The scream queen! Jamie Lee Curtis has had a long and successful career, starting off in iconic horror films before venturing into hit comedies.
The Fierce Creatures actress was born in Santa Monica, California, to actors Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis. Jamie went on to study law at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California — however, she dropped out after one semester to pursue an acting career.
“I wasn’t originally going to be an actress. I was going to be a police officer,” the Knives Out star told Vulture in November 2022. “I thought I’d be a really good cop.”
Jamie’s Hollywood debut came in the 1978 horror film Halloween, which went on to become a major success and put the actress’ name on the map as a horror icon. After following in her mother’s own Scream Queen footsteps – Leigh famously starred as Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho in 1960 – Jamie reprised the role of Laurie at various points throughout the Halloween franchise from 1981 to 2022.
Though the My Girl actress said goodbye to her beloved character in 2022’s Halloween Ends, she looked at her final face-off with longtime nemesis Michael Myers as a “thank you.”
“That role gave me my life. It gave me a creative life. I ultimately met my husband [Christopher Guest] somehow through a connection to Halloween,” Jamie told NPR in October 2022. “And it gave me a sort of platform as a young actor to stand on.”
Although she came to prominence with her work in horror films, Jamie’s acting career spans across many genres, including comedies like 1983’s Trading Places, 1988’s A Fish Called Wanda and 2003’s Freaky Friday. The True Lies star also ventured into television with roles on 1989’s Anything But Love — which earned her a Golden Globe — and on 1998’s Nicholas’ Gift, which earned her an Emmy nomination.
In 2022, Jamie’s performance in the critically acclaimed comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once led her to receive her first Academy Award nomination of her career for Best Supporting Actress.
“I couldn’t believe how much people loved it. It was so thrilling. You know, there were Marvel movies out there, and we were blowing them out of the water,” the Prom Night star told Vulture. “All I can tell you is that was a dream come true: to be able to go to work on something and let go of every idea you’ve ever had for yourself and just understand a character so deeply that you could commit so completely to what they did and what they said.”
As for the star’s personal relationships, Jamie married filmmaker Guest in December 1984. The couple have two daughters: Annie, born in 1986, and Ruby, born in 1996. She is also godmother to actor Jake Gyllenhaal.
Keep scrolling for a look back at Jamie’s life and career over the years:
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