Jamie Lee Curtis has been a Hollywood icon since she first began acting in the 70s. With starring
roles in hits like Halloween, My Girl, and Freaky Friday, and various awards under her belt,
it's obvious that she has had an illustrious career. To this day, she continues to demonstrate
her longevity and success with new projects every year. However, the movie star's road
to success wasn't as conventional as one would expect, and many people might not realize that
she was thrust into the spotlight long before she first graced our local theaters and TV screens.
You see, Curtis is the child of two iconic, talented actors — Tony Curtis and Janet
Leigh. Growing up in her parents' shadow definitely impacted Curtis, but ultimately,
she followed in their footsteps and pursued acting as many celebrity children often do.
Some might think that having celebrities for parents would be cause for a charmed life,
but for actress Curtis, it was not without its difficulties. Curtis was born on November 22nd,
1958, and her parents divorced by the time she was 4 years old.
She told More in an interview,
"By the time I came along [...] my parents' bond had deteriorated precipitously as
their stardom grew. [...] And, like any other save-the-marriage baby, I failed."
Curtis revealed in an interview with The Talk that her father was not a very involved parent, saying,
"My mother persevered through it all and survived; I'm not sure if my sister and I
did. [...] There was no Demi-and-Bruce amicable divorce or joint family vacations for us."
On top of the troubles she faced at home, growing up with a famous last name made it
difficult for Curtis to find her own identity and have a normal childhood.
She attended two different high schools, one in California,
and another in Connecticut for her senior year. Curtis said she was always
pretending to be like her peers and never comfortable just being herself, admitting,
"So if another girl was wearing her hair up in a ponytail,
the next day I'd do that. I said I liked whatever kind of music they liked."
The upside of this, however,
was that she felt her experiences in high school made her a better actress.
She said,
"I learned early to be a chameleon, to turn whatever color was needed."
Curtis was able to channel this ability, nabbing the lead role in
the now cult horror movie Halloween in 1978 at just 19 years old and soaring to fame.
Despite her newfound recognition, however, she at times still struggled with her self image.
She opened up to Variety about how her insecurities and the Hollywood
beauty standards led her to seek cosmetic surgery. She said that a cameraman made a
remark during a movie shoot about her puffy eyes, pushing her to go under the knife.
"[The cameraman] said, 'I'm not shooting her today. Her eyes are too puffy.'
I was so mortified and so embarrassed and had just so much shame about it that after
that movie [...] I went and had routine plastic surgery to remove the puffiness."
This surgery sparked other problems,
as she was prescribed Vicodin for the pain, and she got hooked.
Curtis said she was also an alcoholic and had other substance abuse issues,
which run in her family.
"It is the secret shame that keeps people locked up in their disease."
With the support of her family, Curtis overcame her addiction
and has maintained sobriety ever since. Nowadays, Curtis is known for her confidence
and for shamelessly rocking her silver locks, as she preaches self-love and age acceptance.
So how did the star go from being in such a low place to the fearless woman she is now?
She told Today,
"I didn't have any skills in the way that you would normally register
someone's success. [...] I wasn't good in school,
I wasn't an athlete, I wasn't particularly pretty, but I just sort of found my way."
Curtis was also one of the first celebrities to spark the no-makeup movement,
as in 2002 she posed in a no-makeup, no-Photoshop shoot for More magazine.
She said,
"It was an attempt at saying, 'I struggle with my own self-esteem.
I've never been a comfortable cover girl, but the girl in those photos
took off her clothes and stood there, letting her tummy relax. I was free."
As for aging with grace and not letting a number slow her down,
Curtis told the outlet she welcomes age. But what's her underlying secret?
She doesn't look in the mirror in the morning, of course. She said :
"I'm a 60-year-old woman. I am not going to look the same as I used to.
I turn my back to the mirror, and I feel great!"
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse and mental health,
please contact SAMHSA's 24-hour National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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