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THE REMARKABLY SUCCESSFUL CAREER OF JAMIE LEE CURTIS THROUGH THE YEARS

By Polly Rosie - 5/30/22

This article appeared in Thefashionball and has been published here with
permission.


BORN TO BE A STAR



Born in sunny Santa Monica, California in November of 1958, most people probably
suspected that little Jamie Lee Curtis was going to eventually become one of the
next renowned Hollywood greats. Not only was this because she grew up in Los
Angeles, no doubt rubbing shoulders with the children of many other famous movie
stars at Beverly Hills High School, but also because both of her parents
happened to have been some of the biggest movie actors of their generation.

Born to Be a Star




A LINE OF HORROR STARS



Jamie Lee Curtis wasn’t the only woman in her family to make a big splash with a
memorable horror role. Her mother, Janet Leigh, was one of the most famous
horror stars of the day. Her biggest moment had probably been in 1960, shortly
after Curtis was born, when she starred in the now infamous Hitchcock horror
film, Psycho. Her shower scene earned her a Golden Globe Award and even a
nomination at the Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress.

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A Line of Horror Stars



DAD WAS A STAR TOO



Tony Curtis was also a big star during the 1950s, appearing in over 100 films.
Like his daughter, he played in roles that ranged from lighthearted and fun
comedies to serious and intense dramas. One of his biggest roles also happened
shortly after Jamie Lee Curtis was born, in 1959 when he starred in the film,
Some Like It Hot, appearing alongside none other than Marilyn Monroe. The
American Film Institute called the movie, “the funniest American film ever
made.”

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Dad Was a Star Too




EVERYONE THOUGHT HER SISTER WAS THE STAR



Even though Jamie Lee Curtis would one day be one of the biggest stars in
Hollywood, everyone thought that her sister was going to be the movie icon. Her
older sister, Kelly Lee Curtis, had already appeared on the big screen with her
parents in 1958 when she was just a toddler. Although she never became as big as
her younger sister, she did go on to study acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre
Institute and landed some smaller roles.

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Everyone Thought Her Sister Was the Star




THE VERY PUBLICIZED SEPARATION



Sadly, the family did not stay together for very long. In 1962 Jamie Lee’s
parents, Tony and Janet, went through a very difficult, public separation. At
the time the only children were Jamie Lee, and her older sister Kelly. Both went
to go and live with their mother since according to Jamie Lee, her father wasn’t
around very much after the separation. In later interviews, she would go on to
state that he was “not interested in being a father.”

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The Very Publicized Separation




SHE HAS MANY HALF SIBLINGS



Tony Curtis has been married four different times so it’s really no surprise
that Jamie has so many half-siblings. She has two half-brothers — Benjamin and
Nicholas, as well as a half-sister named Allegra. Not pictured here are her two
other sisters, Alexandra and Kelly. Together they all make up one big family,
and while they may have had their differences, they all manage to keep close to
one another.

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She Has Many Half Siblings



SADNESS AND BETRAYAL



After Curtis’ father passed away, she and the rest of her family were absolutely
devastated. But, that devastation soon turned to a feeling of betrayal when they
discovered what her father had done without telling anyone else in the family.
It turned out that, for reasons unexplained, her father had made sure to write
all of his children out of his will. Rather than leave them any of his
possessions, he had them all auctioned off without them getting a single thing.

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Sadness and Betrayal




NOT SURE OF HER FUTURE



So growing up it was just Jamie Lee and her older sister Kelly. The two attended
the same high school together, first in Beverly Hills and for a couple years in
Connecticut, and Jamie Lee Curtis would eventually go on to attend the same
university as her mother, University of the Pacific. Although for Jamie Lee she
didn’t attend it for the same reasons as her mother. The future actress actually
had her sights set on becoming a future lawyer.

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Not Sure of Her Future



NOT EXACTLY GETTING STRAIGHT A’S



Even though Jamie Lee Curtis had her sights set on becoming a lawyer, it didn’t
seem as though it was going to be for her. In an interview with Good
Housekeeping, the actress admitted, “I was studying corrections at the
University of the Pacific… I was a terrible student. School just… missed me. I
probably had some learning thing that I didn’t know about. I had a D+ average
and was a party girl.” But soon her life would change.

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Not Exactly Getting Straight A’s




CURTIS TAKES A NEW PATH



It was clear that school was not going to be the place where Jamie Lee Curtis
found her success. So, she returned to the place that she had grown up in, Los
Angeles, to see if she could find success as an actress. With only a half year
of college under her belt, Jamie Lee Curtis would have to rely on nothing more
than her own talent and perseverance. Thankfully, she was about to catch a break
sooner than expected.

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Curtis Takes a New Path



HER VERY FIRST AUDITION



Coming back to L.A. Curtis did what many young actresses do, hire an acting
agent and start trying out for roles. Her agent had actually managed to find a
great role for her, one based on Nancy Drew in an upcoming television series.
While she did try out for the part, she would soon discover that becoming an
actress wasn’t as easy as just having a couple of famous parents. In fact,
things were about to get a lot worse.

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Her Very First Audition




JAMIE LEE CURTIS GETS FIRED



After not getting the role for the Nancy Drew based television show, Jamie Lee
Curtis knew she had to keep going. What seemed like a big break came rolling her
way when the major movie studio Universal agreed to sign the young actress to a
seven-year contract. But it didn’t last, Jamie was fired. In an interview, she
said, “I got fired along with 12 other actors. I was devastated. I thought it
was the end of my life.”

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Jamie Lee Curtis Gets Fired



THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME



After what likely seemed like years of dealing with rejection Jamie Lee Curtis
was about to catch the biggest break of her life. After Universal had fired her
she once again became a free agent, able to work for whoever she wanted. So when
a young independent movie maker by the name of John Carpenter approached her
with a role in his upcoming horror film, she decided to take it. It would become
probably the best decision of her career.

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The Opportunity of a Lifetime




HALLOWEEN BECOMES A HUGE SUCCESS



When reflecting on the film that brought her into the limelight, which happened
shortly after she’d gotten fired from Universal, Jamie Lee Curtis says, “had I
not been fired, I would not have been able to go up for the movie Halloween,
which basically gave me the life I have today.” Indeed Curtis’ role as lead
character Laurie Strode wowed audiences and soon became an iconic cult film. In
fact, this indie film defied numerous expectations that many people had.

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Halloween Becomes a Huge Success



THE MONEY DOESN’T MATTER (UNFORTUNATELY)



Halloween could easily be described as a box office smash. Filmed on a budget
that ran at a mere $325,000, the movie ended up grossing $70 million and was
screened worldwide. While the people responsible for filming were no doubt
happy, that number didn’t mean much for Curtis other than the fame that it
brought her. In spite of the amount of money the film had raked in, Curtis’
paycheck remained at a mere $8,000 for her starring role.

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The Money Doesn’t Matter (Unfortunately)




HOLLYWOOD’S NEW “SCREAM QUEEN”



Much like her mother had been a generation ago, Jamie Lee Curtis’ name was now
intertwined with the horror genre. For her work in Halloween, Curtis was given
the title of “scream queen,” meaning an actress who is associated almost
exclusively with horror films. While this was no doubt a major high point in her
life, it was only the beginning. Jamie Lee Curtis went on to star in many other
Hollywood horror films – all with varying degrees of success.

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Hollywood’s New “Scream Queen”



HER NEXT PROJECT — THE FOG



Jamie Lee Curtis’ next film after Halloween was another horror flick, this time
called The Fog. The film was also directed by John Carpenter, the same director
as Halloween, with Curtis once again taking the lead role. Many suspected that
this winning formula was going to once again produce an incredible film that
moviegoers would remember. While The Fog did do very financially well at the box
office, the critics had some mixed reviews about this particular horror film.

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Her Next Project — The Fog




HER NEXT TWO HORROR FILMS



Hollywood’s scream queen could hardly stay away from more horror films now could
she? Obviously not, and her next film, Prom Night, was similar to Halloween in
that it was a low budget Canadian feature that also relied on the same slasher
elements as her first-ever film. The second movie she starred in was Terror
Train. While both of these films did fairly well at the box office, critics were
not happy with either one of these horror movies.

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Her Next Two Horror Films



CURTIS NEEDS TO ACT FAST



Curtis was no stranger to the inner workings of Hollywood movies. She had been
raised by two movie stars, and quickly saw that her career was becoming very
centered around doing only horror films. In a 2018 interview, Curtis said, “I
felt honored that Halloween was and will be the greatest part of my creative
life. But I also grew up in show-off business, and I recognized very early that
a pigeonholing association with one genre only would be limiting.”

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Curtis Needs to Act Fast




JUST ONE LAST HORROR FILM



A mere three years after Halloween had been released in 1978, Halloween II hit
theaters. It was met with eager anticipation from fans who wondered whether or
not it could possibly compare to the first Halloween that had garnered so much
attention. While the film did well at the box office, and Curtis herself was
praised for her role, overall critics felt that the film didn’t compare to the
original, relying instead on too many elements like blood and gore.

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Just One Last Horror Film



HER ACTUAL THOUGHTS ON HORROR



Here’s something that very few fans are aware of: Jamie Lee Curtis, despite
being known for a time as the Hollywood “scream queen,” doesn’t like horror
movies! We’re dead serious, too. During a sit-down interview, she revealed that
“I do not like horror movies. I do not say this for a joke, although it gets a
laugh, I really don’t. There’s nothing I like about being scared.” As long as
she keeps making them, we’re not complaining.

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Her Actual Thoughts on Horror




FINALLY GETTING OUT OF HORROR



After years of stressing if she’d ever be able to star in anything that wasn’t
trying to make people jump out of their seats, Jamie Lee Curtis finally got the
chance to star in a comedy. 1983 marked the premiere of Trading Places, a funny
feature starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. The film was a huge hit, with
Curtis herself being praised for playing the role of Ophelia. But praise wasn’t
the only thing Curtis got out of it.

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Finally Getting Out of Horror



HER BIGGEST HONOR SO FAR



Jamie Lee Curtis’ reputation was about to completely change after the film
Trading Places hit theaters. For one thing, she was taken much more seriously as
an actress, having proved that she could do more than just horror films. The
other is that the film earned her a BAFTA, or British Film and Television Award,
essentially a British Academy Award, for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Additionally, the film itself was nominated for several prestigious BAFTA awards
as well.

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Her Biggest Honor So Far




CURTIS GETS A NEW REPUTATION



Having been known around Hollywood for her horror films, and of course as the
newest Hollywood “scream queen,” Curtis was now being recognized for her looks.
While this was a welcome change, since she was trying to distance herself from
horror films, she wasn’t excited about being known especially for her looks. In
an interview in 1985, after starring in the film Perfect, she said, “It connotes
where your physical and sensual presence is the only thing people respond to.”

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Curtis Gets a New Reputation



ACTUALLY A GEEK AT HEART



Curtis also stated, “I do it because I like doing the work. I’m not a vamp girl;
I’m very much the baby girl – especially in my private life. I walk around in
Tretorns and baggy safari shorts and odd assorted T-shirts from my husband’s
T-shirt collection. No makeup like a very semi-geeky, awkward girl. Girl! And I
stress girl! I really think of myself as a girl. I only put on my womanly stuff
when I go to work.”

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Actually a Geek at Heart




A FISH CALLED WANDA



Even though Jamie Lee Curtis might not have been so happy with her new
reputation, it was doing a lot for her career. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s,
Curtis was landing numerous roles, always staying at the forefront of the public
eye. In 1988 her career received another boost after she performed in the film,
A Fish Called Wanda. The heist movie involving jewel thieves ended up getting
her a nomination from both the Golden Globes and from BAFTA too.

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A Fish Called Wanda



BECOMING A TV STAR TOO



Although Jamie Lee Curtis had already found enormous success as a movie actress,
she decided it was time to seek new opportunities by jumping from the silver
screen to the small screen. Her first major television role was in the sitcom
comedy, Anything But Love. In it, she and comedian Richard Lewis play two
colleagues who, over the course of the show, are unable to hide their feelings
for each other. Curtis won a Golden Globe and People’s Choice Award.

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Becoming a TV Star Too




BECOMING A MOVIE POLICE OFFICER



Her next big move happened in 1990, when Jamie Lee Curtis starred as New York
police officer Megan Turner in Blue Steel. In that film, Curtis’ character is
wrongly accused of killing a convenience store robber, who police believe to be
innocent after the robber’s weapon goes mysteriously missing. The movie was met
with rave reviews, and Curtis proved that she could hold her own when it came to
playing the role of an action hero on the big screen.

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Becoming a Movie Police Officer



COMING OF AGE DRAMA



The next year Jamie Lee Curtis teamed up with her old friend and former co-star
Dan Aykroyd, in the coming of age drama/comedy, My Girl. The film also starred
Macaulay Culkin from the Home Alone series, and Anna Chlumsky (Veep) in her
first ever role. The film grossed an astounding $121 million after being filmed
on a budget of $17 million. It was even good enough to warrant a sequel, and
proved that Curtis still could do no wrong.

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Coming of Age Drama




“THE BEST TIME EVER”



One of the early husband and wife spy thrillers, True Lies starred Jamie Lee
Curtis and Arnold Schwarzenegger as a married couple. Throughout the course of
the film, the two discover some things about each other. Namely that he is an
actual super spy while she can handle herself in some stressful situations.
Jamie Lee Curtis described the experience as “the best time ever,” and the two
were reported to have remained friends ever since working together in the film.

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“The Best Time Ever”



DANCING DURING TRUE LIES



While the film was a lot of fun for the two of them, it was not without its
challenges. Although Arnold Schwarzenegger had no problem performing his own
stunts, he had a lot of trouble learning how to dance the tango. Even Curtis
fell during one of her dance scenes but, because she’s a pro, got right back up
and kept dancing. That take was actually left in the final script and Curtis
still got a Golden Globe for it.

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Dancing During True Lies




OFF-SCREEN THINGS ARE GREAT



While things in the movie business were going great, many wondered how Curtis’
personal life was holding up as well. It turns out that it couldn’t have been
better. Curtis had ended up marrying fellow actor Christopher Guest in December
1984. Apparently, she had seen a photo of him in Rolling Stone and had told her
friend, Debra Hill, “Oh, I’m going to marry that guy.” Five months later, her
bold prediction came true, and the two tied the knot.

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Off-Screen Things Are Great



HER FAMILY CONTINUES TO GROW



Jamie Lee Curtis and husband Christopher Guest decided that it was time for the
two of them to grow their family. They decided to adopt their first child, a
girl, and name her Annie. It seemed as though growing up next to Jamie Lee
Curtis has done wonders for the girl, who has since gone on to embody her
adopted mother’s immeasurable talent. While not as fond of the spotlight as her
mom, she is known to make occasional appearances.

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Her Family Continues to Grow




HER DAUGHTER IS A DANCER



Even though she could probably be an actress if she wanted to, Curtis’ daughter
still wants to perform in front of an audience. Rather than movies or television
shows, though, she decided to take up dancing and as we can see, she’s pretty
spectacular. She even received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Kenyon College.
She has since taught ballet, jazz, lyrical, modern, tap, and hip-hop. Plus, she
e+ven co-directs an award-winning team.

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Her Daughter Is a Dancer



THE GODMOTHER



It seems like everyone in Hollywood knows each other, either from working
together at some point or just happening to have met each other at an event. Yet
few of them are actually related to each other like Jamie Lee Curtis and Jake
Gyllenhaal. That’s right, she is actually Gyllenhaal’s godmother and the two
reportedly have a great relationship together. In fact, it was Gyllenhaal who
convinced Curtis to star in the most recent Halloween movie!

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The Godmother




BONDING WITH HER SON



Shortly after Annie was adopted, Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest decided
to add just one more to the family. This time they adopted a boy, and named him
Thomas. Apparently, the two are quite fond of online video games, with Curtis
saying, “The astonishing thing about being a parent is that your children bring
things to you that you would never, ever, ever, ever know… And you hope that you
bring a few things to them that are interesting.”

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Bonding With Her Son



A MAJOR WORLD OF WARCRAFT FAN



Imagine this, you’re playing World of Warcraft when suddenly a player approaches
you who wants to trade. As the player talks to you in this online world you
start to recognize the voice not from your real life, but from movies you’ve
seen. Could it be Jamie Lee Curtis talking to you? If you’re a fan of World of
Warcraft then there’s a chance that you might be playing with her! Curtis is a
huge fan even dressing up in cosplay as her favorite character.

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A Major World of Warcraft Fan




COMING CLEAN ABOUT HER HABITS



Although Curtis had some enormous successes in her life, ranging from her award
studded movie and film career to her large and loving family, she had been
carrying a secret with her. She confessed to her husband Christopher that she
had been engaging in some unhealthy habits to relieve stress. Her husband was
reportedly stunned that he had never noticed but promised to support her on her
journey to get healthy and remove these particularly unhealthy vices from her
life.

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Coming Clean About Her Habits



HER BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT TO DATE



For Curtis, getting sober was the best thing she had done for herself, and
something that she considered to be her biggest accomplishment. In an interview
after her recovery, she later recalled, “I’m breaking the cycle that has
basically destroyed the lives of generations in my family… Getting sober remains
my single greatest accomplishment. [It’s] bigger than my husband, bigger than
both of my children and bigger than any work, success, failure – anything.”
We’re all very proud of her!

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Her Biggest Accomplishment to Date




CONTINUING TO DEFY THE ODDS



With Curtis’ positive, can-do attitude, she continued to excel to tremendous
heights in her work. After finishing rehab, she went right back to work with a
brand new outlook on life. Her next project was the 2002 Halloween sequel,
Halloween: Resurrection. While the film didn’t do so well critically, it was a
minor success at the box office. But more importantly, it helped Curtis prove to
the world that she could still be just as successful as ever before.

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Continuing to Defy the Odds



CURTIS AND LINDSAY LOHAN



In 2003, Jamie Lee Curtis starred next to Lindsay Lohan in the mother-daughter
comedy Freaky Friday. In the film, the two happen to come across magical fortune
cookies, which cause them both to switch bodies. While living out each other’s
difficult, daily routines, the two get a new perspective and appreciation for
one another. It was a very popular film, doing very well in both the box office
and for the critics, and Curtis got a Golden Globe nomination.

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Curtis and Lindsay Lohan




ACTING IN A NEW MILLENNIUM



Throughout the 2000s, Curtis continued to act and be in the public sphere. After
Freaky Friday, her career became a reflection of her personal growth, changing
as an almost mirror to her. She starred in Christmas with the Kranks in 2004,
before acting in films like The Kid & I, and Beverly Hills Chihuahua. While the
films weren’t as popular as some of her other works, Curtis continued to invest
an enormous amount of effort and talent into each production.

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Acting in a New Millennium



OTHER PROJECTS ON THE SIDE



Curtis isn’t just a prolific actress who has starred in dozens of movies and
television shows; she also happens to be an author. Specifically a children’s
author, and one who has published over 13 children’s books. Her books have
managed to reach a wide audience, mainly because of her talent as a writer, but
also because she has been published by HarperCollins, one of the biggest book
publishers around who has made sure to mass distribute all of her books.

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Other Projects on the Side




A TALENTED WRITER OVERALL



Curtis hasn’t just been writing for children, though. When she’s not acting or
writing children’s books, the Halloween star writes a blog for the Huffington
Post and even maintains her own website where she expresses her thoughts and
feelings on several issues. On her website, she describes herself by saying,
“moonlights as an actor, photographer, and closet organizer.” Even the
Huffington Post made sure to make it clear that Curtis is an author before she
is an actress.

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A Talented Writer Overall



SHE’S ALSO AN INVENTOR



Curtis could have just stopped and rested on her laurels after all of her
impressive accomplishments, but she didn’t. Instead, she went ahead and thought
of a brand new creation which she decided to patent. The patent was for a diaper
that had a built-in pocket on the side that could also hold baby wipes. While
many companies have expressed interest in making this a reality, Curtis says she
won’t let them use her idea until the wipes are biodegradable.

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She’s Also an Inventor




FINALLY COMING FULL CIRCLE



In an interview with the South China Post, Jamie Lee Curtis had confessed that
she would never have imagined that she’d ever be playing Laurie Strode for yet
another Halloween movie. Guess she should have remembered that one should never
say never. Sure enough, in 2018, Curtis once again jumped on to the screen
playing the same role that had made her famous. While not as popular as the
original, it was considered by many to be the best sequel.

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Finally Coming Full Circle



A HAND AT SCREENWRITING



Even though Curtis is an accomplished actress and children’s book writer, she
also dabbled once at writing a script for her own horror film. The film would
have been called The Myth, and she planned on producing it through her own
production company. The film was meant to be a natural disaster type horror
story, complete with earthquakes, volcanoes, and storms that rage throughout the
world. In spite of everything, the film never garnered much traction and was
never made.

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A Hand at Screenwriting




RESTORING AN IMPORTANT PLACE



Through her father, Jamie Lee Curtis is Jewish with her ancestors having
originated in Hungary. Curtis and her father both decided to reconnect with
their Jewish heritage during the ’90s, and they did so with quite a bit of
fanfare. The film was meant to be a natural disaster type horror story, complete
with earthquakes, volcanoes, and storms that rage throughout the world. In spite
of everything, the film never garnered much traction and was never made.

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Restoring an Important Place



A PASSIONATE ACTIVIST



Curtis is known for being passionate about everything she does. Whether it’s
acting, writing, or anything else, she puts everything she has into it. That’s
also true when it comes to her activism, which she takes very seriously. A major
project she did that got a lot of attention was when she acted in the play, 8 —
a re-enactment of the trial that overturned the ban on same-sex marriage. She
starred alongside many celebrities including Brad Pitt and Martin Sheen.

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A Passionate Activist




HER HOLLYWOOD BFF



Another famed Hollywood “scream queen” is Sigourney Weaver, who’s best known for
her leading role in the Alien franchise. Considering that she’s also been given
the title of “scream queen,” one might think that the two of them would actually
be rivals. In reality, the opposite could not be more true. The two are best
friends, attending each other’s movie premiers as well as supporting each other
both personally and professionally. That being said, Curtis says she is too
scared to see Weaver’s movies!

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Her Hollywood BFF



NOT JUST HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY



There should be no doubt that Jamie Lee Curtis is as close to Hollywood royalty
as anyone could be. But, she’s not just royal by Hollywood standards — she
actually has a royal title thanks to her husband. After his father passed away,
the title of the Fifth Baron Haden-Guest passed to his son (Curtis’ husband).
That means that Curtis’ title changed to Baroness Haden-Guest among European
royalty. She could go by that name, but she chooses not to do so.

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Not Just Hollywood Royalty




MOST EXPENSIVE LEGS IN THE BIZ



As if there wasn’t enough evidence that Jamie Lee Curtis wasn’t already
Hollywood royalty, she literally has body parts that are worth more than most
people will ever dream of making in a year. During the height of her Hollywood
career, Curtis got her legs insured for a cool $1 million! That way if anything
happened to her she would know that she would still be getting a lot of money
out of them. So, don’t trip her if you walk next to her!

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Most Expensive Legs in the Biz



SHE SUPPORTS CHILDREN EVERYWHERE



Curtis doesn’t just support children by writing novels. She has also taken on a
leadership role at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. She often goes to the
hospital to visit the kids as a way to lift their spirits as they battle their
respective diseases. Once she saw that the hospital was lacking space, Curtis
immediately began fighting for funding to open a new inpatient facility — a
fight that she eventually succeeded in. There is no doubt that she’s a hero.

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She Supports Children Everywhere




GUEST OF HONOR FOR HELPING WOMEN



Jamie Lee Curtis focuses a lot of her time fighting on behalf of women. She
doesn’t just go on marches and protests, though. In fact, Curtis also takes the
time to get to know less advantaged women and help them as much as she possibly
can. One big moment where she first made herself known was in 2003 when she
participated in the 11th annual fundraiser and gala for an organization called
Women in Recovery. There, she was also named the guest of honor.

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Guest of Honor for Helping Women



THE BEST IS STILL AHEAD



Curtis seems optimistic about her future saying, “I am a constant editor. I shed
people, I shed clothing, I shed possessions, I shed ideas. The biggest thing
I’ve shed is my own limitations and perception of who I am… It has to come from
me. And even if I stumble in my pursuit, that’s okay. We are all looking for a
fast track to enlightenment, but it’s sweat equity, sweat equity, sweat equity.”
We all hope the best for her!

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The Best Is Still Ahead




THESE 25 LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS PROVE THERE’S MORE TO LEONARDO DICAPRIO THAN MEETS
THE SCREEN

By Steph Silver –






ITALIAN IN NAME, AMERICAN AT HEART



When Leo first dove into the “biz” and got his first acting agent, he was
advised to legally change his name to Lenny Williams in order to sound “more
American.” But Leo already knew a Lennie that he didn’t want to be associated
with: the one and only character from the famous John Steinbeck book, Of Mice
And Men. It seems as though, like the rest of us, Leo was better off being
himself than trying to be somebody else.

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Italian In Name, American At Heart



TITANIC WITHOUT LEO?



Despite Titanic being one of his biggest roles, originally the studios wanted
Matthew McConaughey to play Jack in Titanic, but James Cameron insisted on
Leonardo DiCaprio. That was a good call, James. Let’s be honest: why else does
anyone watch Titanic – at least the second, third, and twentieth times? Now, the
film really is a phenomenal work of art. But it’s probably still safe to say
that Leo’s iconic smile brought a LOT of people out to the theaters around the
world.

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Titanic Without Leo?




KING OF THE SCRIPT



Ask any woman who was alive in the ’90s and she’ll tell you it’s impossible to
pick Leo’s most endearing line in Titanic. But of all the lines in the running,
one that he actually came up with on his own often takes the cake. Getting into
the full penniless-young-rascal’s-first-time-sailing-the-open-seas spirit, he
shouted “I’m the king of the world!” on set – and the moment was so iconic that
James Cameron decided to add the line right into the film’s script.

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King Of The Script



LOCKED DOWN BY A LEGEND



DiCaprio’s acting career has gotten to where it is today through many twists and
turns. An early helping hand came from fellow actor, legend, and inspiration
Robert DeNiro, who hand-picked DiCaprio out of hundreds of boys in order to cast
him alongside himself as the role of his stepson in This Boy’s Life. It turned
out to be one of Leo’s breakthrough roles, and no doubt shaped that boy’s life
and incredible career that followed.

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Locked Down By A Legend




HOLLYWEIRD



In Hollywood, you often have to see the same people over and over – whether you
want to or not. Everybody grows up at some point, but entering that world as a
child can make it difficult to grow into a true sense of self…or out a bad
reputation. Today, he is extremely close friends with one of his first co-stars
Mark Wahlberg, but on the 1995 set of The Basketball Diaries, they hated each
other. It just goes to show that people do change, even in Hollywood!

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Hollyweird



HE EVEN HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR…SOMETIMES



On the set of Wolf Of Wall Street, Leo and his co-star Jonah Hill got pretty
close in real life, much like they did in the movie. A year or two after
filming, Leo spotted Jonah out on the town and decided it was time for a good
old fashioned prank – startling him from behind and pretending to be a crazy fan
with a camera. But they were hugging a minute later. Seems his acting skills
even work on other actors.

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He Even Has A Sense Of Humor…Sometimes




IT’S ALL IN THE NAME



It’s hard to say who is more famous now, but we can at least all agree that
Leonardo DiCaprio wasn’t the first famous Leonardo. Leonardo da Vinci, the man
behind the legendary Mona Lisa which sits in its tiny frame at the Louvre
surrounded 24/7 by visitors, was famous first – because he was born first,
almost 400 years ago. Standing in front of one of Da Vinci’s paintings, his
pregnant mother felt little Leo kick inside her belly and his father decided it
was fate, so they named him after the artist.

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Heritage And History



INCEPTIONARDO



Some actors know what kind of smoothie they need for breakfast before shooting.
And others just know what kind of coworkers they need to eat breakfast with in
order to be their best selves. When it came to filming Inception, the casting
revolved around Leo – he was director Christopher Nolan’s one mandatory actor.
In order to get him in the bag, he gave Leo the authority to recommend other
actors and have the last word on the casting.

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Inceptionardo




CHARMING THE CHARMER



The story of Frank Abagnale Jr. that was portrayed by DiCaprio in Catch Me If
You Can is hard to believe for many people – apparently, even Leo himself. But
in order to be persuaded, the real Frank was invited to meet him on set during
filming, and there they became good friends. No doubt it helped him do the
character justice, but it seems like the charm that got Frank Abagnale Jr. so
far in life even worked on Leo himself.

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Charming The Charmer



DIETARY DILEMMA



There comes a point in time when your job and your values just don’t align. Leo,
a devout vegetarian, faced this test when his role in The Revenant called for
him to eat raw bison liver. In this case, the job won, and Leo decided to break
his pact with Mother Nature for the cause. It was, of course, merely what he had
to do in order to get into character, and not stemming from any interest in the
meat itself. The show must go on.

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Dietary Dilemma




NOT ALWAYS A NATURAL



Despite his legendary – and, to say the least, convincing – portrayal of a
businessman taken over by illicit substances in The Wolf Of Wall Street,
DiCaprio insists he has never actually given them a try in his lifetime. He even
had an expert train him on the relevant behaviors. That being said, he did have
a reputation for being out on the town (New York City, to be specific)
throughout his 20s. But didn’t the majority of us, too?

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Not Always A Natural



FINGER ON THE TRIGGER



Another thing Leo didn’t come into the acting industry with is weapon
experience. He was raised in Los Angeles, where shooting and hunting isn’t often
a favorite pastime of the culture. And yet, his career has steered him towards
action movies more than once. As such, he needed a weapons trainer – and picked
a winner. A fast-draw style shooter named Thell Reed trained Leo, along with
Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Val Kilmer, and Russell Crowe.

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Finger On The Trigger




A ONE-MOVIE KIND OF MAN



When it comes to making a great movie, DiCaprio is a goldmine. And what follows
a great movie? Usually, a sequel. But there hasn’t been a sequel with Leo. To
date, he’s the highest grossing actor to have never acted in a sequel. But that
doesn’t mean he’s unwilling to. He’s been quoted saying that some of the
greatest movies ever have had sequels; specifically, The Godfather. But Leo
needs the sequel plot to stand out individually from a larger franchise, which
hasn’t happened yet.

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A One-Movie Kind Of Man



NO SONG AND DANCE



The man can’t sing. A beloved cast member of Baz Luhrmann’s movies, he was
quickly ruled out of the casting for Moulin Rouge because of his voice. He
himself even calls it “atrocious.” There are some things that just can’t be
taught. But to be fair, no one was upset to see Scottish heartthrob Ewan
McGregor play the part. The two have yet to do a movie together…it might just be
too many good looks to be in the same room.

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No Song And Dance




A CLOSE CALL



Losing is bad enough, and Leo has done his fair share of that. But walking away
from a winning game can also sting. Leo was offered one role that he would later
watch win an Oscar, before his time had come. Quentin Tarantino wanted DiCaprio
for the role of Nazi Colonel Landa in Inglorious Basterds, which wound up going
to Christoph Waltz – who promptly won an Oscar for it. How would Leo have fared
in the same role? We’ll never know.

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A Close Call



LEO’S FANS HAVE MADE HIM FICTION



There’s a big world of fanfiction out there – fans who turn their favorite
famous individuals into their own fictional characters. It should be no surprise
that there’s plenty about Leo. One popular story involves him building tree
houses from scratch to avoid the paparazzi, whom he notoriously loathes. But
most notably is one piece about DiCaprio and the Oscars, in which he finally
wins one…but only has the rest of that day to live. Where’s the justice?

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Leo’s Fans Have Made Him Fiction




APOLLO 2020



When Virgin Galactic – Virgin Atlantic’s newest branch, focusing on space travel
– began planning a trip to outer space open to the masses, Leonardo DiCaprio was
one of the first to sign up. And one of the very next people was 37-year-old
Vasily Klyukin, a Russian businessman living in Monaco, who paid $1.5 billion
for the spot. But don’t judge this colossal shopping spree yet – it was actually
a bid at an auction fundraising charity for AIDS research.

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Apolleo 2020



GENEROUS NOSTALGIA



Leo was raised in Los Angeles, a giant metropolis which changes more and more by
the day. At some point over the years, his childhood house in Los Feliz was
turned into a public school – many years after he and his mother moved out, of
course. Still, it will always hold a place in his heart, as the planet and the
next generations seem to do. To honor that chapter of his life, he donated a
computer lab to the new school.

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Generous Nostalgia




FRIENDS IN UNUSUAL PLACES



Among those Leo shares interests with and calls his friends are former
Presidents and Pope Francis. Movie stars have plenty of privileges, but it’s not
always enough to get to meet some of the world’s most important people. But Leo
has kept himself just as busy with his passion for the environment as he has
with acting, and no doubt his involvement allowed him to collaborate with such
prominent figures…which makes his immediate circle a bit more interesting than
the average celebrity.

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Friends In Unusual Places



NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER



One thing that doesn’t seem to change is his taste in women. He’s famous for
almost exclusively dating models, including Gisele Bundchen, Naomi Campbell,
Helena Christensen, Bijou Phillips, Amber Valetta, Eva Herzigova, Bar Rafaeli,
Anne Vyalitsyna, Madalina Ghenea, and Erin Heatherton. It’s not like anyone has
to ask what the appeal of a model is, but there’s something else every woman
he’s ever dated has in common – none of them have been over the age of 25. Maybe
he thinks dating down in age will keep him young?

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Not Getting Any Younger




FIRED FAST



DiCaprio’s acting career didn’t actually get off to a great start. Talent and
great looks can get you far, but being too disruptive on set can easily hold you
back, especially when you don’t have a name for yourself yet. Leo was actually
fired from his very first acting job, which was a brief appearance in the
children’s TV show Romper Room, for this exact reason. But clearly, the talent
and good looks got him another offer despite the bad reputation.

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Fired Fast



A SMALL BIRTHDAY FORTUNE FOR MOTHER EARTH



These days, it’s all the rage for celebrities to host charity events – and Leo
certainly enjoys it as well. But unlike many movie stars, he turned his own
birthday party into a charity bash last year, making sure that everyone who
respects him pay their respects to Mother Nature as well. The event raised a
casual $3 million, which he donated to various environmental research
institutions to help them with the resources for a better future.

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A Small Birthday Fortune For Mother Earth




MOMMA’S BOY



Today we know him as a ladies’ man. But long before that, he was strictly a
momma’s boy. He was mostly raised by a single mother named Irmelin Indenbirken –
a German immigrant who worked as a legal secretary. So despite winning the
genetic lottery, Leo wasn’t born into the financial lottery, unlike many who are
born into prominent Hollywood families or are simply shoved towards the
spotlight at a young age because they have nice hair. That being said…he does
have nice hair (and everything else).

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Momma’s Boy



OSCAR ME NOT



Despite being nominated for an academy award as early as 1994 – for his role in
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, when he was just 19 years old – Leo didn’t actually
win one until 2016. The nomination made him the 7th youngest person ever to be
nominated. There’s no argument around the world that he’s one of the most
talented actors out there, but when it comes to getting the gold man on his
side, Leo is a two-sided magnet: attracting all the nominations, and repelling
all the wins. At least until 2016!

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Oscar Me Not




DADDY DEAREST



Did you know Leo is a father? Hold on – it’s not exactly what you think. He
didn’t suddenly get married and have a family while you weren’t looking. But
while he was on set for the film Blood Diamond in South Africa, DiCaprio met a
young girl at an orphanage and fell absolutely in love with her. Without wanting
to take her away from her life and everything she knew, he decided to only
emotionally and financially adopt her. He sends her money each month and they
even regularly talk on the phone.

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Daddy Dearest





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