror films, including "Halloween II" (1981) and lesser efforts like "Terror Train" (1980), which minted her, for a time, as a scream queen. But Curtis broke free from the label on the strength of critically praised performances in the TV movie "Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story" (NBC, 1981) and a brassy, BAFTA-winning turn as an escort in John Landis' "Trading Places" (1983). These successes led to Curtis moving up to leads in A-list features, though several of these early efforts - "Perfect" (1985), with Curtis as an aerobics instructor - did little more than showcase her dedication to her roles. She finally earned a project worthy of her talents with 1988's "A Fish Called Wanda" (1988), which cast her as a con artist who fell for her mark, a hapless barrister played by John Cleese, who also wrote the script. She continued to work in films but found greater success as the star of "Anything But Love" (ABC, 1989-1992), a wry office comedy with Curtis and Richard Lewis as co-workers who attempted to keep their romance under wraps. For her performance, Curtis earned a Golden Globe and People's Choice Award, and followed it with another Golden Globe nomination, this time for her starring role in a TNT adaptation of Wendy Wasserstein's play "The Heidi Chronicles" (1995) and a second Golden Globes win for playing undercover agent Arnold Schwarzenegger's mousy wife in James Cameron's Oscar-nominated "True Lies" (1994). After a string of minor box office successes - including a return to the "Halloween" franchise for "Halloween H20: 20 Years Later" (1998) and "Halloween: Resurrection" (2002) - and recovery from an addiction to painkillers and alcohol, Curtis scored another hit with a remake of "Freaky Friday" (2003), for which she and screen daughter Lindsay Lohan switched personalities. Subsequent efforts, however, failed to generate audience interest, and by 2006, she told interviewers that she had put her screen career on the backburner to concentrate on her family with comic actor-director Christopher Guest of "This is Spinal Tap" (1984) fame. Curtis had also established a popular second career as a children's author, beginning in 1993 with When I Was Little: A Four-Year-Old's Memoir of Her Youth (1993). It was soon followed by Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born (1996), which was inspired by the birth of her adopted daughter, Annie, and then earned a New York Times bestseller with Today I Feel Silly, and Other Moods That Make My Day (1998). Her literary career and a string of commercial appearances for a probiotic yogurt kept Curtis busy for much of the 2000s until 2012, when she signed on for a recurring role on "NCIS" (CBS, 2003- ). A stint on Ryan Murphy's self-referential horror series "Scream Queens" (FOX, 2015-16) preceded another return to her roots with "Halloween" (2019), which found Curtis's heroine, Laurie Strode, now a grandmother and survivalist with an arsenal waiting for franchise villain Michael Myers' inevitable return. A huge success due largely to Curtis's intensely physical performance, "Halloween" signaled the launch of an all-new franchise with Curtis at its head for two more films announced for 2020 and 2021. While serving as star and executive producer on these projects, Curtis also joined the ensemble cast of Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" (2019), with Daniel Craig as an acerbic detective rooting out a killer from the ranks of a squabbling family that included Chris Evans, Toni Collette, and Michael Shannon.

Credits

Haunted Mansion

Actor
Madame Leota
Movie
2023

Halloween in Hollywood

Self
TV Show
2022

Jamie Lee Curtis : un cri de liberté à Hollywood

Self
TV Show
2022

Reno 911! Defunded

Guest Star
Lt. Donna Fritzgibbons
TV Show
2022

Here Comes the Sun

Guest
TV Show
2022

Halloween EndsStream

Actor
Laurie
Movie
2022
40%

Halloween EndsStream

Executive Producer
Movie
2022
40%

Everything Everywhere All at OnceStream

Actor
Deirdre Beaubeirdra
Movie
2022
93%

Joe Bob's Halloween Hoedown

Actor
TV Show
2021

Halloween KillsStream

Actor
Laurie Strode
Movie
2021
38%

Halloween KillsStream

Executive Producer
Movie
2021
38%

How We Sleep at Night: The Sara Cunningham Story

Actor
Sara Cunningham
Movie
2021

How We Sleep at Night: The Sara Cunningham Story

Director
Movie
2021

The Drew Barrymore ShowStream

Guest
TV Show
2020

Martha Knows BestStream

Self
TV Show
2020

GMA3: What You Need to Know

Guest
TV Show
2020

Best Summer Ever

Executive Producer
Movie
2020

The Sleepless

Executive Producer
Movie
2020

Halloween: Jamie Lee Curtis & David Gordon Green in Conversation With David Fear

Guest
TV Show
2019

The Kelly Clarkson ShowStream

Guest
TV Show
2019

Today With Hoda & Jenna

Guest
TV Show
2019

Knives OutStream

Actor
Linda Drysdale
Movie
2019
97%

Halloween Interview Special

Guest
TV Show
2018

Eli Roth's History of HorrorStream

Actor
TV Show
2018

Scream Queens: terreur à l'hôpital

Actor
Dean Cathy Munsch
TV Show
2018

HalloweenStream

Actor
Laurie Strode
Movie
2018
79%

HalloweenStream

Executive Producer
Movie
2018
79%

An Acceptable Loss

Actor
Rachel
Movie
2018

Box Office

Guest
TV Show
2017

78/52

Self
Movie
2017

Harry

Guest
TV Show
2016

Scream Queens: Cast and Creators at PaleyFest

Guest
TV Show
2016

Scream QueensStream

Actor
Dean Cathy Munsch
TV Show
2015
77%

Scream QueensStream

Director
TV Show
2015
77%

Ryan Murphy: Behind the Screams

Guest
TV Show
2015

Scream Queens: Extras

Actor
TV Show
2015

The Late Late Show With James CordenStream

Guest
TV Show
2015

Spare Parts

Actor
Principal
Movie
2015

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

Guest
TV Show
2014

Good Morning Britain

Guest
TV Show
2014

Home & Family

Guest
TV Show
2012

Entertainment Studios.TV

Guest
TV Show
2012

CBS This Morning

Guest
TV Show
2012

The Chew

Guest
TV Show
2011

New GirlStream

Guest Star
Joan Day
TV Show
2011
95%

Dish Nation

Guest
TV Show
2011

Driven To Stardom: The Making Of Tony Curtis

Self
TV Show
2011

One Born Every Minute

Narrator
TV Show
2011

The Little Engine That Could

Voice
Bev
Movie
2011

From Up on Poppy Hill

Voice
Hana Matsuzaki
Movie
2011

The Inside Story: Halloween

Actor
TV Show
2010

The Talk

Guest
TV Show
2010

Access Hollywood Live

Guest
TV Show
2010

The Nate Berkus Show

Guest
TV Show
2010

Lorraine

Guest
TV Show
2010

Mark at the Movies

Guest
TV Show
2010

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Guest Star
TV Show
2010

You Again

Actor
Gail
Movie
2010

Dreams Come True: A Celebration of Disney Animation

Guest Star
TV Show
2009

In the House With Peter Bart & Peter Guber

Guest
TV Show
2009

ES.TV

Guest
TV Show
2009

The Project

Guest
TV Show
2009

The Bonnie Hunt Show

Guest
TV Show
2008

The Doctors

Guest
TV Show
2008

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

Actor
Aunt Viv
Movie
2008

The Graham Norton ShowStream

Guest
TV Show
2007

The Better Show

Guest
TV Show
2007

Rachael RayStream

Guest
TV Show
2006

etalk

Guest
TV Show
2006

Best Friends: The Power of Sisterhood

Guest
TV Show
2006

The 7th Annual A Home for the Holidays

Host
TV Show
2005

Made in Hollywood

Guest
TV Show
2005

Entertainment Tonight Canada

Guest
TV Show
2005

ET Canada

Guest
TV Show
2005

The Writer's Hot List

Guest
TV Show
2004

The Insider

Guest
TV Show
2004

Tavis Smiley

Guest
TV Show
2004

Christmas With the KranksStream

Actor
Nora Krank
Movie
2004
5%

NCISStream

Guest Star
Dr. Samantha Ryan
TV Show
2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

Guest
TV Show
2003

Freaky FridayStream

Actor
Dr. Tess Coleman
Movie
2003
88%

The Late Late Show

Guest
TV Show
2002

Halloween: ResurrectionStream

Actor
Laurie Strode
Movie
2002
10%

The Tailor of Panama

Actor
Louisa Pendel
Movie
2001

Daddy and Them

Actor
Elaine Bowen
Movie
2001

Entertainment Studios.com

Guest
TV Show
2000

Drowning Mona

Actor
Rona Mace
Movie
2000

Every Woman

Guest
TV Show
1999

Independent LensStream

Narrator
TV Show
1999

The Daily Show With Jon StewartStream

Guest
TV Show
1999

Virus

Actor
Kit Foster
Movie
1999

Kickin' It: With Byron Allen

Guest
TV Show
1998

Nicholas' Gift

Actor
Maggie Green
Movie
1998

HomegrownStream

Actor
Sierra Kazan
Movie
1998
44%

Halloween H20: 20 Years LaterStream

Actor
Laurie Strode/Keri Tate
Movie
1998
53%

The View

Guest
TV Show
1997

Fierce Creatures

Actor
Willa Weston
Movie
1997

Access Hollywood

Guest
TV Show
1996

House ArrestStream

Actor
Janet Beindorf
Movie
1996
10%

The Drew Carey ShowStream

Guest Star
TV Show
1995

The Heidi Chronicles

Actor
Heidi Holland
Movie
1995

Entertainers: With Byron Allen

Guest
TV Show
1994

Obsession

Actor
Movie
1994

Un Regreso Inesperado

Actor
Movie
1994

Mother's Boys

Actor
Judith "Jude" Madigan
Movie
1994

True LiesStream

Actor
Helen Tasker
Movie
1994
70%

My Girl 2

Actor
Shelly Sultenfuss
Movie
1993

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

Guest
TV Show
1992

Forever Young

Actor
Claire Cooper
Movie
1992

Queens Logic

Actor
Grace
Movie
1991

My GirlStream

Actor
Shelly DeVoto
Movie
1991
50%

42nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Presentation

Actor
TV Show
1990

Blue Steel

Actor
Megan Turner
Movie
1990

Anything but Love

Actor
Hannah Miller
TV Show
1989

Anything but Love

Director
TV Show
1989

A Fish Called WandaStream

Actor
Wanda Gershwitz
Movie
1988
96%

Dominick and Eugene

Actor
Jennifer Reston
Movie
1988
77%

Un Poisson nommé Wanda

Actor
Movie
1988

A Man in Love

Actor
Susan Elliott
Movie
1987

Grace et Chuck

Actor
Movie
1987

Amazing Grace and Chuck

Actor
Lynn Taylor
Movie
1987

The Oprah Winfrey ShowStream

Guest
TV Show
1986

As Summers Die

Actor
Whitsey Loftin
Movie
1986

Perfect

Actor
Jessie
Movie
1985

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension

Actor
Sandra Banzai - Buckaroo's Mother (scenes deleted)
Movie
1984

Grandview, U.S.A.Stream

Actor
Michelle `'Mike'` Cody
Movie
1984

Trading PlacesStream

Actor
Ophelia
Movie
1983
88%

Love Letters

Actor
Anna Winter
Movie
1983

Money on the Side

Actor
Michelle Jamison
Movie
1982

Entertainment Tonight

Guest
TV Show
1981

L'histoire de Dorothy Stratten

Actor
Movie
1981

Juegos de Carretera

Actor
Movie
1981

Road Games

Actor
Pamela "Hitch" Rushworth
Movie
1981

Halloween IIStream

Actor
Laurie Strode
Movie
1981
32%

She's in the Army Now

Actor
Pvt. Rita Jennings
Movie
1981

Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story

Actor
Dorothy Stratten
Movie
1981

Le Monstre du train

Actor
Movie
1980

Punto de Muerte

Actor
Movie
1980

Express to Terror

Actor
Movie
1980

Terror TrainStream

Actor
Alana Maxwell
Movie
1980
44%

The Fog

Actor
Elizabeth Solley
Movie
1980

Prom NightStream

Actor
Kim
Movie
1980
48%

Circus of the Stars

Self
TV Show
1979

CBS News Sunday Morning

Guest
TV Show
1979

HalloweenStream

Actor
Laurie Strode
Movie
1978
96%

Operation Petticoat

Actor
TV Show
1977

Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew MysteriesStream

Guest Star
TV Show
1977

Colombo: Prova d'intelligenza

Actor
Waitress
Movie
1977

Operation Petticoat

Actor
Lt. Barbara Duran
Movie
1977

Life in the Pink

Actor
Lt. Barbara Duran
Movie
1977

Charlie's AngelsStream

Guest Star
TV Show
1976

Good Morning America

Guest
TV Show
1975

Saturday Night LiveStream

Host
TV Show
1975

Great PerformancesStream

Guest
TV Show
1972

ColumboStream

Guest Star
Waitress
TV Show
1971

TodayStream

Guest
TV Show
1952

News about
Jamie Lee Curtis