You Need To Watch *These* Jamie Lee Curtis Movies Before The Oscars
- 1/16
1) 'Halloween' (1978)
Jamie’s breakout movie, Halloween, follows the return of Michael Myers, a killer who once murdered his 17-year-old sister and has just recently escaped after finishing his 15-year psychiatric hospital sentence. At 23 years old, she played the role of Laurie Strode, who—spoiler alert—almost becomes one of his new victims.
Compass International Pictures, Aquarius Releasing, Sony Pictures - 2/16
2) 'Prom Night' (1980)
This slasher movie is about a murderer who is trying to avenge the death of a classmate who died after being bullied by four high school students. Jamie takes on the role of prom queen Kim Hammond, the dead girl's sister—hence, the movie’s title.
Astral Media, Embassy Pictures - 3/16
3) 'Terror Train' (1980)
You might be sensing a theme here. Terror Train follows a fraternity—who’s helped by Jamie’s character, Alana—that hazes a pledge so cruelly, he has to be institutionalized. Several years later, the six college students responsible for the event are followed by a masked killer at a New Year’s Eve party on a train.
20th Century Studios - 4/16
4) 'Roadgames' (1981)
Jamie starred in yet another thriller in 1981, called Roadgames, about a truck driver who picks up a hitchhiking heiress (Jamie). The truck driver starts to think a man in a green van on his same route is killing young women. He follows him in an attempt to catch a possible killer.
GUO Film Distributors (Australia) AVCO Embassy Pictures (International) - 5/16
5) 'Blue Steel' (1990)
To ring in the '90s, Jamie dipped her toe into crime (instead of terror) films and starred as a rookie cop in Blue Steel. After she kills a convenience store robber, Jamie's character fails to notice a commodities trader taking the dead man’s gun. When the police arrive, they hold him accountable, and he ends up going on a killing spree.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Vestron Pictures - 6/16
6) 'Forever Young' (1992)
Jamie stars alongside Mel Gibson and Elijah Wood in Forever Young, a sci-fi and romance film about a pilot who was frozen in 1939 in a cryogenics test. The pilot wakes up in 1992 with an aging body. Jamie takes on the role of Claire Cooper, the mother of a young boy who accidentally frees the pilot.
Warner Bros. - 7/16
7) 'Halloween: Resurrection' (2002)
One of the many sequels to 1978’s Halloween, this horror film stars Rick Rosenthal, Busta Rhymes, and Tyra Banks next to Jamie, who got busy reprising her role as Laurie Strode. In this movie, college students film a webcam reality show in Michael Myers' old home. When Michael finds out, things start to go ~wrong~.
Dimension Films and Miramax Films - 8/16
8) 'Freaky Friday' (2003)
Freaky Friday marks my personal introduction to Jamie Lee Curtis, and I haven’t looked back since. In this film, Jamie stars alongside Lindsay Lohan. The two play a mother-daughter duo who couldn’t be more different.
When the two mysteriously change bodies, their personalities continue to clash, but they’re forced to live life in one another’s shoes, literally, and learn some lessons along the way.
Fun fact: Jamie was nominated for a 2004 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical for this role!
Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, FilmFlex - 9/16
9) 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' (2008)
Yes, Jamie Lee Curtis was in Beverly Hills Chihuahua. The all-star cast—she’s joined by George Lopez and Drew Barrymore—make this movie the ~magical~ story it is. When spoiled Beverly Hills chihuahua Chloe gets lost in Mexico, she has to get help from other street dogs to get home. Jamie plays Aunt Viv, Chloe's owner.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures - 10/16
10) 'You Again' (2010)
I used to literally watch this movie nonstop, so you know I had to include it.
The iconic cast includes Kristen Bell, Sigourney Weaver, Betty White, and Jamie Lee Curtis, who come together to tell the story of a bullied-in-high-school woman who returns home for her brother’s wedding—only to find out he’s marrying her biggest nemesis. Jamie stars as Gail, the bullied woman (Kristen Bell's) mom.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures - 11/16
11) 'Veronica Mars' (2014)
Jamie joins Kristen Bell once again in this film, and she stars as another woman named Gayle! The Veronica Mars movie follows Veronica, who’s interviewing with New York law firms when she finds out her ex-boyfriend has been accused of murder.
Veronica becomes suspicious as she helps her BF figure out his case, and…you’ll have to watch the movie to find out what happens. Jamie has a smaller role in this one, playing Gayle Buckley, an employer at one of the law firms where Veronica interviews.
Warner Bros Pictures - 12/16
12) 'Spare Parts' (2015)
Spare Parts is about four Hispanic students who create a robotics club with no experience, competing to get to the national robotics contest. Jamie plays Principal Karen, acting alongside George Lopez.
Pantelion Films, Televisa, Brookwell McNamara Entertainment, Travieso Prods., Circle of Confusion - 13/16
13) 'Knives Out' (2019)
I’d argue that this movie is the very best on this list. Knives Out follows the death of the crime novelist, Harlan Thrombey. Everyone in the Thrombey family becomes a suspect, and detective Benoit Blanc must discover who is responsible for Harlan's death. Jamie plays Linda Drysdale, the novelist's oldest daughter.
Lionsgate Films - 14/16
14) 'Halloween Kills' (2021)
Jamie returns to her role as Laurie Strode once again in Halloween Kills. The previous movie ended with Laurie trapping Michael Myers, but this time, he’s escaped and is trying to kill again. Laurie teams up with the boy she babysat the night Michael first started killing, and together, they try to take him down...again.
Universal Pictures - 15/16
15) 'Halloween Ends' (2021)
The most recent installment of the Halloween movies takes place four years after Laurie Strode last saw Michael Myers. She’s living a quiet life, but things unravel once again when a young man is accused of murdering a boy he babysat.
Universal Pictures - 16/16
16) 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' (2022)
This movie—which might earn Jamie her first Oscar win(!!!)—stars Michelle Yeoh, who plays a Chinese immigrant who goes on a crazy journey in the multiverse. It’s hard to describe the plot, but TL;DR, she has to save existence by learning about the other universes and the other lives she could’ve lived. Casual.
Jamie plays Deirdre Beaubeirdre, an IRS inspector. She’s already gotten some good noms for this role, including from the BAFTAs and Critics Choice Awards, for Best Supporting Actress, and from the Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture.
I’m rooting for ya, Jamie!
A24
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Jamie Lee Curtis has been acting since 1977 and now she's up for her first Oscar for 'Everything Everywhere All At Once.' Here are her best movies to binge.