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Jamie Lee Curtis biography

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Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress, nicknamed the "Scream Queen" in the 1980's for her roles in several horror films including Halloween (1978), The Fog (1980) and Terror Train (1980). She is also an author of children's books.

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Curtis's real breakthrough, however, came in 1978. She starred in John Carpenter's classic horror film Halloween. The unexpected success of this film led to more work in the horror genre, including Prom Night (1980), The Fog (1980), and Halloween II (1981). She soon earned the nickname "Scream Queen" for her work in such films.

Later Television and Film Work

On the small screen, Curtis showed her dramatic talents in Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story. She played the title character, a Playboy model, who died at the hands of her abusive and controlling husband. Curtis also displayed her comic chops in the 1983 hit film Trading Places with Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. Her portrayal of a soft-hearted hooker helped take her career to a new level.

Curtis landed a number of leading film roles, with decidedly mixed results. She earned positive reviews for Love Letters (1983) and Grandview, U.S.A. (1984). Perfect (1985),however, proved to be anything but perfection. Starring opposite John Travolta, Curtis played an aerobics instructor in this box office dud.

In 1988, Curtis enjoyed another wave of success with the comedy A Fish Called Wanda starring John Cleese and Kevin Kline. She then starred in her own sitcom Anything But Love with comedian Richard Lewis. The show ran from 1989 to 1992. Curtis soon showed another side of her acting abilities, taking on the action-adventure genre in the film True Lies (1994). Co-starring with Arnold Schwarzenegger, she played a suburban wife who doesn't know her husband is a spy.

In recent years, Curtis has taken on few acting roles. She won praise for her work in the 2003 comedy Freaky Friday opposite Lindsay Lohan. Curtis also appeared in Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008) and You Again (2010). On the small screen, she has been the spokesperson for Activa yogurt since 2007.

Writing Career

Curtis is one of the few celebrity writers to win over both critics and readers. She has enjoyed tremendous success as a children's book author. Her first children's work, When I Was Little: A Four-Year-Old's Memoir of Her Youth, was published in 1993.

Much of her inspiration has come from her two children with actor-filmmaker Christopher Guest. The adoption of their oldest child, Annie, led to her second book, Tell Me Again About The Night I was Born (1996). Their son, Tom, also adopted, posed the question that led to Is There Really a Human Race? (2006).

Personal Life

Curtis has been married to filmmaker Christopher Guest since 1984. The couple lives in California with their two children.

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      Scream Queens

      Thanks to our unending fascination with all things terrifying, Hollywood is constantly churning out horror films for our enjoyment. With no end of gruesome combinations of stalking, murder and mutilation, these films hinge on the terrorizing of innocent victims by a sick, disturbed murderer. In the midst of all the bloodshed, actresses in the role of scream queen provide a dose of eye candy—and a killer set of lungs. Some of these women have made their name in horror flicks, while others have played one frighteningly convincing role. These are the women who have played some of the iconic scream queens of the big screen.

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      Celebrities Who've Written Children's Books

      You'll be surprised by some of the names included in Biography.com's group of celebrities who've written children's books. Dozens of celebs have penned literary works specially designed for kids, including Madonna, Billy Crystal, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jerry Seinfeld, Katie Couric, Whoopi Goldberg, Jay Leno and Queen Latifah. Find out who else has ventured into the imaginative world of children's books.

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      Silver Foxes

      Having silver hair in Hollywood doesn't just equate to getting along in years and becoming omnipotently wise; rather, when you think of men like Andersoon Cooper, Sean Connery, and Richard Gere, as well as women like Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep—the words sexy, debonair, and sophisticated also come to mind. Oh, and did we mention sexy? Meet some of our favorite Silver Foxes...

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