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1[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jamie_lee_curtis_photo.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:310:Watch out, [[Franchise/{{Halloween}} Michael]]. She's here to kick your ass.]]
3
4->''"I've been in show business all my life, but as an actress I have never been overly driven."''
5
6Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958 in Santa Monica, California) is an American actress.
7
8The daughter of actors Creator/TonyCurtis and Creator/JanetLeigh, Curtis first rose to prominence in 1978 as ''[[TropeCodifier the]]'' SlasherMovie FinalGirl in ''Film/{{Halloween|1978}}''. She then appeared in a string of horror movies in [[TheEighties the early '80s]], which further cemented her status as a UsefulNotes/{{scream queen|s}}.
9
10Nowadays, she's better known for her roles in drama and comedy films as well as her appearances in a series of commercials for Activia Yogurt. She's also a vocal advocate for women to embrace aging and to wear their wrinkles and gray hairs with pride.
11
12Curtis is married to the Anglo-American actor and filmmaker Creator/ChristopherGuest, the 5th Baron Haden-Guest, so she is allowed to use the aristocratic title [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever Lady Haden-Guest]] if she wants to.
13
14She has also written various children's books illustrated by Laura Cornell, such as ''When I Was Little: A Four-Year Old's Memoir of Her Youth'' and ''I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem''.
15
16Curtis earned her first MediaNotes/AcademyAward nomination at age 64 for her [[MediaNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActressInASupportingRole supporting performance]] in ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce'', ultimately taking home the trophy on Oscar night.
17----
18!!Her filmography includes:
19
20* ''Series/{{Columbo}}'', episode "[[Recap/ColumboS06E03 The Bye Bye Sky-High IQ Murder Case]]", (1977)
21* ''Franchise/{{Halloween}}'' film series as Laurie Strode:
22** ''Film/{{Halloween|1978}}'' (1978)
23** ''[[Film/HalloweenII1981 Halloween II]]'' (1981)
24** ''Film/HalloweenIIISeasonOfTheWitch'' (1982) [[note]]Not as Laurie, but the voice of the phone operator.[[/note]]
25** ''Film/HalloweenH20TwentyYearsLater'' (1998)
26** ''Film/HalloweenResurrection'' (2002)
27** ''Film/{{Halloween|2018}}'' (2018)
28** ''Film/HalloweenKills'' (2021)
29** ''Film/HalloweenEnds'' (2022)
30* ''Film/{{The Fog|1980}}'' (1980) as Elizabeth Solley
31* ''Film/{{Prom Night|1980}}'' (1980) as Kim Hammond
32* ''Film/TerrorTrain'' (1980) as Alana
33* ''Film/EscapeFromNewYork'' (1981) as the narrator and the voice of a computer
34* ''Film/RoadGames'' (1981) as Hitch
35* ''Film/TradingPlaces'' (1983) as Ophelia
36* ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossThe8thDimension'' (1984) as Sandra Banzai [[note]][[DeletedRole Her scenes were originally cut]], but they appear in the extended DVD release.[[/note]]
37* ''[[Film/Perfect1985 Perfect]]'' (1985) as Jessie Wilson
38* ''Film/AmazingGraceAndChuck'' (1987) as Lynn Taylor
39* ''Film/DominickAndEugene'' (1988) as Jennifer Reston
40* ''Film/AFishCalledWanda'' (1988) as Wanda Gershwitz
41* ''Film/BlueSteel'' (1989) as Megan Turner
42* ''Film/QueensLogic'' (1991) as Grace
43* ''Film/MyGirl'' (1991) as Shelly [=DeVoto=]
44** ''Film/MyGirl2'' (1994)
45* ''Film/ForeverYoung'' (1992) as Claire Cooper
46* ''Film/TrueLies'' (1994) as Helen Tasker
47* ''Theatre/TheHeidiChronicles'' (1995) as Heidi Holland
48* ''Film/HouseArrest'' (1996) as Janet Beindorf
49* ''Film/FierceCreatures'' (1997) as Willa [[note]]The film is often touted to be a SpiritualSuccessor to ''A Fish Called Wanda''.[[/note]]
50* ''Film/{{Virus}}'' (1999) as Foster [[note]]Jamie's biggest [[CreatorBacklash shame to date]].[[/note]]
51* ''Film/DrowningMona'' (2000) as Rona Mace
52* ''WesternAnimation/PigsNextDoor'' (2000) as the voice of Clara Stymington
53* ''WesternAnimation/RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer And The Island Of Misfit Toys'' (2001), as the voice of Queen Camilla
54* ''Film/{{Freaky Friday| 2003}}'' (2003) as Tess Coleman
55* ''Film/ChristmasWithTheKranks'' (2004) as Nora Krank
56* ''Film/BeverlyHillsChihuahua'' (2008) as Vivian Ashe
57* ''Film/YouAgain'' (2010) as Gail
58* ''Anime/FromUpOnPoppyHill'' (2011) as the voice of Ryoko
59* ''Film/VeronicaMars'' (2014) as Gayle Buckley
60* ''Series/{{Scream Queens|2015}}'' (2015 -- 2016) as Dean Munsch
61* ''Film/KnivesOut'' (2019) as Linda Thrombey
62* ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce'' (2022) as Deirdre Beaubeirdra
63* ''Film/{{Haunted Mansion|2023}}'' (2023) as Madame Leota
64* ''Film/{{Borderlands|2024}}'' (2024) as [[Characters/Borderlands1 Patricia Tannis]]
65----
66!!Tropes associated with her work:
67
68%%Please do not add any personal tropes. This page is for her works.
69
70* TenMinuteRetirement:
71** She has hinted at or even announced her retirement a few times, but continues to act in film and television. ''Film/ChristmasWithTheKranks'' in 2004 was supposed to be her final film, but she came back after a quick break with a supporting role in 2008 with ''Film/BeverlyHillsChihuahua''. She also suggested ''Scream Queens'' might be her final project, until she announced that she would be reprising her role of Laurie Strode once again for 2018's ''Halloween'' sequel.
72** She's also "retired" from horror and slasher films more than once. ''Film/HalloweenII1981'' was supposed to be her last hurrah as a scream queen, but she returned for ''Film/HalloweenH20TwentyYearsLater'' as a gift to the fans. She appeared in 2002's ''Film/HalloweenResurrection'', which directly followed ''H20'''s events, under contractual obligations. She then distanced herself from horror once again until 2015 with ''Scream Queens'', and later 2018's ''Halloween'' sequel.
73* ActionGirl: She would probably qualify as one in ''Film/TrueLies'' and ''Film/HalloweenH20TwentyYearsLater''.
74* ActorAllusion:
75** A proxy example. ''Series/ScreamQueens2015'' recreates the shower scene from ''{{Film/Psycho}}'' - which her mother starred in.
76** A straighter example in ''Film/ChristmasWithTheKranks''. The theme from ''Halloween'' plays briefly at one point.
77** ''Film/AFishCalledWanda'' also recreates a scene from ''Halloween'' with a character popping up from behind her.
78* ActorSharedBackground:[[invoked]] She portrays Laurie Strode in ''Film/HalloweenH20TwentyYearsLater'' as an alcoholic. She herself was an alcoholic who became sober in 1999.
79* AwesomeDearBoy:
80** Her decision to come out of her horror retirement and reprise her role of Laurie Strode in 1998 was made as a gift to the ''Halloween'' fans.
81** Her reason for starring in ''Film/KnivesOut'' -- when she heard that Creator/DanielCraig was not merely "attached" but confirmed to star.
82** Similarly, she leapt at the opportunity to be in ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce'' when she was told that she'd get to act opposite Creator/MichelleYeoh.
83* BillingDisplacement:
84** In ''Film/TheFog'' she's billed second when she's arguably the least important of the leads. She's billed before Tom Atkins, who plays a more prominent role.
85** In ''Film/HalloweenII1981'' she has prominent billing, yet only twenty-five minutes of screen time. The TV cut restores many of her scenes that were deleted.
86* CareerResurrection:[[invoked]] In the '90s and 2000s, she was written off as a fading scream queen. Although she had some hits, such as ''Film/FreakyFriday2003'', she took several years off. It truly began with her return to comedy in ''Series/ScreamQueens2015'', for which she eventually won a UsefulNotes/GoldenGlobe. Then she returned to the franchise that made her famous with ''{{Film/Halloween 2018}}'' to critical and commercial acclaim, with the film both becoming the highest-grossing slasher since ''{{Film/Scream 1996}}'' and setting a record for highest gross led by a woman over 55. Even the lacklustre reception to its two sequels was untarnished by hits like ''Film/KnivesOut'' and ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce'', the latter of the two leading to her winning her first Oscar at the age of 64.
87* TheCastShowOff: ''Film/PromNight1980'' has a GratuitousDiscoSequence in which Jamie does a perfect front walkover.
88* CharacterAgedWithTheActor: She plays Laurie Strode of the ''{{Franchise/Halloween}}'' series across seven different movies - as a teenager in the first two, a mother approaching middle-age in ''H20'' and ''Resurrection'', and then a grandmother from the 2018 film onward.
89* ContractualObligationProject: ''Film/HalloweenResurrection'' was this, and she only appeared in it to be [[KilledByRequest killed off and ensure she'd never appear]] in another ''Halloween'' film again (the 2018 film was a SoftReboot that ignored all the previous sequels). She was especially annoyed by a promotional lie that she had only intended to have a 30-second cameo but asked for her part to be expanded because she "liked the script so much".
90* ContractualPurity: An odd example, given that her horror films were never aimed at the "corruptible" market to begin with, but she had been typecast as the wholesome FinalGirl in all her horror movies (though her character in ''Film/TheFog'' does hop into bed with a man she's just met). So with her playing a prostitute who bared her breasts on-screen in ''Film/TradingPlaces'', and a few other sexpot roles, she was broken out of such purity.
91* {{Corpsing}}:
92** Claims that she could only avoid this on ''Series/ScreamQueens2015'' by squeezing a thumbtack.
93** Her burying her face in pillows during the ejaculation scene in ''Film/AFishCalledWanda'' was her trying not to ruin takes.
94* CreatorBacklash: How she feels about ''Film/{{Virus}}'' and ''Film/HalloweenResurrection''. Likewise, she disowned a ComingOfAgeStory called ''Grandview USA''.
95* DawsonCasting:
96** She was twenty playing the seventeen-year-old Laurie Strode in ''{{Film/Halloween 1978}}''. And the second movie was filmed three years later but an ImmediateSequel.
97** She was twenty-two playing a high schooler in ''Film/PromNight1980''.
98* DyeingForYourArt:
99** Mostly averted, since she embraces going gray, but she did dye her hair red for her role in ''Film/{{Freaky Friday|2003}}''.
100** Says she exercised every day for ''Film/TrueLies''.
101* IAmNotSpock: Laurie Strode is a role that has been forever associated with her.
102* IronyAsSheIsCast: Jamie admits to not being a fan of horror films overall, and confesses that she scares easily. However, she does appreciate movies like ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' and ''[[Film/{{Halloween1978}} Halloween]]'' for their artistic merits, and is grateful for what they did for her and her mother's careers. Likewise, she had been a cheerleader in high school and was more like Lynda in ''Halloween'' than the shy, bookish Laurie.
103* LeslieNielsenSyndrome: She got her start as a horror movie FinalGirl but is far more likely to be seen in comedy these days. While her return to the ''Halloween'' franchise does still keep her in dramatic roles, she also had ''Film/KnivesOut'' and ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce''.
104* MemeAcknowledgement: You know that four-panel meme of her [[https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/480/280/138.jpg arguing with someone]]? She [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D3lvP2oU0AEUFzt.jpg recreated]] it with Creator/{{Egoraptor}} after appearing on ''[[WebVideo/GameGrumps Guest Grumps]]''.
105* MoneyDearBoy: She held this view about ''Film/HalloweenH20TwentyYearsLater'', though she did also say that she felt the movie was fine.
106-->"''H20'' started out with best intentions, but it ended up being a money gig. The film had some good things in it. It talked about alcoholism and trauma, but I ended up really doing it for the paycheck."
107* MsFanservice: While her roles in horror films were usually conservative, her later films were often the opposite. She's gotten naked a ''lot'', and she's played a porn star, a prostitute, and a stripper. In ''True Lies'', she even had an erotic dance scene. ''Film/Scream1996'' had a scene remarking on this where the characters are watching ''Halloween''.
108-->'''Stu:''' I wanna see breasts. I wanna see Jamie Lee's breasts. When do we see Jamie Lee's breasts?\
109'''Randy:''' Breasts? Not until ''Trading Places'' in '83. Jamie Lee was always [[FinalGirl the virgin in horror movies]]. She never showed her tits 'til she went legit.
110* NonSingingVoice: She's not a singer, and did not do any of her own singing for the DirectToVideo ''Rudolph'' animated movie.
111* PlayingAgainstType:
112** Her comedic turn in ''Film/TradingPlaces'' after five years of being typecast as a scream queen.
113** In contrast to her quirky housewife characters in later years, ''Series/ScreamQueens2015'' casts her as a DirtyOldWoman who murders her husband.
114* RealLifeRelative: She stars with Creator/JanetLeigh in ''Film/TheFog'' and ''Film/HalloweenH20TwentyYearsLater''.
115* RealLifeWritesTheHairstyle:[[invoked]]
116** In ''Film/TheFog'', she had cut her hair shorter by the time they needed to do some reshoots to extend the length of the film. It's easy to spot the reshot scenes because of how Elizabeth's hair changes.
117** She also had to wear a wig for ''Halloween II'' to match her original hairstyle from the first film, since it's an ImmediateSequel.
118* SesameStreetCred: Visited the street for a playdate with Elmo in 1989.
119* SilverVixen: She's managed to look very attractive in her 60s, as the page photo strongly indicates.
120* StarMakingRole: Laurie Strode in ''Film/{{Halloween|1978}}'', and then later ''Film/TradingPlaces'' solidified it for her post-horror career.
121* StuntCasting:[[invoked]] She was cast in ''Halloween'' and ''Prom Night'' because of her name. In the latter, her casting allowed the movie to get the funding it needed (though it also snubbed Creator/EvePlumb, who was the original choice for Kim).
122* ThoseTwoActors:
123** She and Dan Aykroyd play love interests in ''Film/TradingPlaces'' and the two ''Film/MyGirl'' films. They also play neighbours in ''Film/ChristmasWithTheKranks''.
124** She has a strong friendship with Sigourney Weaver, and the two have starred in at least one film together.
125* TomboyishName: "Jamie" is an unisex name but for Americans, it's more known as a nickname for "James" and therefore many can mistake Jamie for a male actor by her name only. Note that her middle and last name don't help eithers.
126* ThrowItIn:
127** During her dance in ''Film/TrueLies'', her slipping and falling which was a genuine mistake. Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger briefly jumping off his chair was to genuinely see if she's alright. But they left it in, since the reaction would be in-character for both of them.
128** Another fall in a dance scene in the same movie! During the end credits when Harry and Helen do the tango, Helen can be seen slipping and falling; Jamie had injured her legs rehearsing and they gave out while filming the scene. She was initially annoyed that James Cameron used that take, but soon came around and realised it was perfectly in character for Helen.
129** She falls ([[RunningGag again!]]) in the climax of ''Film/HalloweenII1981'' when the explosion happens. This was because the explosion was more than what the stunt team were expecting.
130** A non-falling example. Tess calling out "make good choices" in ''Film/FreakyFriday2003'' was an ad-lib by her.
131* TypeCasting: She was ''the'' go-to horror chick of the late '70s and early '80s, initially because her mother was a "scream queen" herself, for starring in ''Film/{{Psycho}}.'' Even then, Jamie was known for playing virginal "good girls," and was usually the FinalGirl.
132* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
133** Auditioned to play Franchise/NancyDrew in Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries in 1976 before Pamela Sue Martin was cast. She later had a guest starring role in one episode.
134** ''Film/PromNight1980'' was struggling to find funding and Creator/EvePlumb was initially cast as Kim. Jamie expressed interest in starring, and was ultimately cast as the lead instead of Plumb, and the film got the funding it needed.
135** Helen was originally scripted to go nude for her striptease in ''Film/TrueLies'', but she ultimately just strips down to her underwear. The BlackBraAndPanties were apparently supplied by Jamie herself.

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