Jamie Lee Curtis

She went on to guest star on several series, including The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Columbo, Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

She has an older sister, actress Kelly Curtis (born 1956), and four half-siblings from her father's later marriages: Alexandra, actress Allegra Curtis (born 1966), Benjamin, and Nicholas (who died of a drug overdose in 1994).

Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress, producer, and children's author.

Known for her performances in the horror and slasher genres, she is regarded as a scream queen, in addition to roles in comedies.

Curtis has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as nominations for an Emmy Award and a Grammy Award.

Jamie Lee Curtis was born in Santa Monica, California, on November 22, 1958, the daughter of actors Janet Leigh (born Jeanette Helen Morrison; 1927–2004) and Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; 1925–2010).

Her mother was of Danish, German, and Scotch-Irish descent.

Her father was Jewish, a son of emigrants from Mátészalka, Hungary.

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".

After her father's death, she learned that she and her siblings had all been cut out of his will.

Her mother married stockbroker Robert Brandt, who helped raise her.

Curtis attended the elite Harvard-Westlake School and Beverly Hills High School in Los Angeles, and graduated in 1976 from Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut.

Returning to California in 1976, she studied law at her mother's alma mater—University of the Pacific in Stockton, California —but dropped out after one semester to pursue an acting career.

The youngest daughter of actors Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis, she made her television debut in a 1977 episode of the NBC drama series Quincy, M.E..

Curtis made her television debut in a 1977 episode of the drama series Quincy, M.E..

She appeared as Nurse Lt. Barbara Duran in the short-lived comedy series Operation Petticoat (1977–1978), based on the 1959 film that starred her father, Tony Curtis.

Curtis was also a game show panelist on several episodes of Match Game.

Curtis made her film debut and rose to prominence with her portrayal of Laurie Strode in John Carpenter's slasher film Halloween (1978).

Her film debut occurred in John Carpenter's 1978 horror film Halloween, in which she played the role of Laurie Strode.

The film was a major success and was considered the highest-grossing independent film of its time, earning accolades as a classic horror film.

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 in Psycho.

Curtis was subsequently cast in several horror films, garnering her a reputation as a scream queen.

A critical and commercial success, the film established Curtis as a scream queen and led to starring roles in the horror films The Fog, Prom Night, Terror Train (all 1980), and Roadgames (1981).

She would reprise the role in six of the Halloween sequels, concluding with Halloween Ends in 2022.

The film opened in February 1980 to mixed reviews but strong box office, starting Curtis as a horror film starlet.

In the years since its release, the film has achieved critical reappraisal and developed a cult following.

Her next film, Prom Night, was a low-budget Canadian slasher film released in July 1980.

She would also return to the Halloween franchise seven times, playing Strode in the sequels Halloween II (1981), Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998), Halloween: Resurrection (2002), Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills (2021), and Halloween Ends (2022), and having an uncredited voice role in Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982).

Her next film following Halloween was The Fog, which was also directed by Carpenter and produced by Hill.

Curtis's film work spans many genres outside of horror, including the comedies Trading Places (1983), for which she won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress, and A Fish Called Wanda (1988), for which she received a nomination for the BAFTA for Best Actress.

Her role as a workout instructor in the film Perfect (1985) earned her a reputation as a sex symbol.

Curtis received another Golden Globe for her portrayal of Hannah Miller on ABC's sitcom Anything but Love (1989–1992), and earned a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for the television film Nicholas' Gift (1998).

She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Helen Tasker in James Cameron's True Lies (1994).

Curtis has written numerous children's books, including Today I Feel Silly, and Other Moods That Make My Day (1998), which made The New York Times best-seller list.

She is married to British-American filmmaker Christopher Guest, with whom she has two adopted children.

Her other notable film credits include Freaky Friday (2003), Knives Out (2019), and Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).

Her performance in the latter earned Curtis multiple accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

As of 2023, her films have grossed over $2.5 billion at the box office.

She also starred in the Fox series Scream Queens (2015–2016), for which she received her seventh Golden Globe nomination.