Jamie Lee Curtis was born for the Hollywood life, given that she was the daughter of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. But being from a high-profile family also presents its own set of challenges. Something that even Lee Curtis was not immune to. Despite having the versatility to be an actor, she was constantly labeled a nepotism baby. But even this status couldn’t stop the actress from getting fired from the ABC show Operation Petticoat.
While this might have been a huge disappointment for her given that she was just 19 years old at the time, However, this setback led her to her career’s biggest break, which was the Halloween franchise.
A set-back that brought forth a huge opportunity for Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis is undoubtedly a prominent figure in Hollywood. But she’s also had her fair share of ups and downs. But a prominent humiliation came her way when she was fired from the ABC show Operation Petticoat. Interestingly, her father, Tony Curtis, starred in the original movie that premiered in 1959. But even this was not enough for the creators to show her the door.
The actress has talked about her nepotism status many times. But a resurfaced Instagram video took viewers to 2023’s SAG Awards. In this, the actress won the award for Female Actor in a Supporting Role for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once. During her speech, she shared a very valuable anecdote with the audience. She added:
I signed a seven-year contract to Universal Studios and starred in an ABC TV series called Operation Petticoat. Which was based on a movie that my father, Tony Curtis, nepo baby, starred in. (Further) I was fired from that TV show, a year later, and I thought my life was over.
Lee Curtis added that while it was disappointing at that moment, this setback also had a silver lining attached to it. She added that if she hadn’t been fired from the show, she would not have auditioned for the movie Halloween (1978).
What she saw as a small, low-budget movie turned out to be the greatest movie franchise of her career.
Jamie Lee Curtis Shared Her Thoughts on the Nepotism Debate
Jaime Lee Curtis, the daughter of actor Tony Curtis and actress Janet Leigh, has faced the nepotism tag throughout her life. In 2022, she posted a family photo on Instagram consisting of her parents and her sister Kelly Curtis. In the post, the actress detailed a long caption, with the initial sentence being, “I have been a professional actress since I was 19 years old, so that makes me an OG Nepo Baby.”
Curtis further detailed that she never understood why she was hired for certain roles. But she has always appreciated her heritage and the influence it has had on her career trajectory. Further adding that throughout more than four decades of her career, she has faced advantages as well as setbacks because of it. But at the end, she also believes in her own hard work and merit.
You can rent all the Halloween movies on Apple TV.
