Film
Curtis's film debut was the 1978 horror
Halloween, playing the role of Laurie Strode. The film was a major success and was considered the highest grossing independent film of its time, earning status as a classic horror film. Curtis was subsequently cast in several horror films, garnering her the title of a "scream queen".
Her next film following
Halloween was the horror film,
The Fog, which was directed by
Halloween director John Carpenter. The film opened in February 1980 to mixed reviews but strong box office, further cementing Curtis as a horror film starlet. Her next film,
Prom Night, was a low-budget Canadian slasher film released in July 1980. The film, for which she earned a Genie Award nomination for Best Performance by a Foreign Actress, was similar in style to
Halloween, yet received negative reviews which marked it as a disposable entry in the then active "slasher film" genre. That year, Curtis also starred in
Terror Train, which opened in October and met with a negative reaction akin to
Prom Night. Both films performed only moderately well at the box office. Curtis had a similar function in both films - the main character whose friends are murdered, and is practically the only protagonist to survive. Film critic Roger Ebert, who had given negative reviews to all three of Curtis' 1980 films, said that Curtis "is to the current horror film glut what Christopher Lee was to the last one-or Boris Karloff was in the 1930s". Curtis later appeared in
Halloween II,
20 Years Later and
Resurrection, as well as giving an uncredited voice role in
Season of the Witch.
Her role in 1983's
Trading Places helped Curtis leave her horror queen image behind. 1988's
A Fish Called Wanda achieved near cult status — while showcasing her as a comedic actress. She won a Golden Globe for her work in 1994's
True Lies. Her recent successful film roles include Disney's
Freaky Friday (2003), opposite Lindsay Lohan. The movie was filmed at Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades, California, near where Curtis and Guest live with their children. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy in this movie.
In October 2006, Curtis told
Access Hollywood that she had closed the book on her acting career to focus on family. She returned to acting after she was cast in June 2007 in Disney's live-action-animated film,
Beverly Hills Chihuahua, co-starring opposite Piper Perabo as one of three live-action characters in the film. She also starred in the 2010 comedy film
You Again, opposite Kristen Bell and Sigourney Weaver.
Television
Curtis made her TV debut in an episode of
Columbo, but her first starring role was opposite Richard Lewis in the situation comedy
Anything But Love, which ran for four seasons from 1989 through 1992. She appeared as nurse Lt. Duran in the short-lived television series of
Operation Petticoat; based on the big-screen version which stars her real-life father. Her role as Hannah Miller received both a Golden Globe and People's Choice Award. She also starred in the made-for-TV film:
Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story in 1981, playing the part of the doomed Playmate. She earned a Golden Globe nomination for her work in TNT's adaptation of the Wendy Wasserstein play
The Heidi Chronicles. More recently, Curtis starred in the CBS television movie
Nicholas' Gift, for which she received an Emmy nomination. Curtis also appeared in the science fiction series,
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and an early episode of
The Drew Carey Show. Jamie Lee Curtis also appeared as a panelist on episodes of Match Game.
Children's books
Working with illustrator Laura Cornell, Curtis has written a number of children's books, all published by HarperCollins Children's Books.
- When I Was Little: A Four-Year Old's Memoir of Her Youth, 1993.
- Tell Me Again About The Night I was Born, 1996.
- Today I Feel Silly, and Other Moods That Make My Day, 1998; listed on the New York Times best-seller list for 9 weeks.
- Where Do Balloons Go?: An Uplifting Mystery, 2000.
- I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem, 2002.
- It's Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel, 2004.
- Is There Really a Human Race?, 2006.
- Big Words for Little People, ISBN 9780061127595, 2008.
- My Friend Jay, 2009, edition of one, presented to Jay Leno
- My Mommy Hung the Moon: A Love Story, 2010.
Invention
In 1987, Curtis filed a US patent application that subsequently issued as Patent No. 4,753,647. This is a modification of a diaper with a moisture proof pocket containing wipes that can be taken out and used with one hand. Curtis refused to allow her invention to be marketed until companies started selling biodegradable diapers, although the full statutory term of this patent expired February 20, 2007 and is now in the public domain.
