Jamie Lee Curtis Opens Up About "Acceptance" and "Owning" Aging at 65
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Jamie Lee Curtis opened up about how she found self-acceptance at 65.
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?” she said.
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.
The journey to self-love is a long and winding one for anyone, and for Curtis, it included battling an opiate addiction. After a plastic surgery “for hereditary puffy eyes” in 1989, she was prescribed strong pain medication and became reliant on it. Now, decades later, she told Today how her sobriety journey shaped the personal contentment she has now.
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.”
With that has come a step away from prioritizing people pleasing, she added. “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.” Now, although she is thoughtful about her communication (and let’s be honest, she’s the ultimate hype woman), she doesn’t overthink it to her disadvantage. “I say what I mean, I mean what I say and I try not to say it mean,” she said.
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.”
“We may well make this into a movie at some point. That would be fun,” she said of Mother Nature. “Maybe I’ll direct it, maybe I’ll co-direct it, maybe I’ll be in it, and maybe I’ll do all of it.” Because when you’re fully self-acceptant, you have nothing to lose.
Adding this tidbit to our list of JLC wisdom to live by, stat.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s free 24/7 hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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