I’m joking, of course; there’s absolutely nothing wrong with getting older. Even so, it surprised me to learn just how old Jamie Lee Curtis had gotten. For me, she’ll always be that bright-eyed, bushy-tailed teen who took the film industry by storm in 1978’s Halloween.
To be fair, the fact that Jamie Lee Curtis is still highly relevant today is testament to her ability as an actress, as well as the magnetizing draw of her appeal. In a business where the old is so very quickly replaced by the new, where the slightest hint of departing too far from the ‘IT’ crowd is usually punished by being pushed out the back door into insignificance, Curtis has more than held her own.
What’s more, the actress continues to add to her extensive list of plaudits. Decades after bursting onto the scene in John Carpenter’s aforementioned Halloween, Curtis took home an Oscar for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
But just how did Curtis get her big break? What does her life look like today? How has she been so successful in managing to do what thousands of others have failed at in keeping herself in the spotlight? Well, read on to find out!
Jamie Lee Curtis’ career
Perhaps a life of fame and fortune was always written in the stars for Jamie Lee Curtis. After all, she was born to a family that had deep roots in show business, with her mother, the late Janet Leigh, having played the iconic role in Alfred Hitcock’s Psycho. Her father Tony Curtis, meanwhile, was a star in his own right, having served as the leading man in a number of Hollywood productions.
Curtis, too, would eventually turn her hand to the family trade, though she initially attended the University of the Pacific to study law before leaving to pursue her acting career.
As fate would have it, her big break came when she was cast in Halloween, claiming a role that would change her life forever. Following the success of that flick, she would become known as the “Scream Queen”, while a venture into comedy courtesy of 1983’s Trading Places showed her versatility.
Over the years, Jamie Lee Curtis has graced our screens in all manner of roles, taking home countless awards including a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Personal Life
Outside of the film industry, the 66-year-old has also proven herself adept as an author of children’s books, penning titles such as Today I Feel Silly and Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born.
The actress has been married to Christopher Guest since 1984 – the pair have two adopted children. Curtis has been a stanch advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, with her youngest daughter, Ruby Guest, coming out as transgender in 2021.
In 2022, Curtis officiated Ruby’s wedding with her partner, Kynthia, dressed as a character from the World of Warcraft video game. The actress is also an advocate of addiction recovery, having achieved 25 years of sobriety.
Appearance today
It should go without saying that we all age over time, that we all experience changes to our appearance – whether we wish it or not. And it’s no different for the biggest stars, even if many of them try to delay the ravages of time with surgeries and treatments.
Jamie Lee Curtis might no longer be the fresh-faced brunette who bravely battled Michael Myers in the original Halloween, but neither is she trying to desperately cling to her youth by presenting an image of herself on social media that’s at odds with how she really looks.
Speaking at the Radically Reframing Aging Summit in 2022, she said: “This word ‘anti-aging’ has to be struck. I am pro-aging. I want to age with intelligence, grace, dignity, verve, and energy.”
After turning 65, Curtis took to Instagram to post a selfie that showed off her legs. Her confident stance and clothing choice — a pair of black shorts — symbolized more than a fashion statement; they represented Curtis’ commitment to promoting body positivity at every age.
Here’s to you, Jamie Lee Curtis!
