Jamie Lee Curtis (67) Is Still Amazing 48 Years After ‘Halloween’
Jamie Lee Curtis first became a household name in 1978 when she starred as Laurie Strode in John Carpenter’s Halloween. Cast partly because her mother, Janet Leigh, was famous for her role in Psycho, Curtis quickly earned the title of horror icon.
The film was a massive hit and became one of the highest-grossing independent movies of its time, cementing Curtis’s status as the original “scream queen.” After Halloween, Curtis became known for her work in horror films, starring in Carpenter’s The Fog and the slasher hits Prom Night and Terror Train in 1980.
While critics like Roger Ebert were less than kind, Curtis’s performances stood out, and her ability to carry these films earned her a loyal fanbase. In 1981, she returned as Laurie in Halloween II and appeared in the thriller Roadgames, which later gained a cult following.
She also played Dorothy Stratten in Death of a Centerfold and starred in the TV movie She’s in the Army Now, showing early versatility beyond horror. Curtis broke away from the horror mold with Trading Places in 1983, playing a kindhearted prostitute opposite Dan Aykroyd.
Her performance earned her a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress and showed audiences she could do comedy as well as terror. She continued to balance comedy and drama with roles in Love Letters and Grandview, U.S.A., before earning recognition as a sex symbol in Perfect (1985), a film that flopped at the box office but later achieved cult status.
In 1988, Curtis shone as a comedic lead in A Fish Called Wanda, earning BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations, proving she could handle both laughter and complexity. Television also became an important part of Curtis’s career.
From 1989 to 1992, she starred in Anything but Love, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series and the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Actress in a New TV Series.
The early 1990s saw her continue to take diverse roles, including action thrillers like Blue Steel, family films like My Girl, and blockbusters such as True Lies with James Cameron, which earned her another Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild nomination.
Curtis also returned to her horror roots with Halloween H20: 20 Years Later in 1998, further solidifying her legacy in the franchise. In the 2000s, Curtis slowed her workload to focus on family but still appeared in films like Freaky Friday (2003) alongside Lindsay Lohan and Christmas with the Kranks (2004).
Critics praised her performance in Freaky Friday, with A. O. Scott of The New York Times calling it “some of her best work ever” and Entertainment Weekly describing it as “glorious.” She also explored voice work, including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys (2001) and roles in animated films during the 2010s.
Curtis’s career experienced a remarkable resurgence in recent years. She returned as Laurie Strode in Halloween (2018), which had the best October opening weekend of all time and became the franchise’s highest-grossing film domestically.
She reprised the role in Halloween Kills (2021) and Halloween Ends (2022), earning People’s Choice Award nominations for her performance. In 2022, she stunned critics with her portrayal of IRS inspector Deirdre Beaubeirdre in Everything Everywhere All at Once, earning her first Academy Award, a SAG Award, and nominations from BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, and the Golden Globes.
Curtis’s ability to take on fresh, complex roles shows her continued talent and relevance decades after her debut. Recently, Curtis has stayed busy with television and film. In 2023, she guest-starred in The Bear as Donna Berzatto, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress.
She also appeared as Madame Leota in Disney’s Haunted Mansion and was named a Disney Legend in 2024. Curtis appeared in Borderlands and Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl, earning SAG and BAFTA nominations for her performance.
She co-produced and reprised her role in Freakier Friday (2025) and is set to star in James L. Brooks’s Ella McCay while producing Paul Greengrass’s The Lost Bus. At 66, Curtis remains beautiful, vibrant, and commanding on-screen, aging with grace and confidence that few can match.
From Halloween to her award-winning roles today, Jamie Lee Curtis has built a career marked by courage, versatility, and reinvention. She remains a true Hollywood icon, proving that talent and charisma can only grow stronger with time.
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