Jamie Lee Curtis, a name synonymous with Hollywood for over four decades, has captivated audiences with her roles in iconic films ranging from horror classics to comedies. However, beyond her on-screen success, Curtis's life is a compelling story of transformation, resilience, and unapologetic self-acceptance. From her early struggles to her battle with addiction and her eventual triumph over it, Curtis's journey is an inspiration to many.
Early Career and Challenges
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Jamie Lee Curtis rose to prominence as a scream queen in horror films. Despite growing up with famous actor parents, she never initially aspired to be an actress. Curtis faced academic challenges, which she believes were due to an undiagnosed learning difficulty. "I struggled in school with what I'm assuming was some kind of learning challenge, and I barely got out of high school, since I became an actress so early," Curtis told AARP. She embraced change, stating, "I am a constant editor. I shed people, I shed clothing, I shed possessions, I shed ideas. The biggest thing I've shed is my own limitations and perception of who I am."
Around 1983, Curtis consciously decided to move away from horror movies to chase mainstream success. Her role as a sex worker in the comedy-drama "Trading Places" marked a significant turning point in her career. Despite initial skepticism from casting directors, director John Landis championed her, changing the course of her life. "The casting people all thought [director John Landis] was crazy, and he single-handedly changed the course of my life by giving me that part," Curtis said. The film's co-writer, Tim Harris, noted that "Trading Places" opened doors for Curtis, altering the careers of many participants.
Marriage and Family Life
In 1984, Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest began a whirlwind romance. They married soon after, and their relationship has remained strong ever since. "On July 2, Chris and I had our first date … And by August 8, when he left to tape a year of 'Saturday Night Live' in New York City, we'd fallen in love," she told O, The Oprah Magazine. Curtis knew Guest was the one for her before they even met. They adopted their eldest daughter Annie in 1986 and adopted their second daughter Ruby around a decade later. Her busy home life didn't slow down Curtis's blossoming career.
The Battle with Addiction
Jamie Lee Curtis has been open about her struggle with opiate addiction, which began in the late 1980s after undergoing plastic surgery for her eyes. She received a prescription for painkillers and became dependent on them. "I was ahead of the curve of the opiate epidemic," she told People in 2018. "I had a 10-year run, stealing, conniving. No one knew. No one." She admitted to stealing painkiller pills from her sister and getting high to prevent pain or loneliness. She even drank heavily intermittently throughout the years.
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Curtis realized her addiction could impact her daughter, which motivated her to seek help. Through a letter to her sister, Curtis acknowledged her stealing and taking pills to offset her loneliness. Though she never sent the letter, Curtis recognized that her addiction began soon after her cosmetic surgery, which she underwent in order to keep a youthful appearance. Yet the painkillers she was prescribed to prevent postoperative pain were the path to her addiction. She abused her pills because, despite her surgeries, she felt unattractive to her husband and to her audience. She has spoken about the importance of her sobriety in the past.
In a 2023 interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Curtis recalled how she “liked a good opiate buzz” and said that if fentanyl were as easily available then as it is today on the street, she’d be dead. Her brother Nicholas died at 21 of a heroin overdose, she noted.
Road to Recovery
Jamie Lee Curtis sought recovery and has been sober since 1999. On Monday, Feb. 3, the Oscar winner shared an image from her Twelve Steps app on Instagram that revealed the exact number of years, months, days and hours she has been sober. "26 years ago today I walked into my first recovery meeting. Since then, my life has completely changed," she began in the emotional caption. "I have made beautiful, beautiful, friendships and it has expanded my life beyond recovery and it has given me the family life and creative life. I never thought possible." Curtis, 66, then thanked all the people she has met over the years who have opened up to her about their struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction. Curtis's sobriety journey has transformed her life, leading to greater self-acceptance and contentment.
Curtis credits her sobriety with teaching her the importance of self-acceptance and stepping away from people-pleasing. "I’m sober for a long time, long time-almost 25 years," she said. "And the best thing I learned last year in recovery was people aren’t pleased when you stop people-pleasing … It was as if the greatest sage arrived on me."
Last year, she discussed her 25th sobriety anniversary on social media.“One day at a time. 9,125 of them,” the actor wrote on Instagram Feb. 3, 2024, to caption a black-and-white photo of herself holding up a ring inscribed with, “JLC Twenty Five."“What’s inside, as my old friend Adam sang, is a sense of calm, serenity, purpose and the greatest feeling that I am not alone. That many others share the same disease and solution. For all those struggling with addiction and shame, there are others out here who care. My hand in yours. Our hands in yours. XO JLC,” she wrote.
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Owning Her Identity
Turning 65 was a real watershed moment for Jamie Lee Curtis-the milestone is helping her fully lean into self-acceptance. In November, for example, she shared a confident gym selfie to celebrate her age, and now, she’s opening up about how she’s embracing her whole self, inside and out. Curtis is reflecting on how her life has changed over the past 26 years since becoming sober.
For her, it’s all about stepping out from behind her mistakes. “I’m trying to own it. Isn’t that what life is supposed to be? We grow up, we learn, we do all these things. Now we have to own it,” she said. “We have to own who we are, be who we are, and be in full acceptance of who we are and what we’re not. And I think that’s the beauty of me right now-owning it.”
Curtis has embraced aging naturally, stepping away from cosmetic procedures and allowing her hair to go gray. She made the decision to let her hair gray and to stop wearing heels as part of her addiction recovery process. "There isn’t a person here who hasn’t looked in the mirror and thought, ‘Whoa!’ We all have our top three and bottom three assets. The bottom three would include my cankles. I have really let go of my vanity.
Continued Success and Future Projects
Despite considering retirement at various points, Jamie Lee Curtis remains active in the entertainment industry. She continues to act, write, and produce, showcasing her versatility and passion for her craft. She is also the author of a children’s book about patience titled, “Just One More Sleep.” Children are all about the future, Curtis said, but she’s focusing on the present moment, and being authentic and real. Curtis joined Today to promote her new children’s book, Just One More Sleep. This comes shortly after the release of her graphic novel, Mother Nature. Clearly, the actress and author has been busy behind the scenes-and that’s because she has no time to waste. “I joke about it, but I’m going to die way sooner than later, and therefore, I have sh*t to do!” she said at San Diego Comic Con in July. “This is one of the things that I needed to do, and I’m excited about it.”
Curtis was also extremely vocal about her disdain for cosmetic procedures, proving how far she'd come from the days when she went under the knife. Career-wise, she was still at the top of her game. The superstar teamed up with Lindsay Lohan again for the "Freaky Friday" sequel "Freakier Friday" and was awaiting the release of the James L. Brooks movie "Ella McCay."
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Curtis launched "Letters From Camp" amid the COVID-19 pandemic, using the time she'd originally set aside to shoot "Halloween Kills" to work on it. The fiction series, centered on the experiences of an 11-year-old girl who goes to camp and finds out another girl has gone missing, ran until 2022. "The story is told through weekly letters written from camp. In 2021, Curtis launched another podcast, "Good Friend." Unlike "Letters From Camp," the show was nonfiction and saw Curtis discuss the ups and downs of friendships with her many guests.
AARP and Advocacy
Jamie Lee Curtis has partnered with AARP, sharing her experiences and insights with their audience. She emphasizes the importance of living fully and embracing each stage of life. AARP The Magazine EXCLUSIVE: Jamie Lee Curtis Living Freely and Soberly, Aging Boldly, and Why She Feels More Alive Than Ever at 66 The award winner opens up about sobriety, love, creativity, and why growing older has been her greatest transformation yet. She confirmed she'd adopted a seize-the-day approach to life, and dressing, and was no longer saving her best pieces for special occasions. "What are we planning for, what are we saving for? Why aren't we wearing those Prada pants to lunch with a friend rather than saying, 'Well, I only have those for a fancy occasion'?" Curtis asked.
Curtis also uses her platform to advocate for addiction recovery and mental health awareness. Today, Curtis counsels recovering addicts and works on anti-drug campaigns. She moved past a life of addiction to a life of fulfillment by recognizing that she was abusing drugs to avoid the pain and loneliness she was feeling.