Jamie Lee Curtis is often called the original scream queen. In addition to being the star of the Halloween franchise, Curtis has portrayed iconic characters in many blockbuster films for over 40 years. While Curtis’s career is something to celebrate, the actress recently commemorated her mother’s acting legacy after her mom’s movie was named the best of all time. Really it was her mother who was actually the first scream queen.
For Curtis, acting runs in the family. Her mother is, of course, Janet Leigh, best known for her portrayal of Marion Crane in the 1960 film, Psycho. From the iconic shower scene to Norman Bates and his “mother,” the Alfred Hitchcock thriller is well known worldwide. In fact, it’s no surprise that Variety recently named Psycho the best movie of all time.
Curtis jumped at the chance to honor her mother for her role in the movie and her legendary acting career. In a recent Instagram post, Curtis shared, “I woke up this morning missing my mother and wishing she could see the beautiful family that I have and that her two daughters are well and thriving and for her to enjoy this magical, creative year I’m having, after such a long time in the same industry she loved.”
Like Mother, Like Daughter: A Family Of Scream Queens
Although none of the Halloween franchise didn’t make it on Variety’s top 100 movie list, Curtis has followed in her mother’s footsteps. Considered the original scream queen, Curtis is known for making the final girl trope a staple in horror movies. In fact, her portrayal of Laurie Strode in the Halloween movies set the stage for a female character to be the only one to survive when a killer is on the loose.
However, Leigh is genuinely the classic scream queen. Although best known for her role in Psycho, Leigh continued to make a name for herself in the genre. In fact, she starred with her daughter in two cult classics: The Fog (1980) and indeed, one of the Halloween flicks, 1998’s Halloween H20. Leigh passed away in 2004 at age 77.
Thankfully Leigh continues to receive recognition for her performance in the best movie of all time. After all, her influential role in Psycho single-handedly set the stage for her daughter and other women to carry on the horror movie tradition.