Jamie Lee Curtis shared that after her 2003 film Freaky Friday, she feared her acting career might be finished. The movie, which paired Curtis with Lindsay Lohan, showed Curtis as a strict mother who swaps bodies with her teenage daughter, a role that resonated with many viewers growing up in the 2000s.
Memorable Moments and Unexpected Talents in Freaky Friday
The film not only became a family favorite but also featured Curtis in one of her most iconic scenes, where she plays an electric guitar solo during the Pink Slip song “Take Me Away.” Fans may be surprised to learn Curtis actually performed the guitar parts herself. Despite this success, which added to her long-standing career, Curtis believed this might mark the end of her time in Hollywood.
Concerns Amid Industry Challenges and Personal Doubts
At age 40, Curtis worried her career would stall due to shifting industry attitudes toward actresses her age, especially as she described herself as “a little chubby.” Speaking to Page Six during the March 3 premiere of her new film Scarpetta, she revealed how she felt powerless over her career for many years.
“You know, until recently, I was not in charge of creating my own work,”
Jamie Lee Curtis said.
“I was always at the mercy of someone else hiring me.”
Taking Control and Overcoming Industry Ageism
It wasn’t until 15 years after Freaky Friday, with her starring role in the 2018 Halloween sequel, that Curtis began steering her own career path. This opportunity provided her with a platform to build her own business and become her own boss in a notoriously tough industry.
“[It] gave me enough of a platform to create a business where I could be my own boss,”
she explained.
Curtis criticized the entertainment world for its ageism and misogyny, noting that both have created barriers for many performers, including her own parents.
“I’m a practical person,”
she said.
“I’ve known the industry for a very long time. My parents were in an industry where they were more famous than I will ever, ever be, and the industry rejected them at a certain point.”
Her father, Tony Curtis, was known for roles like Spartacus in the 1960s, while her mother, Janet Leigh, gained fame for her role in Psycho, a film famous for its shower scene.
Freakier Friday Brings the Story Back with New Twists
Last year, Curtis returned to the franchise she once thought would be her final role in the series. The new sequel, Freakier Friday, announced a reunion of much of the original cast, including Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Stephen Tobolowsky, Lucille Soong, Rosalind Chao, and Lindsay Lohan.
This time, the story adds complexity by having the body swap occur between different characters rather than the original mother and daughter. The plot reveals that years after the initial events, Anna Coleman now has a daughter and a soon-to-be stepdaughter facing new family challenges.
“As they navigate the challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might strike twice.”
Jamie Lee Curtis said.
The Future of Jamie Lee Curtis’s Career
The return to Freaky Friday echoes Curtis’s broader career comeback, demonstrating her resilience in an industry known for rejecting aging actresses. Her experience shows how taking control and creating her own opportunities have allowed her to continue thriving.
Fans remain hopeful that this revival might lead to further installments, continuing the story of family, identity, and unexpected changes that have resonated for over two decades.
