OMAR AZIMI

Jamie Lee Curtis is easily one of Hollywood's most beloved actresses, and she's got decades of work behind her to back the claim. Born to actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, legends themselves, this is someone destined to be a star. Yet, without her sheer charisma, Curtis never would have had the staying power.

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In addition to her illustrious acting career, Curtis is the author of numerous illustrated children's books, with her first being published in 1993. At the beginning of her career, Curtis made several minor television appearances in shows such as Quincy, M.E., and Operation Petticoat. Still, today, most of us know her for her film appearances, and for being the person who brought Laurie Strode to life.

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Halloween (1978)

Halloween (1978) is considered one of the greatest films of all time and is notable for marking Curtis' film debut. Curtis starred as Laurie Strode, who catches the attention of mental patient escapee Michael Myers (played by multiple actors and stunt performers). Laurie thinks she's imagining seeing him stalk her until he attacks her while she's babysitting. After being shot by Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) six times, Michael vanishes seemingly into thin air.

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After John Carpenter's 1976 film Assault on Precinct 13 made its debut at the Milan Film Festival, Carpenter was approached to make a film about babysitters being terrorized by a psychotic killer. A script was written by Carpenter and his then-girlfriend Debra Hill with the name The Babysitter Murders, which was then changed to Halloween by producer Irwin Yablans. Although the film didn't find immediate success upon its release, word of mouth eventually catapulted it to lasting success.

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The Fog (1980)

The Fog (1980) reunited Carpenter and Hill as screenwriters. The film follows residents of the fictional coastal town of Antonio Bay, CA, who gather to celebrate the town's 100th anniversary. However, on that same night, a fog rolls in, carrying the ghosts of the men who were killed 100 years earlier and who are back for revenge against the ancestors of those who orchestrated their deaths.

After Curtis could only book appearances in television shows after completing Halloween, Carpenter wrote her a central role in The Fog. Curtis played Elizabeth Solley, a hitchhiker who hitches a ride with Nick Castle (Tom Atkins). The film starred many Halloween alumni and Janet Leigh, although they didn't play mother and daughter roles. Although the film wasn't well-received by critics, it has achieved cult classic status.

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Halloween II (1981)

Halloween II (1981) reunited Curtis and Pleasence in their respective roles and followed Laurie Strode minutes after the 1978 film ended. Laurie was taken to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, where Michael tracked her down. Michael methodically murdered the hospital's staff until he could corner Laurie. In a huge twist, it's revealed that Laurie is Michael's long-lost sister. Laurie's records were sealed after Michael murdered their other sister Judith in 1963, and the Strode family soon adopted her.

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By the time production began on Halloween II, Curtis had starred in a couple of Canadian horror films that sought to mimic the success of Halloween. As a result, Curtis had deservedly earned the nickname of "Scream Queen." However, to avoid being typecast as only the lead in a horror film, Curtis sought to expand her acting skills in other genres. As a "thank you" to horror fans, and as a favor to Carpenter and Hill, Curtis agreed to reprise her role as Laurie "one last time."

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Trading Places (1983)

Trading Places (1983) follows a wealthy commodities broker named Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) and a poor street beggar named Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy). They are the subjects of a bet made by two brothers, which involves Winthorpe and Valentine switching lives. Winthorpe is soon accused of being a drug dealer and a thief by his friends and family and finds his bank accounts frozen. Winthorpe befriends Ophelia (Curtis), who agrees to help him clear his name and regain his life. Meanwhile, Valentine gains access to Winthorpe's lucrative job, his money and soon finds success in his new life.

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Curtis and director John Landis met on the horror documentary Coming Soon, and the studio heavily objected to her casting, citing her as a B-movies actress. However, Curtis attempted to move on from her horror roots and expand in other genres. Curtis was offered a role in Psycho II (1983) but declined.

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A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

A Fish Called Wanda (1988) starred John Cleese, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin, and Curtis. The plot follows two British thieves, George (Tom Georgeson) and Ken (Palin), who recruit two Americans, Wanda (Curtis) and Otto (Kline), to pull off a major diamond robbery. However, the heist goes wrong, and Wanda attempts to seduce George's lawyer Archie (Cleese) to find where the diamonds are hidden. Meanwhile, an older woman who witnessed the initial robbery finds herself the target of Ken, who tries to kill her.

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In an interview with Vanity Fair, Curtis stated that her casting came about due to Cleese, who had seen Trading Places, and wrote A Fish Called Wanda for her and Kline. For her role in the film, Curtis was nominated for several awards: most notably, the Golden Globe Awards as well as the British Academy Film Awards.

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True Lies (1994)

True Lies (1994) follows Harry (Arnold Schwarzenegger), his wife Helen (Curtis), and their daughter Dana (Eliza Dushku). While Helen and Dana believe Harry has a typical job as a computer salesman, Harry is revealed to be a secret agent for a U.S. counterterrorism agency named Omega Sector. Harry catches Helen meeting with Simon (Bill Paxton), who pretends to be a secret agent to meet women and disrupts their meetings. Helen, who says she's desperate for excitement, gets secretly recruited by Harry and ultimately gets entangled in Harry's mission to take down an Islamic terrorist group led by Salim Abu Aziz (Art Malik).

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True Lies is notable for being the first film to have a production budget of more than $100 million, and the first to use the 1994 20th Century Fox logo. Even more notable is the stunt work Curtis did herself in which she hung out of a helicopter after being rescued by Harry, a moment which Curtis is said to be particularly proud of.

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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) follows Laurie Strode (Curtis), using the alias of Keri Tate, living in northern California with her teenage son John (Josh Hartnett in his first feature role). Ever since surviving Michael's attacks in 1978, Laurie moved, changed her identity and appearance, and fled Illinois. Since that night, Laurie has been working as the headmistress of a prestigious private school. However, Laurie's hiding her dark secret from the rest of the school's staff, most notably her boyfriend Will (Adam Arkin), who is the school's guidance counselor. On October 31, 1998, Michael finally reunited with his sister, and the two had a showdown. Laurie eventually decapitates Michael, killing him.

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An initial idea was pitched by Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myersscreenwriter Daniel Farrands. However, Curtis' involvement changed the direction of the sequel. The final script, written by Kevin Williamson, had Laurie faking her death and ignored the sequels after Halloween II. Like in The Fog, Curtis starred in the film alongside her mother, who had a cameo appearance as Laurie's secretary. An endearing moment in the movie is a conversation between Curtis and Leigh, with Leigh's character getting into the car driven by Marion Crane in Psycho, one of Leigh's most memorable roles.

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Freaky Friday (2003)

A teenager with an aspiring band, Anna (Lindsay Lohan) resides with her mother Tess (Curtis), and her younger brother Harry (Ryan Malgarini). Tess is on the verge of marrying her fiancé Ryan (Mark Harmon), which Anna hasn't entirely accepted. On one night, when the family is dining at a Chinese restaurant, Anna and Tess get into an argument, catching the attention of the restaurant's owner, who gives them mysterious fortune cookies. The following day, they both discover that they've somehow switched bodies. As each goes about the other person's day, they discover how to better understand each other, and Anna eventually comes to fully accept Ryan as her future stepfather.

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Freaky Friday is a remake of the 1976 film of the same name, which starred Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris. Curtis was offered the role last minute and began training on the guitar for her character's guitar solo in the film, which she nailed. Reviews singled out Curtis's performance, citing that "the most startling metamorphosis is Curtis's transformation from fading horror flick queen to dazzling comedienne."

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Halloween (2018)

In Halloween, the plot follows Laurie 40 years after her initial attack by Michael, who was recaptured following his murder spree in 1978. Laurie is 57 years old, isolated from her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak), who attempt to encourage her to "say goodbye to Michael." Ever since she was attacked, Laurie has spent her life paranoid and traumatized, waiting for Michael to escape from Smith's Grove Sanitarium. She moved into a compound, trained with weapons, and built a hiding spot in the basement. On October 30, the bus transporting Michael and other patients crashes, and Michael escapes back to Haddonfield, putting Laurie on high alert.

 

Curtis nearly broke the internet in September 2017 when she posted to her social media that she was reprising her role as Laurie, her last being 2002's Halloween: Resurrection. The film's writers debated whether to include other installments in the sequel's story. They ultimately decided to have the movie be a direct sequel to the original Halloween. To the dismay of some fans, they disregarded the plot twist of Laurie and Michael being siblings.

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Knives Out (2019)

Knives Out begins with Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), a wealthy novelist celebrating his 85th birthday alongside his family at his mansion. The following day, his housekeeper discovers him dead. The police believe he died by suicide, but Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), a private detective, thinks otherwise. The truth comes out that Marta (Ana de Armas), Harlan's nurse, accidentally mixed up his medications, believing she accidentally gave him morphine. Unable to find the antidote, Harlan wishes to spare Marta's family from potential scrutiny and helps her come up with a false alibi. Harlan's family, led by Linda (Curtis), Walt (Michael Shannon), Richard (Don Johnson), and others, begin to question Marta about the circumstances of the patriarch's death, especially once it's revealed that Harlan named Marta the sole beneficiary of his entire fortune.

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Curtis has stated that she enjoyed the script and that the part was fun. Curtis has also expressed her admiration for the film's director Rian Johnson and said that filming on the movie was "fast, quick, really intense, and really funny." For her role in Knives Out, Curtis received a nomination at the Saturn Awards for Best Supporting Actress.