Jamie Lee Curtis Admits She Has A Trick To Getting More Screen Time In Films

Feb 16, 2023 by apost team

Jamie Lee Curtis' dynamic acting career transcends over four decades. Although she is the offspring of two talented Hollywood movie stars, Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis, she did not initially want to be an actress. 

According to Biography.com, Curtis was attending the University of the Pacific when she decided to try her hand at acting. Curtis auditioned for the role of the brilliant teenage detective Nancy Drew. After not receiving the part and only finishing one semester of college, Curtis dropped out of school and began to focus on her acting career. 

Curtis' breakthrough role came in 1978 when the then 19-year-old Curtis starred as Laurie Strode in John Carpenter's horror movie classic "Halloween." Although the award-winning actress is heavily associated with horror films, her dynamic acting abilities have helped her create a diverse portfolio of hit movies across several genres. 

According to Movie Web, Curtis' most memorable movies include "Knives Out," "A Fish Called Wanda," "My Girl" and "Freaky Friday."

With her extensive acting credentials, many would be surprised that it was only last January 2023 that Curtis was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in the A24 film "Everything Everywhere All At Once." Along with her co-stars Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Stephanie Hsu, the four main characters all received competitive acting nominations from the Academy. 

In an interview with Insider, Curtis revealed her ultimate secret to how she got more screen time in her films, especially in "Knives Out," which led her to bag more movies and projects at the age of 64. 

Read on to learn more about Curtis' secret.

In 2022, Curtis solidified her mark in the industry as she became part of one of the biggest films of the year – “Everything Everywhere All At Once” – in which she starred alongside Yeoh, Quan, and Hsu. 

In the film, Curtis is one of the supporting characters that stand in the way of the main protagonist — Yeoh’s character, Evelyn Wong. She is considered by many as a driving force of the story; Curtis portrayed several versions of her character, a loving wife, a distressed IRS auditor-turned-villain, and even an alien version of herself. Because of this, many have lauded Curtis for the breadth and range that she displayed throughout the movie. 

Curtis received plenty of recognition for the role. She received a Best Supporting Actress nomination from the Golden Globe Awards, the British Academy Film Awards, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, the Florida Film Critics Circle, the Georgia Film Critics Association, the Hollywood Critics Association Awards, the Houston Film Critics Society, Satellite Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards, among many others. 

Another movie she was very known for was Rian Johnson’s ensemble mystery thriller film “Knives Out.” Playing Linda Drysdale, Christopher Plummer’s character’s eldest daughter, Curtis was acclaimed in her role as the distressed household head. She received a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role. 

On Feb. 11, 2023, Curtis attended the 2023 Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF). 

She will be honored with the prestigious Maltin Modern Master Award, an award created in honor of an individual who has enriched culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry. It was named after longtime SBIFF moderator and renowned film critic Leonard Maltin.

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While on the red carpet for the 2023 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Curtis revealed to Insider her ultimate secret on how she got more screen time in her recent movies like "Knives Out," which is an ensemble production. 

"Here's the deal," she said. "It's my secret sauce. Don't go back to your trailers. Trailers are not your friend. Jonathan Wang, our producer of 'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' will tell you I never left the set. I don't believe in it."

As a result of Curtis staying on the set long enough, Johnson, the director, made a big decision that impacted both the film and Curtis' career. 

"He once called me his MVP on 'Knives Out,' and when he was asked why, he said, 'Because she was always on set. She never left the set.' He ended up using me in shots he wasn't going to use me in because I was on set," she added. 

This work ethic is something that Curtis has brought with her in "Everything Everywhere All At Once," which is why it was not a shocker that she earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the role. 

Despite the accolades, Curtis has remained grounded. 

"I'm a sober woman. And so I like the phrase 'chop wood, carry water.' I just try not to focus on the show business part and just try to be a part of my family and my friends. I'm not drawn by all of the show business or 'show-off' business stuff," she continued. 

Curtis was blessed with more projects; she will be starring alongside Cate Blanchett in "Borderlands," with Nicole Kidman on "Kay Scarpetta," and in the Disney supernatural ensemble film "Haunted Mansion."

Are you a fan of Jamie Lee Curtis? What's your favorite movie of hers? What do you think about her ultimate secret in getting more movie screen time? Do you think she deserves to be recognized because of her roles? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other Jamie Lee Curtis fans!