Jamie Lee Curtis was born in 1958, in Los Angeles, California. Both of her parents, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, were well-known actors in their day. Her parents later divorced in 1962 and her mother remarried. Jamie Lee has one sister, Kelly Curtis, who is also an actress. She also has several half-siblings from her father’s second marriage.
As a teen Curtis attended the Westlake School for girls in Los Angeles. She graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall, which is a prep school in Connecticut. After completing high school, Curtis returned to California to attend the University of the Pacific. Her original intention was to major in social work, but after one semester, Curtis decided to drop out and become an actress.
Jamie Lee’s first film was Halloween in 1978. The horror flick was a huge success and became one of the highest grossing independent films of its time. Her success in the film led to roles in several other horror films. Decades later, Curtis would return to the horror genre to star in all of the sequels to Halloween.
In 1984, Jamie married actor, Christopher Guest. Upon the death of his father, Guest inherited the Barony of Haden-Guest. This technically makes Guest a Baron and Curtis his Baroness. The couple has two adopted children, Anne, born in 1986; and Thomas, born in 1996. Jamie is also the Godmother of actor Jake Gyllenhaal.
It was not until 1983 that Jamie proved herself to be more than just a horror actress. Her starring role in Trading Places, which co-starred Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, helped Curtis break out of the mold that so many had given her. This was followed up by her comedic performance in A Fish Called Wanda in 1988, which co-starred John Cleese, Kevin Cline, and Michael Palin. The film became very successful and has a cult following. Curtis won her first Golden Globe Award for her role opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in True Lies in 1994.
In 2003 she starred in Freaky Friday, which co-stars Lindsay Lohan. Curtis’s role in the Disney comedy earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.
Curtis has also found success in television, starring in the comedy Anything But Love, opposite Richard Lewis. Her work as Hannah Miller won her a Golden Globe award and a People’s Choice Award.
Beginning in 1993, Curtis also began writing a series of children’s books. The books have become critically acclaimed, some of them even making it onto the New York’s Bestseller list. Some of her titles include When I was Little: A Four-Year Old’s Memoir of Her Youth, published in 1993, Tell Me Again About the Night I was Born, published in 1996), Today I Feel Silly, and Other Moods That Make my Day, published in 1998.
Curtis spends less time working on films today and more time supporting various charity organizations. One group in particular that she works closely with is Women in Recovery, Inc. based in Venice, California. The organization offers rehabilitation programs and a place to stay for women in need.
YUDDY
