Top 5 Movies Starring Jamie Lee Curtis

Top 5 Movies Starring Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis was destined for stardom. As the daughter of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, acting was in her blood, and her talent belied it. After a few television appearances, Curtis got her break in the slasher film Halloween, which would change her life. For the next four decades, Curtis became a Hollywood mainstay and one of the most respected actors of her generation.

One of the reasons for Curtis' success is his versatility. Curtis cannot be confined to one genre. Horror, comedy, drama, action, thriller ...... Curtis does it all and even won an Academy Award for it. It is difficult to narrow Curtis' career down to just a few roles, but here are five of the best from her filmography.

Imagine starting a 45-year film acting career with one of the most iconic characters in horror. Curtis' film debut was in 1978, starring in John Carpenter's Halloween, in which Michael Myers viciously stabbed his sister to death as a child on Halloween night in the early 1960s. 15 years later, Michael (Nick Castle) escapes from the hospital and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield where he meets a teenage Laurie Strode (Curtis).

Michael becomes obsessed with the girl and follows Laurie and her friends around. That night, Michael transforms from creepy stalker to brutal killer, hunting down the young teenagers and culminating in an epic showdown with Laurie. Curtis' performance, Carpenter's direction, and a memorable horror movie villain make "Halloween" a contender for the most influential horror film of all time.

Watch on Prime Video

For one generation, Curtis is best known for her role as the mother in Freaky Friday, the 2003 film adaptation of Mary Rogers' 1972 novel. Widowed mother Tess Coleman (Curtis) and her rebellious teenage daughter Anna (Lindsay Lohan) are polar opposites. Tess denies Anna's musical ambitions, and Anna rejects her mother's fiancé (Mark Harmon). At a Chinese restaurant, the two receive a magical fortune cookie, and the next day, Tess and Ryan wake up to find their bodies have been switched.

Unsure of how to resolve their situation, Tess and Anna must act on each other in their other bodies. What starts out as a nightmare becomes a blessing in disguise as the two women come to understand each other better. The chemistry between the two leads is excellent, and Curtis's superb performance proves that her comedic instincts are as good or better than her horror chops.

See on Disney+

In 1994, Arnold Schwarzenegger was at the height of his career as the world's biggest action star. James Cameron had just teamed up with Schwarzenegger for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," the groundbreaking sequel to "The Terminator. For their next project, the two co-produced True Lies, casting Curtis as the female lead, a perfect partner to match Schwarzenegger's action persona and comedic attributes.

By day, Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a bored software salesman. By night, Harry is a secret agent for the U.S. counterterrorism agency. While pursuing a terrorist cell led by Salim Abu Aziz (Art Malik), Harry discovers that his wife Helen (Curtis) is in the midst of a mid-life crisis and contemplating an affair. Before they can resolve their marital problems, Harry and Helen are kidnapped by Aziz. But Harry is surprised to learn that the best way to revive their marriage is to save the world with his wife.

Watch on Hulu

From 1978 to 1982, Curtis appeared in Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night, Terror Train, and Halloween II, and rose to fame as a scream queen. To break the mold and defy type, Curtis played Ophelia in John Landis' "Trading Spaces." Dan Ackroyd plays brokerage executive Louis Winthorpe III, and Eddie Murphy plays con man Billy Ray Valentine. The Duke brothers (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche), owners of the company, make a bet that Winthorpe and Valentine's lives will be swapped.

The Dukes hire Ophelia, a prostitute, to ruin Winthorpe's life. However, Ophelia eventually changes direction and helps Winthorpe and Valentine get revenge on the brothers. Curtis' gamble to change genres paid off, and she won worldwide acclaim for her comical and endearing performance. Curtis won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Ophelia.

Watch on Prime Video, YouTube, and Apple TV

She went to the multiverse in the sci-fi action-adventure comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once. Evelyn Quan Wang (Michelle Yeoh) is a Chinese-American immigrant who runs a laundromat with her husband Weimond (Ke Hui Quan). Evelyn is at a low point in her life: Waymond wants a divorce, their daughter Joy (Stephanie Su) refuses to open up about her life, and the laundromat is under the watchful eye of IRS agent Deirdre Beaubeadre (Curtis).

During an IRS meeting, Evelyn is visited by another version of Waymond from a parallel universe. This version of Waymond tells Evelyn that the fate of the universe is at stake and that her help is needed to save it. Evelyn is in a race against time as she exerts her power in multiple universes to counter the dominant forces that are trying to destroy the universe. Everything Everything All at Once won international acclaim for its unique setting and the sensational performances of its cast, including Curtis, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Watch on Paramount Plus or Showtime

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