Jamie Lee Curtis Opens Up About Being The Child of Movie Stars

Watching Her Parents

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At 62-years-old, Golden Globe-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis remains one of the most iconic movie stars in the entire world. However, growing up, things did not go smoothly. Of course, she never starved or anything like that. Sadly, though, she had to watch what stardom did to her parents, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Most striking of all? Seeing her parents change via plastic surgery, right in front of her eyes.

“I’m the child of movie stars. I watched my parents get face lifts and neck lifts,” Curtis said on the ’90s Podcast, to hosts Jason Sheeler and Andrea Lavinthal. “I watched their work diminish, I watched their fame not diminish. And the contradiction of a lot of fame, but not a lot of work, is really hard to navigate for people. Very hard to be famous but not be doing the thing that made you famous. And that for the rest of your life you’re famous for something you did a long time ago, and you chase that attention.”

Unfortunately, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh are far from the only celebrities who had a hard time after their fame faded. Still, through it all, Jamie Lee managed to find success in Hollywood, without falling into all the same trap as her parents.

Getting Old In Hollywood

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Of course, Jamie Lee Curtis has found massive success, becoming even more prominent than her parents. It all started with the 1978 film Halloween, which quickly turned her into a horror star, a scream queen. After leaving the horror bubble in the ’80s, Curtis went on to one of the most incredibly diverse films careers ever, starring in everything from True Lies and A Fish Called Wanda to My Girl and Freaky Friday. And she does not plan on stopping anytime soon! In October of this year, she will return to her roots by returning in Halloween Kills.

Through it all, Curtis has never forgotten about the lives her parents lost. In fact, she says it’s always at the forefront of her mind. “I wanted to be mindful, as the daughter of stars,” Curtis explains. “And so, I was hedging my bets, ’cause I don’t want to be the person pining away for work and not getting it. It’s humiliating and it’s a hard business. It’s all about what you look like.”