Actress Jamie Lee Curtis has had a long and wildly successful career, dating back to John Carpenter's 1978 original Halloween movie. She’s had a serious renaissance over the last few years, leading up to her first Academy Award nomination for Everything Everywhere All at Once. On top of her talents as an actress, Curtis is also known for her advocacy work and sparkling personality. And she recently revealed the "secret sauce" that’s helped her during Knives Out and other Hollywood films.
Jamie Lee Curtis has been keeping super busy over the last few years, with a variety of exciting projects in addition to a new trilogy of Halloween movies. Chief among them was Rian Johnson’s whodunnit Knives Out, which has since grown into a full-blown franchise. She recently spoke to Insider about a not-so-secret strategy that she uses while on set, saying:
Here's the deal. 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.
Well, there you have it. While plenty of actors use their trailers to have either rest or preparation while filming, Jamie Lee Curtis does the opposite. She’d rather be closer to the set while working on projects like Disney’s upcoming Haunted Mansion movie. What’s more, she thinks that being near the action of the set has helped her throughout the years.
I can personally vouch for Jamie Lee Curtis’ penchant for staying away from her trailer. I was lucky enough to attend a set visit for the 2018 Halloween movie, where she was kind enough to speak with myself and other journalists. And while she wasn’t technically filming that day, she spent the rest of the day on set in full hair as Laurie Strode. Later in her same interview with Insider, she explained how this strategy got her more screen time in Knives Out, sharing:
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.
Between stories like this and Jamie Lee Curtis’ reputation for being a total badass when filming action sequences, it makes sense that she’s had such a long and successful career in the film industry. Curtis is someone willing to go above and beyond for her craft, which is why her recent Oscar nomination feels so right for her generations of fans. We’ll just have to wait and see if she manages to snatch that trophy, or if she’s beat out by Everything Everywhere All at Once co-star Stephanie Hsu.
All will be revealed when the Oscars air on March 12th. Jamie Lee Curtis has a number of exciting projects coming down the line including The Haunted Mansion and the Borderlands movie. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
