Jamie Lee Curtis was born on November 22, 1958 in Santa Monica, California to her parents Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis. She has an older sister, Kelly, and several half-siblings: Alexandra, Allegra, Benjamin, and Nicholas.
After making her acting debut in an episode of Quincy M.E. in 1977, she began her first recurring role as Lt. Barbara Duran on Operation Petticoat. In 1978, she made her feature film debut as Laurie Strode in the horror film Halloween, which also became her breakout role.