The so-called “Scream Queen” Jamie Lee Curtis just received her first-ever Academy Award after fans have been wondering for years why she never got one. Curtis, 64, has been in Hollywood for a long time, first in the horror genre and eventually as a mainstream actress who’s appeared in everything from TV to movies.
The actress is also the perfect example of what “Hollyweird” has to offer. Curtis was born to famous parents, making her part of the aptly named crowd of “nepo babies” who got a leg up in the business by being born into the business.
Curtis was born to the late actor Tony Curtis and actress Janet Leigh in 1958 and grew up in California. She attended the elite private boarding school Choate before attending law school briefly. Curtis ditched law school to pursue a career in the movies.
“My parents were actors,” Curtis said while accepting the SAG Award for her supporting role in the highly lauded “Everything Everywhere All At Once.”
“And I married an actor. I love actors. I love acting. I love the job we get to do. I love being part of a crew. I love being part of a cast. … It’s such a beautiful job. And I know you look at me and think, well, nepo baby, that’s why she’s there,” she added. “And I totally get it. But the truth of the matter is I’m 64 years old and this is just amazing.”
“Everything Everywhere All At Once” is a strange movie but at least it’s just a movie. Curtis’s life, on the other hand, includes surreal moments happening right here in real life.
Acting abilities aside, Curtis is the quintessential example of an A-list star who genuinely doesn’t understand why anyone feels negatively toward her.
Take the actress’s recent scandal involving a piece of artwork hanging in her home. It all started in January when Curtis shared an image on Instagram with more than 5 million followers.
“Ok. This is a weird post. But I have Covid, so f*** it. During one of the SAG nomination panels for @everythingeverywheremovie I told the story of how I ended up with my office furnished with my beautiful Pollack chairs from that movie,” she wrote in the Instagram image caption.
“I mentioned if people followed me, that was not a cheap trick to try to get people to boost my numbers, but I couldn’t figure out how else to get the picture out into the world, that I would post a picture of them on my IG in my offices for @comet.pictures and I am a truth teller so here you go.”
The photo included the aforementioned table and chairs, but what caught the attention of followers was the strange piece of artwork hanging up in the background. The piece, which was later revealed to be a work called “The Tub” (2003) by artist Betsy Schneider, featured a nude child submerged in a plastic tub of water.
“Why does Jamie Lee Curtis have a picture of a naked child stuffed inside a suitcase on her wall? Strong Epstein vibes,” one popular Twitter reaction said.
The “Knives Out” alum wound up deleting the photo following an avalanche of backlash, but her apology made two things clear: first, she couldn’t understand why anyone was shocked by the photo and second, she still believed the art was a perfectly fine piece to display in her dining area.
“Last week I posted a picture of some chairs that included a photograph on the wall by an artist that was gifted to me 20 years ago,” she wrote by way of explanation. “I understand it has disturbed some people. As I have said, I am a truth teller, so here’s the truth.”
“It’s a picture of a child, taken by her mother, of her playing in their backyard in a tub of water. Nothing more, nothing less. I took down the post because I didn’t want to keep something up that upset anyone,” Curtis continued.
In the industry, Curtis is portrayed as refreshingly normal and down-to-earth. She’s self-deprecating and doesn’t have the ego that other stars of her status usually do. Curtis made fun of herself for hawking yogurt “that makes you s***” for her long-standing partnership with Activia and has been open about her struggle with addiction and getting sober.
But these positive character traits are only part of the story.
The celeb’s weirdness masquerading as normalcy took center stage in March after she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. During a follow-up appearance on Today, she had a surprising answer when host Savannah Guthrie asked if she had named her golden statue.
“I’m in support of my daughter Ruby. I’m having them be a they/them,” Curtis said with emotion. “I’m going to just call them ‘them.’ They/them, and they are doing great, they’re settling in, and I just, in my life, I never saw it in a million years that I’d have this couple days, and I’m very moved by the whole thing.”
This isn’t the first time Curtis spoke out on behalf of “trans rights.”
“The right’s war on queer people, most specifically trans people, is both bizarre and abhorrent,” she wrote at the time. “There is no debate to argue here. Trans people have been here forever and aren’t going anywhere. There is no ideology here. It’s simple. Trans rights are human rights. Anything stating the contrary is wrong,” she wrote on Instagram on March 5.
She also turned heads last May for posting photos of herself officiating Ruby’s cosplay-themed wedding. “Wife is sweet… Ruby and Kynthia,” Curtis shared of the colorful collage. In one photo, the actress posed with a giant butcher knife.
“YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS UP!” she wrote. “The ONLY thing left over at the end of this entire BEAUTIFUL wedding, after everything was taken away was this f-ing BUTCHER KNIFE they cut the tiramisu wedding cake with! WIFE IS SWEET!”
And how about her new Oscar trophy? She’s decided to make that a part of her eclectic art collection as well. The “they/them” statuette is proudly displayed next to a butt plug shaped trophy featured in “EEAAO.”
It’s all part of a giant inside joke, it seems. The only mystery left is to figure out who’s still laughing.
Continue reading this exclusive article and join the conversation, plus watch free videos on DW+
Already a member?