The Halloween franchise's most iconic visage is Michael Myers's hauntingly nondescript face, but the series of irrepressible horror films also owes a healthy dose of its success over the years to one of the genre's original scream queens: Jamie Lee Curtis. As Laurie Strode, the series' original final girl, Curtis turned herself into one of Hollywood's most beloved actors.

Laurie's transformation from victim to hero has made her one of horror's most interesting and longest-surviving heroes. Her history with Michael Myers and the Halloween franchise is complicated, encompassing over 40 years and numerous reversals of fortune, including coming back from the dead, not once but twice. Since Jamie Lee Curtis has ended her association with the series following Halloween Kills, it's the perfect time to reflect on the films she was in and the legacy she left behind.

How Did Jamie Lee Curtis Get the Role of Laurie Strode?

The Actress Acknowledges that Her Lineage Likely Played a Role

Before Jamie Lee Curtis starred as Laurie Strode in the original Halloween in 1978, she had to earn the part. While speaking with The New Yorker in 2019, Curtis explained that she auditioned many times for the role until it finally came down to her and one other actress, saying:

"And then it was between me and one other woman, whose name I know, but I will never say publicly."

Jamie Lee Curtis is self-aware enough to know that one of the primary reasons she wound up beating out that other actress for the role was her family ties. As the child of Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis, Jamie Lee Curtis is the daughter of Hollywood royalty. More specifically, she's the child of Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis.

Tony Curtis was one of Hollywood's most prolific actors, starring in classic Hollywood films such as Some Like It Hot. Meanwhile, his wife, Janet Leigh, famously played Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock's quintessential horror film, Psycho. Reflecting on landing the role of Laurie Strode, Jamie Lee Curtis openly attributes her bloodline as the primary reason she got the role, saying:

"I'm sure the fact that I was Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis' daughter and that my mother had been in Psycho [helped]. If you're going to choose between this [actor] and this [actor], choose the one whose mother was in Psycho, because it will get some press for you."

Halloween Was Jamie Lee Curtis's Film Debut

Halloween's premise is deceptively straightforward. In the peaceful town of Haddonfield, residents are unaware that a monster haunts the streets, searching for blood. Hired to be a babysitter for the night, Laurie Strode soon faces pure evil once the unstoppable killing machine, Michael Myers, strikes.

When Jamie Lee Curtis first stepped into Laurie Strode's shoes at 19 years old in 1979, what she relished about the opportunity was to portray someone she felt was very different from herself. Speaking with Drew Barrymore at New York Comic Con in October 2022, Curtis said:

"[Laura Strodie] didn't look like me, she didn't dress like me, she didn't think like me. I barely got out of high school; she was like the valedictorian of her class. There was a real opportunity for me to be an actor."

The original (and best) Halloween became a landmark film in the horror genre. Shot on a budget of just $300,000, Halloween earned over $47 million worldwide, turning itself into a recognizable franchise and its lead actress into a star.

Halloween II Further Established Curtis as a Lead Actress

Jamie Lee Curtis returned to confront Michael Myers again in the '80s sequel, Halloween II. While the first film might have turned her into a star, this second film ensured Curtis finally earned what she was worth as her salary increased by more than ten times its original amount, jumping from $8,000 for the original movie to $100,000 for this sequel.

Picking up where the first film left off, Halloween II sees Laurie transported to the hospital after barely surviving her initial encounter with Michael Myers. Of course, her nightmare isn't over yet as Myers returns once again, infiltrating the hospital looking to finish what he started by ending Laurie's life.

For a franchise that never intended to be one in the first place, Halloween II does an excellent job of continuing Laurie Strode's harrowing story. Even more importantly, this entry went a long way toward establishing the character as one of horror's most iconic final girls. Unfortunately, the film didn't perform as well in theaters as the first, resulting in the next entry going down a different path entirely.

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later Sees Jamie Lee Cutris Make Her Long-Awaited Return to the Franchise