Jamie Lee Curtis is a two-time Golden Globe-winning, BAFTA-winning, and Emmy-nominated American film actress and an author of children's books. Although she was initially known as a "scream queen" because of her starring roles in many horror films early in her career such as Halloween (1978 film), The Fog, Prom Night (1980 film) and Terror Train, Curtis has since compiled a body of work that covers many genres. She has received an Emmy Award nomination and two Golden Globe Awards. Her 1998 book, Today I Feel Silly, and Other Moods That Make My Day, made the best-seller list in The New York Times. She is married to actor Christopher Guest (Lord Haden-Guest) and, as the wife of a Lord, is titled Lady Haden-Guest, but she chooses not to use the title when in the United States.
During the 1980s, she was engaged to Hollywood production designer J. Michael Riva , the grandson of screen legend Marlene Dietrich. Her godfather was MCA-Universal CEO Lew Wasserman.
Saw her future husband Christopher Guest in the issue of Rolling Stone magazine with Cyndi Lauper on the cover. Guest appeared in a promotional photo for the film This Is Spinal Tap in full costume and makeup as a rock star. She fell in love at first sight of the photo and gave her telephone number to his agent.
Adopted two children with Christopher Guest : Annie Guest (b. December 1986) and Thomas (b. March 1996).
Daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh
Became formally known as Lady Haden-Guest of Saling in the County of Essex, when her husband, Christopher, inherited the barony in 1996 on the death of his father.
Younger sister of actress Kelly Curtis. Older half-sister of Allegra Curtis , Alexandra Curtis and Nicholas Curtis.
Graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall private school in 1976.
It was on her suggestion that Halloween H20: 20 Years Later was made.
Her deleted scene from The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is included on the MGM Special Edition DVD, 2001, as the "Alternate Opening".
Was asked to cameo in the sequel Scream 3 , but declined.
Won a 2003 Grammy nomination in the Best Spoken Album for Children category for her recording of the childrens books she has written.
Sister-in-law of Nicholas Guest and Pamela Guest.
Attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.
When making reservations in exclusive London restaurants at short notice, she gives her name as Lady Haden-Guest, which apparently works better than Jamie Lee Curtis.
She told a German magazine that she will retire from making movies and that Christmas with the Kranks will be her last work as an actress. (November 2004)
Said in an interview on Good Entertainment, with Michael Medved that, ironically, horror films terrify her and she prefers not to watch them.
Was a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1992.
Was one of the guests at Sandra Bullock s and Jesse James wedding.
Godmother of Jake Gyllenhaal.
Ex-stepdaughter of Christine Kaufmann , Andrea Savio and Leslie Curtis. Stepdaughter of Jill Vandenberg Curtis.
Two of her earliest roles make reference to roles played by her father. She appeared on the television series "Operation Petticoat" , based on the movie that had starred her father, Tony Curtis. While on hiatus from that show, she was cast in Halloween , in which the detective "Sam Loomis" was named after a character from Psycho , which had starred her mother, Janet Leigh. Also, her father imitated Cary Grant s voice for his role in Some Like It Hot , and worked with Grant himself in Operation Petticoat . Grants birth name, Archie Leach, was used as the name for John Cleese s character in A Fish Called Wanda .
Once said that Dan Aykroyd was the best on-screen kisser she ever worked with.
John Cleese found it amusing that her father, Tony Curtis s real name was Bernard Schwartz. To tease her about this, during the production of A Fish Called Wanda , he had the call sheets refer to her as "Jamie Lee Schwartz.".
She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6600 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on September 3, 1998.
Around the time True Lies was released, Jamie appeared in a series of commercials for LEggs Pantyhose. The company also took out an insurance policy for her legs.
Aunt of Elizabeth Guest and Julia Haden Guest.
Lives in Santa Monica, California and Ketchum, Idaho.
Was childhood friends with Eric Douglas. He once tried to kiss her while both were sitting in a tree. Curtis then pushed Eric out of the tree; he fell to the ground, which resulted in a hernia that had to be operated on.
Has her legs insured for $2 million.
She and Gigi Garner have known each other since they were both 2-years-old and both were cheerleaders in high school.
Holds US patent Patent #4,753,647. "A disposable infant garment which takes the form of a diaper including, on its outer side, a sealed, but openable, moisture-proof pocket which contains one or more clean-up wipers."
Was named by Mcalls magazine as one of the "10 Best Bodies in America" in 1985.
Her paternal grandparents were Hungarian Jewish immigrants. Her maternal grandfather had English, German, Northern Irish (Scots-Irish), and Swiss-German ancestry, while her maternal grandmother was from a family of Danish immigrants.
Is one of 20 actresses who did not receive an Oscar nomination for their Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical Golden Globe-winning performance; hers being for True Lies . The others, in chronological order, are: June Allyson for Too Young to Kiss , Ethel Merman for Call Me Madam , Jean Simmons for Guys and Dolls , Taina Elg and Kay Kendall for Les Girls , Marilyn Monroe for Some Like It Hot , Rosalind Russell for A Majority of One and Gypsy , Patty Duke for Me, Natalie , Twiggy for The Boy Friend , Raquel Welch for The Three Musketeers , Barbra Streisand for A Star Is Born , Bernadette Peters for Pennies from Heaven , Kathleen Turner for Romancing the Stone and Prizzis Honor , Miranda Richardson for Enchanted April , Nicole Kidman for To Die For , Madonna for Evita , Rene Zellweger for Nurse Betty , Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky , and Amy Adams for Big Eyes .
Curtis, along with her son, is an avid fan of the Warcraft series of video games, especially "World of Warcraft". She and her son often participate in gaming conventions, as well as performing cosplay (dressing in full costume as a character from the series, complete with makeup/prosthetics and props), including a memorable turnout as green-skinned orcs at the US premiere of the "Warcraft" movie.
Interviewed in 2016 by Tavis Smiley on his TV show, "Tavis Smiley" , following the success on her authorship of the childrens book, "This is Me".
Friends with Sigourney Weaver , and Tyra Banks.
When I did "Sesame Street" (1969) , Elmo was not the worldwide,phenomenon he is now. I understood Elmo was special, and I said that,the only way I would do Sesame Street was with Elmo.
I am a trendsetter without knowing it. Two years later the Elmo craze,began, but I was ahead of the curve.
Believe me, none of it works. - on cosmetic surgery.
In some circles, my Caesar salad is more famous than my body.
The more I like me, the less I want to pretend to be other people.
Family Circle, 4-18-06.
Halloween: Resurrection (2002) was a joke.
[on her first day of filming Halloween] I remember the first day we,shot, I remember exactly what we shot and I remember going home,thinking I was going to be fired. I just thought I sucked and that. . . .
The challenging part of parenting for me is to make sure that an individual person is an individual and not some sort of cookie-cutter version of me. At the same time, I want to make sure that I impart my sense of the world as an adult.
If you just watch a teenager, you see a lot of uncertainty.
I think happiness comes from self-acceptance. We all try different things, and we find some comfortable sense of who we are. We look at our parents and learn and grow and move on. We change.
