Iconic Photos of Jamie Lee Curtis Through the Years
She's a Scream Queen, an Oscar winner, and rocks the red carpet.
Even though she recently won an Oscar for 2022's Everything Everywhere All at Once, we have known and loved Jamie Lee Curtis for way longer before that. From her groundbreaking horror movie appearances to amazing work in the TV world to her many other ventures like children's book writing and podcasting, Curtis absolutely deserves all the laurels she's getting.
Late-1950s: Famous Family at Home
With her older sister Kelly, and her parents, the famed actors Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis. The pair divorced in 1962, just a few years after Jamie's birth.
1960s: Childhood Portrait of Young Jamie Lee
Curtis was raised mostly by her mother and stepfather Robert Brandt, who were married from 1962 until Janet Leigh's death in 2004.
1977: Cast Photo for 'Operation Petticoat'
Before she was a huge horror movie star, Curtis got her start in TV with guest star parts on shows like Columbo and Charlie's Angels. This photo is from the short-lived comedy series Operation Petticoat, which aired for two seasons on ABC.
1978: Filming John Carpenter's 'Halloween'
Laurie Strode in Halloween is one of the most iconic horror movie characters, and movie characters in general, and it was Jamie Lee Curtis' very first feature film part. Curtis admitted in this New Yorker interview "I don't like horror films ... Loud noises scare me, suspense music scares me." Some of her other classic horror film parts from that time included The Fog, Prom Night and Terror Train.
1978: At Celebrity Ball in Atlantic City
Here's Curtis looking gorgeous at a ball at the Resorts International Hotel in Atlantic City. The picture was taken by the notable paparazzo Ron Galella.
1978: Portrait with Cat in California
Curtis poses for a sweet photoshoot outside in California with a furry friend.
1980: On 'Saturday Night Live' Opposite Ann Risley
Curtis had two hosting stints on the famous sketch show in the early '80s. Her most recent appearance was in 1984, though Curtis has been impersonated on the show since then by stars like Kristen Wiig and Chloe Fineman.
1984: Curtis in the Drama 'Grandview, USA'
After a string of excellent horror movie roles, Curtis sought to expand her repertoire with other genres, taking roles in films like the comedy Trading Places, and this starring turn in the drama Grandview, USA.
1988: Looking Sharp with Husband Christopher Guest
Curtis has been married to the actor/writer/director Christopher Guest since 1984, and recounted in this essay that she fell for him after seeing his photo in Rolling Stone, and immediately called his agent to live him her phone number.
1988: At the Premiere of 'A Fish Called Wanda'
The heist comedy A Fish Called Wanda showed that Curtis could hold her own against comedic greats like John Cleese and Kevin Kline, who won an Oscar for his brilliantly chaotic supporting role.
1989: Acting in 'Anything But Love' Opposite Richard Lewis
Curtis got a much more substantial TV role in the ABC sitcom Anything But Love, where she and Richard Lewis played co-workers at a magazine who deal with mutual romantic feelings for each other while having to stay professional.
1990: Winning a Golden Globe Award
Anything But Love also netted Curtis a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical. She has won a BAFTA, two Golden Globes, and of course just picked up the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once.
1991: At the 1st Environmental Media Awards
Curtis is rocking a red pantsuit at the first ever Environmental Media Awards or EMAs. The show was hosted by Diane Sawyer, and awarded several films and shows from fiction to nonfiction for environmental themes. Honorees included Dances with Wolves, Captain Planet, and MacGyver.
1995: Doing 'True Lies' Again at the Oscars
In a sendoff to the incredible scene from the 1994 action comedy True Lies, Curtis was part of one of the most elaborate bits ever pulled off at the Academy Awards live show.
1996: Autographing Her Book 'Tell Me Again About The Night I was Born'
Curtis has been writing children's books, with illustrations by Laura Cornell, since 1993 under contract with HarperCollins. She also wrote a graphic novel which will be released in July 2023, and had a blog for years on The Huffington Post.
1998: Getting Honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Curtis got her much-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998. She was busy that year with a role in the dark-comedy thriller Homegrown and returned to the Halloween franchise in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later.
2003: At the 'Freaky Friday' Premiere with Lindsay Lohan
This Disney classic featured Lindsay Lohan and Curtis' mom and daughter characters switching bodies, and it is actually the third adaptation of the 1972 children's novel by Mary Rodgers. Lohan and Curtis are reportedly in talks to star in a sequel.
2005: In Costume for the Dream Halloween Fundraiser
Curtis is the permanent host of this fundraiser by the Children Affected by AIDS foundation, and has worn tons of great costumes for it over the years.
2008: Premiering 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua'
Why don't we have talking animal movies anymore? Let's bring them back! Curtis was a human cast member of Beverly Hills Chihuahua, playing the rich owner pampering the titular chihuahua.
2010: Chatting with Jay Leno on 'The Tonight Show'
Curtis is obviously a talk show veteran from her many years in Hollywood, and she has made many appearances on Jay Leno's version of The Tonight Show.
Jacob is a Temporary Partnerships Editor at Hearst based in Queens, New York with his partner and cat Tiger. He loves learning and writing about Film and TV, Video Games, and the weird histories of unexpected subjects.
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