Born November 22, 1958 in Los Angeles, California, Jamie Lee Curtis is an American film actress and children’s books author. She attended Westlake School and Beverly Hills High School, and graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall. She also attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, considering a career in social work before pursuing acting.
Jamie Lee Curtis had her film debut when she starred in the 1978 classic Halloween, playing the role of Laurie Strode. The film was a major success, and the stepping stone for Curtis’ title of a “scream queen.” She next starred in the film following Halloween, called The Fog, opening in 1980. She was next cast in the Canadian slasher film Prom Night, earning her a Genie Award nomination for Best Performance by a Foreign Actress. She was also cast in Terror Train, continuing her portrayal of characters in the horror genre. She also appeared in Halloween II, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later and Halloween: Resurrection. This further established Curtis’ career, so she decided to play Ophelia in 1983’s Trading Places. This was followed by her performance in Love Letters, As Summers Die, Dominic and Eugene, before acquiring a major role in the crime comedy A Fish Called Wanda in 1988.
In the 1990s, she was cast in My Girl, My Girl 2, and Forever Young. Her portrayal of Helen Tasker in 1994’s True Lies won her a Golden Globe Award. She was also cast in 1997’s comedy Fierce Creatures, reinforcing her talent as a comic actress. Jamie Lee Curtis also received an Emmy nomination for her performance in the CBS television movie Nicholas’ Gift. She landed the role of Kelly Foster in Virus and has also appeared in 2001’s The Tailor of Panama. Her next successful film role was that of Tess Coleman in Disney’s Freaky Friday, where she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.