Curtis was born on November 22, 1958, inSanta Monica, California, to actorsTony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; 1925–2010) andJanet Leigh (born Jeanette Helen Morrison; 1927–2004). Her father was Jewish, a son of emigrants fromMátészalka, Hungary.[5] Her mother was of Danish, German, andScotch-Irish descent.[6] She has an older sister, actressKelly Curtis (born 1956), and four half-siblings from her father's later marriages: Alexandra, actressAllegra Curtis (born 1966), Benjamin, and Nicholas (who died of a drug overdose in 1994).[7]
Curtis's parents divorced in 1962. She has stated that, after the divorce, her father was "not around" and that he was "not interested in being a father".[8] After her father's death, she learned that she and her siblings had all been cut out of his will.[9] Her mother married stockbroker Robert Brandt, who helped raise her.[10] Curtis attended the eliteHarvard-Westlake School andBeverly Hills High School in Los Angeles, and graduated in 1976 fromChoate Rosemary Hall inWallingford, Connecticut.[11] Returning to California in 1976, she studied law at her mother's alma mater—University of the Pacific inStockton, California[12][13]—but dropped out after one semester to pursue an acting career.[14]
Career
1970s: Early television roles and breakthrough withHalloween
Her film debut occurred inJohn Carpenter's 1978 horror filmHalloween, in which she played the role ofLaurie Strode. The producer,Debra Hill, specifically cast Curtis because her mother, Janet Leigh, had been known as a horror icon due to her Oscar-nominated performance inPsycho.[23] The film was a major success and was considered the highest-grossingindependent film of its time, earning accolades as a classic horror film.
1980s: Scream queen and established actress
After the major critical and commercial success ofHalloween, Curtis was cast in several horror films, garnering her a reputation as ascream queen.[2] Her next film followingHalloween wasThe Fog, which was also directed by Carpenter and produced by Hill. The film opened in February 1980 to mixed reviews but strong box office,[24] starting Curtis as a horror film starlet. In the years since its release, the film has achieved critical reappraisal and developed acult following.[25] Her next film,Prom Night, was a low-budget Canadianslasher film released in July 1980. The film, for which she earned aGenie Award nomination for Best Performance by a Foreign Actress, was similar in style toHalloween, yet received negative reviews which marked it as a disposable entry in the then-popular slasher genre. That year, Curtis also starred inTerror Train, which opened in October and met with negative reviews akin toProm Night. Both films performed moderately well at the box office.[3] Curtis's roles in the latter two films served a similar function to that of Strode—the main character whose friends are murdered and is practically the onlyprotagonist to survive. Film criticRoger Ebert, who gave negative reviews to all three of Curtis's 1980 films, said that Curtis "is to the current horror film glut whatChristopher Lee was to the last one—orBoris Karloff was in the 1930s."[26]
Her role as a kindhearted prostitute in 1983'sTrading Places helped Curtis shed her horror queen image; the film was a great critical and commercial success and garnered Curtis aBAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.[33] She had previously worked with directorJohn Landis on the documentaryComing Soon. The studio originally objected to Curtis's casting, as she was primarily associated with horror films: "The casting people all thought [Landis] was crazy, and he single-handedly changed the course of my life by giving me that part", Curtis later stated.[34] The following year, Curtis appeared in the romantic drama filmLove Letters and the comedy-dramaGrandview, U.S.A..[35][36]
Curtis received positive reviews for her performance in the action thrillerBlue Steel (1990), which was directed byKathryn Bigelow. The following year, she appeared inMy Girl, opposite herTrading Places co-starDan Aykroyd. The film was a great commercial success and was followed by a sequel,My Girl 2, in 1994. In 1992, Curtis starred alongsideMel Gibson in the romantic fantasy filmForever Young. The following year, she appeared in the psychological thrillerMother's Boys.[43]
In 1998, she starred in the CBS television filmNicholas' Gift, for which she received aPrimetime Emmy Award nomination,[49] and reprised her role of Laurie Strode for the third time inHalloween H20: 20 Years Later. That same year, Curtis received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.[50] In 1999, she starred in the science fiction horror filmVirus, which was a critical and commercial flop. Curtis has since stated that she regrets starring in the film.[51]
In 2004, she starred in the Christmas comedy filmChristmas with the Kranks, which was critically derided but a box office success. The following year, she appeared as herself along with herTrue Lies co-starArnold Schwarzenegger in the comedy filmThe Kid & I and hosted theCBS programA Home for the Holidays.[56] In October 2006, Curtis toldAccess Hollywood that she had closed the book on her acting career to focus on her family.[57] She briefly returned to acting after being cast in June 2007 in Disney's live-action-animated filmBeverly Hills Chihuahua, starring oppositePiper Perabo as one of three live-action characters in the film.[58]
In 2012, she appeared in five episodes of the military drama seriesNCIS, playing the role of Dr. Samantha Ryan, a potentialromantic interest ofSpecial Agent Gibbs (Mark Harmon). During an interview, she stated that if they could develop a storyline, she would be interested to return to the series, but this never occurred.[60] The series reunited Curtis with Harmon, after he played her character's fiancé and later husband in the 2003 remake ofFreaky Friday.[61] This was followed by supporting roles in the neo-noir mystery filmVeronica Mars (2014) and the biographical drama filmSpare Parts (2015). In 2016,IndieWire named her one of the best actors never to have received anAcademy Award nomination[62] (Curtis received her firstAcademy Award nomination in2023).[63][64]
From 2012 to 2018, Curtis had a recurring role as Joan Day, the mother ofZooey Deschanel's character, in the sitcomNew Girl.[65] From 2015 to 2016, Curtis had a lead role as Cathy Munsch on theFox satirical horror comedy seriesScream Queens, which aired for two seasons. Curtis filmed an intricate homage to her mother's classic shower scene inPsycho in aseason one episode.[66] For her performance in the first season, Curtis was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy[40] and the People's Choice Award for Favorite Actress in a New TV Series.[67] In 2017, Curtis was mentioned byEminem inBig Sean's songNo Favors.[68]
Curtis returned to leading roles with her reprisal of Laurie Strode in the horror sequel filmHalloween (2018). The film debuted to $76.2 million, marking the second-best opening weekend of October and the highest opening weekend of theHalloween franchise; and became the biggest domestic grosser in the franchise with its opening weekend alone.[69] Its opening performance was the best-ever for a film starring a lead actress over 55 years old.[70][71] Also in 2018, she had a role in the drama filmAn Acceptable Loss. Her performance earned some positive critical notice;Chicago Sun-Times criticRichard Roeper stated that Curtis "creates a monster so terrifying she'd have Michael Myers turning tail and running away."[72]
In 2019, Curtis appeared as Linda Drysdale-Thrombrey, the eldest daughter of novelist Harlan Thrombey (played byChristopher Plummer) inRian Johnson's mystery filmKnives Out, which earned positive reviews and over $300 million at the global box office.[73] The film was chosen by theAmerican Film Institute, theNational Board of Review, andTime magazine as one of the top ten films of 2019 in each respective list.[74][75]
2020s: Awards success and beyond
In September 2021, she was honored with theGolden Lion at theVenice Film Festival for her lifetime achievements.[76] Also in 2021, Curtis received theGolden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the78th Venice International Film Festival and said, "I feel so alive, like I'm this 14-year-old person just beginning their life. That's how I wake up every day with that sort of joy and purpose. I'm just beginning my work."[77] Curtis again reprised her role as Laurie Strode in the horror sequelsHalloween Kills, which was released in October 2021, and inHalloween Ends, which was released in October 2022. Her performance in each film earned her People's Choice Award nominations for Drama Movie Star.[78][79]Halloween Ends marked Curtis's final time portraying Laurie Strode.[80][81][82] She also was honored with ahandprint ceremony atGrauman's Chinese Theater on October 12, 2022. Curtis's close friendsMelanie Griffith and Arnold Schwarzenegger both honored her with speeches at the ceremony.[83]
In 2024, Curtis was named aDisney Legend byThe Walt Disney Company.[96] She portrayed Dr. Patricia Tannis in the filmBorderlands, which adapts thevideo game series of the same name.[97] It was released on August 9, 2024, to negative reviews from critics and bombed at the box office.[98][99] She also appeared inGia Coppola's filmThe Last Showgirl, which premiered atTIFF on September 6, 2024,[100] and garnered her a fourth SAG Awards nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role[101] and a fourth BAFTA Awards nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.[102]
Curtis co-produced and reprised her role as Tess Coleman in a sequel toFreaky Friday alongsideLindsay Lohan, titledFreakier Friday. The movie theatrically released on August 8, 2025.[103][104][105][106]
Beginning in 1990, Curtis and her father, Tony, took a renewed interest in their family's Hungarian Jewish heritage, and helped finance the rebuilding of the"Great Synagogue" in Budapest, Hungary. The largest synagogue in Europe, it was originally built in 1859 and suffered damage during World War II.[107] Curtis later helped to refurbish the synagogue inMátészalka, where her grandparents worshipped. She attended the opening of the Tony Curtis Memorial Museum and Cafe, which is also located in Mátészalka.[108]
Curtis was guest of honor at the 11th annual gala and fundraiser in 2003 for Women in Recovery, aVenice, California-based non-profit organization offering a live-in,twelve-step program of rehabilitation for women in need. Past honorees of this organization include SirAnthony Hopkins and DameAngela Lansbury. Curtis is also involved in the work of theChildren Affected by AIDS Foundation, serving as the annual host for the organization's "Dream Halloween" event in Los Angeles, launched every year in October.[109][110]
Curtis plays a leadership role forChildren's Hospital Los Angeles and supported the 2011 opening of a new inpatient facility for the organization.[111] During theCOVID-19 pandemic, she started the "My Hand in Yours" organization with the message "you are not alone" to raise money for the hospital and for people to be able to offer gifts and objects of comfort to people in times of crisis, with all proceeds from every item in the store being sent to help in the care and treatment of critically ill and injured children.[112][113][114]
In October 2023,The Advocate honored Curtis with the Advocate of the Year award as a part of theOut100 celebration.[115] Curtis, who is mother to atransgender daughter, then gave a speech condemninganti-LGBTQ+ lawmakers and their supporters, stating: "Freedom is the goal."[116] In January 2025, she donated $1 million to theLos Angeles wildfires relief efforts.[117]
Curtis is a leading activist and advocate against the negative effects of cosmetic surgery and Hollywood standards on young women. In 2025, she starred in a campaign on this issue, wearing red plastic lips to caricature the kind of alteration that many women have opted for. She was interviewed about this forThe Guardian.[118]
Politics
Curtis at an event to support Democratic presidential nomineeHillary Clinton in 2016
In October 2023, she expressed support for Israel during theGaza war, uploading a photo to Instagram of Palestinian children mistakenly identified as Israeli, with the caption reading "Terror from the Skies", followed by an emoji of the Israeli flag. After social media users noted the children were actually Palestinian, Curtis removed the post, leading to accusations of hypocrisy. In a statement toHuffPost regarding the backlash, Curtis said: "I took down the post when I realized my error. The other post is a Guy Oseary repost. It's an awful situation for all the innocent people in the line of fire."[130][131] In the following month, Curtis called for aceasefire while showing support for the youth victims trapped among the conflict.[132]
Writing
Curtis autographing a copy of her children's book in 2010
Working with illustrator Laura Cornell, Curtis has written a number of children's books,[133] all published byHarperCollins Children's Books.[134] Curtis was also a blogger forThe Huffington Post online newspaper from 2011 to 2017.[135]
In February 2022, Curtis was announced to have co-written a graphic novel,Mother Nature, which is based on an upcomingeco-horror film made by Comet Pictures andBlumhouse Productions that will be written and directed by Curtis. The graphic novel was published in July 2023 byTitan Comics, written by Curtis and filmmaker Russell Goldman, and illustrated byKarl Stevens.[136]
Invention
In 1987, Curtis filed a US patent application that subsequently issued as Patent No. 4,753,647. This is a modification of a diaper with a moisture-proof pocket containing wipes that can be taken out and used with one hand.[137] Curtis refused to allow her invention to be marketed until companies started selling biodegradable diapers.[138] The full statutory term of this patent expired February 20, 2007, and it is now in the public domain. She filed a second US patent application related to disposable diapers in 2016 which issued as US Patent 9,827,151[139] on November 28, 2017, and will expire on September 7, 2036.[138]
Podcasting
On her website, Curtis tells her young readers that she "moonlights as an actor, photographer, and closet organizer".[133] Curtis launched the podcast seriesLetters from Camp onAudible in 2020[140] andGood Friend with Jamie Lee Curtis foriHeartRadio in 2021.[141]
Personal life
Arms of Curtis as Baroness Haden-Guest
Curtis married British-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and directorChristopher Guest on December 18, 1984. She saw a picture of him from his filmThis Is Spinal Tap (1984) inRolling Stone and told her friendDebra Hill, "Oh, I'm going to marry that guy." She married him five months later.[142] They have two adopted daughters. Curtis is actorJake Gyllenhaal'sgodmother.[143] Prior to her marriage to Guest, Curtis dated British rock singerAdam Ant.[144]
On April 8, 1996, her husband Guest inherited the titleBaron Haden-Guest when his father died. As the wife of ahereditary peer, Curtis is abaroness, styled as "The Lady Haden-Guest". Curtis does not use this title, saying, "it has nothing to do with me".[145][146]
She is close friends with actressSigourney Weaver. In a 2015 interview, she said she has never watched Weaver's filmAlien (1979) in its entirety because she was too scared by it.[147]
Curtis is a recovering alcoholic, and was once addicted topainkillers that she began using after a cosmetic surgical procedure.[148] She became sober from opiates in 1999 after reading and relating toTom Chiarella's account of addiction,[10] and has called her own recovery the greatest achievement of her life.[149] She is a fan of the video gameWorld of Warcraft and the mangaOne Piece,[150] and has worn disguises that allowed her to attendComic-Con,EVO,[151] andBlizzCon[152] incognito.
^Curtis, Jamie Lee; Keach, Stacy; McLean, Greg; and Quentin Tarantino (2008).Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (Documentary). City Films Worldwide.
^Lloyd, Sophie (August 23, 2023)."Jamie Lee Curtis' Mask Photo Sparks Uproar".Newsweek.Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. RetrievedOctober 27, 2023.She recently announced her support for Democratic primary candidate Marianne Williamson on Instagram and has been championing the writers' and actors' strikes in Hollywood, led by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA.
^Curtis, Jamie L. (February 20, 1987)."United States Patent: 4,753,647".United States Patent and Trademark Office.Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. RetrievedApril 1, 2008.A disposable infant garment which takes the form of a diaper including, on its outer side, a sealed, but openable, moisture-proof pocket which contains one or more clean-up wipers.
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