The actress Jamie Lee Curtis He recalled a strange moment from his childhood that may have changed his career very early on. When he was just 12 years old, he was a producer on the film adaptation of The Exorcist considered whether she should audition for the role Regan MacNeilthe possessed girl who became an icon of horror cinema.
How Curtis commented on the program Drew BarrymoreRay Stark, friend of his mother, the legendary actress Janet Leigh (psychosis) asked him if he would let his daughter audition for the film based on the novel by William Peter Blatty. But despite her daughter’s enthusiasm The answer was immediately “no”.
Although at that time, at the age of 12, the future actress of Halloween He did not understand the reason for his mother’s refusal; Over the years, he realized it was about protection.
Leigh, already feeling the effects of fame, He tried to delay his daughter’s massive media exposure as much as possible so that she could have a normal and peaceful childhood.
“My mother wanted me to have a childhood, thank God. And I understand that you didn’t have one. You didn’t have that option.” said during the conversation with Barrymore, who achieved international fame as the film’s protagonist at the age of seven ET, the alien, from Steven Spielberg.
Because of this, she became famous as the girl from The Exorcist Was Linda Blairwho received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for her role when she was just 14 years old.
A far cry from that frustrated audition The ExorcistJamie Lee Curtis’ connection to horror cinema was ultimately built gradually and, above all, consciously.
Unlike other child stars, she landed in Hollywood when she was already an adult and had her own identity, which she attributes to her mother’s early decision to protect her from the studio system. This time off the radar allowed her to educate herself, make mistakes and make decisions without having to bear the burden of an insatiable industry since childhood.
Her real turning point came in 1978 when she was selected at just 19 years old John Carpenter stare Halloween. The film not only redefined cinema and became a classic, but also made Curtis an instantly recognizable face.
Be Laurie Strodean ordinary teenager faced with absolute horror became an archetype that would define generations and that she would revisit decades later, already transformed into a central figure in the genre.
Since then, Curtis has built a career that has managed to defy stereotypes: he alternates horror films with comedies, dramas and family films, always conscious of his position in the industry.
Over time, she evolved from the “Scream Queen” to a reference, combining prestige, longevity and a critical eye on Hollywood, very different from what she could have had if her story had started too early in a possessed room.
Thanks to his work and a career without shortcuts, Curtis achieved one of the most important awards in the industry in 2023 Win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress from Everything everywhere at the same time. The award came after more than four decades of experience and acted as a late but powerful consecration.
For Curtis, the award closed a circle that began far away from children’s scenes and confirmed that time can also play in his favor in Hollywood.
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