Jamie Lee Curtis is looking back on nearly five decades in Hollywood with a candid and heartfelt reflection on how her career first began.
The Oscar-winning actress, 67, marked the milestone in an Instagram post on March 31, sharing a side-by-side glimpse of her journey from a young aspiring performer to one of the industry’s most respected stars.
One image showed Curtis at around 19 years old in one of her earliest roles as a waitress on a 1977 episode of Columbo, while second photo captured her present-day self in a sleek black outfit, glasses and her signature short blond hair.
“Next year, I will I’ve been an actress for 50 years. I was never going to be an actor. I thought I’d be a cop. I was telling the story on set of my early jobs as an unnamed waitress on a Columbo episode when I was a contract player at @universalpictures,” Curtis wrote.
The actor further added, “And now I am a producer, HBIC, a costar with @nicolekidman and collaborator on #scarpetta @primevideo @nowscreamingpv @blumhouse @comet.pictures @blossomfilms
“There was no future tripping,” she shared. “It was just each job, one job at a time, grateful for any opportunity and patience. Lots of patience.”
Since her debut in the late 1970s, Curtis has built a career filled with iconic performances across genres, starring in films such as Trading Places, A Fish Called Wanda, True Lies, Freaky Friday and Knives Out. In 2023, she earned her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once.