Who is actor and author Jamie Lee Curtis?
Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actor and author, born on November 22, 1958, in Santa Monica, California. The daughter of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, she became widely known as a “scream queen” after starring as Laurie Strode in Halloween (1978). Curtis has built a long-running screen career across horror, comedy and drama, and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). She is also the author of several children’s books.
Background/biography
Jamie Lee Curtis grew up in a Hollywood family. Her father, Tony Curtis, was known for films including Some Like It Hot, while her mother, Janet Leigh, was celebrated for her role in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Her parents divorced when she was young, and Curtis later attended the Choate Rosemary Hall boarding school in Connecticut.
After graduating from high school, Curtis enrolled at the University of the Pacific in California to study law but left after one semester to pursue acting. Her early television work included an appearance on Quincy, M.E. before she was cast as Laurie Strode in John Carpenter’s Halloween. The low-budget horror film became a major commercial success and established her as a prominent young actor.
Screen and writing career
- Halloween (1978) — played Laurie Strode, a role she reprised in several sequels and later revival films.
- The Fog (1980) — appeared in John Carpenter’s supernatural horror film.
- Trading Places (1983) — starred opposite Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd.
- A Fish Called Wanda (1988) — appeared in the acclaimed comedy ensemble.
- True Lies (1994) — played Helen Tasker opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger; the performance earned her a Golden Globe Award.
- Freaky Friday (2003) — co-starred with Lindsay Lohan in the Disney comedy.
- Knives Out (2019) — played Linda Drysdale in Rian Johnson’s mystery film.
- Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) — played Deirdre Beaubeirdre and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
- Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born (1996) — one of her children’s books, illustrated by Laura Cornell.
- Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day (1998) — a children’s book exploring changing emotions.
Although Curtis first became identified with horror films, her career expanded into comedy, family entertainment, television and dramatic work. She received positive attention for returning to the Laurie Strode character in the later Halloween films, including Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills (2021) and Halloween Ends (2022).
Alongside acting, Curtis has written children’s literature, often collaborating with illustrator Laura Cornell. Her books have addressed subjects such as adoption, self-expression, manners, emotions and family life.
From scream queen to Oscar winner
Curtis’s association with the horror genre began with Halloween, which helped define the modern slasher-film era. Her repeated work in horror films during the late 1970s and early 1980s led to the “scream queen” label, though she later developed a broader career in major studio comedies and dramas.
Her Academy Award win for Everything Everywhere All at Once in 2023 was her first Oscar nomination and first Academy Award. In her acceptance speech, she acknowledged the many people and communities connected to the film while reflecting on the long span of her career.
Personal and professional notes
- Jamie Lee Curtis has been married to actor, writer and director Christopher Guest since 1984.
- She and Guest have two adopted children, Annie and Ruby.
- Curtis has publicly discussed her recovery from addiction and has supported conversations about sobriety and recovery.
- She has won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award during her acting career.
- Her mother, Janet Leigh, starred in Psycho, while Curtis became famous through another landmark horror franchise, Halloween.
