Jamie Lee Curtis

Acting Appreciation

I was never a big fan of scary movies, but I always knew of Jamie Lee Curtis from the Halloween franchise. One of my favorite films of hers, however, is the 1994 action-comedy True Lies, in which she plays the wife of a spy who, midway through the film, undergoes a personal and comedic mid-life reckoning. Her turn in that movie shows real range — equal parts humor, vulnerability, and physicality.

Curtis’s journey into acting was serendipitous. Though her parents (actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh) were Hollywood fixtures, she says she never planned to be an actor — leaving college after a friend encouraged her to audition and landing a studio contract at 19. Her first major role came in the 1978 horror classic Halloween, which gave her the “scream-queen” label she later resisted, admitting in fact that she dislikes scary movies because life is scary enough. 

In recent years, Curtis has described herself as thriving both personally and professionally. According to her cover profile for AARP at age 66, she credits her 26 years of sobriety for giving her clarity, community and a deep sense of purpose. 

She has rejected Hollywood’s ageist expectations, noting that she is “more alive” now than at earlier benchmarks in her career. 

She remains busy: after her Oscar win for Everything Everywhere All at Once and strong TV roles like her guest turn in The Bear, she is producing work that empowers others and embracing freedom in how she chooses roles. 

Curtis’s path hasn’t been without challenge. On the podcast Depresh Mode she referred to Hollywood as a “show-off business,” underscoring the pressure of fame and appearance. 

She has spoken frankly about her history of addiction (stemming in part from pain-killer prescriptions after surgery) and her path to recovery, emphasizing authenticity and self-worth over external validation. 

Her long marriage to filmmaker Christopher Guest (since 1984) also anchors her, allowing her to face life and career on her terms. In many ways, what stands out is how Curtis has moved from legacy horror star to a full-fledged creator and voice in Hollywood who refuses to be pigeonholed.

Sources:

The Liberation of Jamie Lee Curtis, by Meg Grant, AARP The Magazine, August / September 2025

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jamie-lee-curtis-on-her-parents-parenthood-roles-that-made-her-career-60-minutes-transcript/ 

https://maximumfun.org/transcripts/depresh-mode/transcript-depresh-mode-jamie-lee-curtis-self-professed-dope-fiend-of-show-off-business-aired-august-1-2022/

https://people.com/jamie-lee-curtis-marriage-christopher-guest-amazing-blessing-11777076

https://www.rev.com/transcripts/jamie-lee-curtis-the-60-minutes-interview

https://people.com/jamie-lee-curtis-never-ever-thought-front-row-oscars-aarp-11777181

https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/celebrities/jamie-lee-curtis-profile

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/jamie-lee-curtis-has-never-worked-hard-a-day-in-her-life