When your parents are the Tony Curtis and the Janet Lee and you want to enter the field of entertainment, the prospects are not at all auspicious, because there will always be comparison and the suggestion of favor. For Jamie Lee Curtis, however, her path in acting went particularly well, as she took her own path, despite the difficult phases she went through until she matured. And indeed a difficult path, starting as the protagonist of horror films, a genre popular, but also dangerous for stereotyping an actor and trapping him between screams, rivers of blood and creeps.

Although her first recognition in cinema was by declaring her as “Scream Queen” after her lead role in the now classic horror film “The Night of the Masks” of terrible child John Carpenter, Curtis will essentially inherit the title from her own mother! And that’s because Janet Leigh, is the iconic protagonist of Hitchcock’s classic and masterpiece “Psycho”, with the scene of her massacre in the bathroom by Anthony Perkins-Norman Bates, one of the most terrifying and inspiring scenes in the history of cinema, which will be forever etched in our memory.

Of course, at the age of just 18 she was preceded by a stint in an episode of the series “Quincy ME”, with which she was cast as the actress – the daughter of two famous actors, which she managed to shake off by working hard, although Tony Curtis helped her decisively in this, even going so far as to disown her, even in his will. Despite this, Jamie will take from her father mainly the comedic talent, which he highlighted in her artistic prime, but not his incomparable beauty.

From Janet Lee she will get the facial features, suitable for cinematic horror.

Jamie Lee Curtis, who turns 65 (born on November 22, 1958) remains active, while this year was a significant year for her career, as she won, after numerous honors and awards, the Oscar for her role in the controversial, if anything, ‘Everything’, as her performance was probably the best Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s surreal fantasy satire had to offer.

Father’s abandonment

With two established star parents, she will come to life in sunny Santa Monica, California. Her mother was of Danish, German, Scottish and Irish descent, while her father was the son of immigrants from Hungary. She has an older sister, the actress Kelly Curtis, and four other half-siblings from her father’s later marriages, which were quite a few. Her parents divorced in 1962 when little Jamie was four, although Tony Curtis was never close to his family, “he wasn’t interested in being a father”, as she put it. After her father’s death, she learned, along with her siblings, that everything had been cut out of his will, while her mother subsequently married the stockbroker Robert Brand, who helped her grow up. With no financial problems, Jamie will enter Harvard, pass through Stockton University in California, where she will drop out of law school within a semester to pursue an acting career.

Janet Lee

The Night of the Masks

After several appearances in TV series, he will be lucky enough to be selected by the horror meter John Carpenter for the cult film “The Night of the Masks”, which in 1978, when it was first shown, spread terror and chills to millions of viewers around the world. A huge success, which will have its sequel, but this time without the same effectiveness and value, as it was directed by the forgotten today Rick Rosenthal. However, the unprecedented success of the first film and Carpenter’s presence in the production would bring yet another box office success and further recognition for Curtis.

Fog

In 1980 Carpenter will shoot the wonderful psychological thriller “The fog” again trusting Curtis as his protagonist, another film with a huge appeal, especially among the young audience. With these films, Curtis already earned the title of “queen of horror”, which she enjoyed, but quickly realized that she should change course and break away from the stereotype.

In the comedy chair

Luck will be on her side again and so in 1983 she will find the talented one on her way John Landiswho after the hilarious “The Blues” will turn the excellent comedy satire “Armchair for Two”with their protagonists Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy and placing Curtis between them, in the role of a good-hearted prostitute. A starring trio that made waves, but also a wonderful opportunity for Curtis to prove her comedic talent, as well as her irresistible sex appeal.

In the spirit of Monty Python

In 1988, the big moment in her career will come, as she will star in the subversive comedy “A Fish Called Wanda”, a witty film, with excess British humour, the sharpness of Monty Python and wonderful performances, directed by Charles Crichton. Once again, Curtis will prove her comedic streak, but also her eroticism, and will compete against huge comedians like her co-stars John Cleese, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin.

The return to horror

In recent years, despite her years, which she no longer hides and is proud of, Jamie Lee Curtis has returned as the “queen of horror” in the renaissance of films “Halloween”the sequel to Carpenter’s original film.

Drugs and the baron

In her personal life, Jamie Lee Curtis didn’t go through much. It was not only the rejection of her father, but also her addiction to drugs for many years. Not surprising for a child of two famous Hollywood stars. However, this ugly parenthesis in her life will be closed for good in 1999. In 1984, she will marry – love at first sight – the British-American director Christopher Guest, who significantly helped her escape from abuse. Her husband, with whom they have adopted two children, holds the title of baron, which Curtis almost loathes.

Jamie Lee Curtis, it seems, in recent years, does not hesitate to reboot her career, despite her advanced age, even if she has to run from a maniacal killer. And she will also try her hand at the script, which is expected to be made into a film and released by the end of the year, a wild thriller, titled Mother Nature. In the end, Janet Lee’s daughter will probably hardly escape the title of “queen of horror”.