Jamie Lee Curtis’ sister Kelly dead at 69: Shattered Freaky Friday star announces loss of ‘my first friend’
Jamie Lee Curtis announced with great sadness on Saturday that her older sister, Kelly Curtis, had died at the age of just 69.
They were both in Hollywood from the moment they were born; They were the daughters of Some Like It Hot star Tony Curtis and Psycho actress Janet Leigh.
They both followed in their parents’ footsteps towards the acting profession; Kelly has appeared in films such as The Devil’s Daughter, a 1991 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento, whose previous credits include the original Suspiria.
He also worked behind the scenes in show business, including as a production assistant on Jamie Lee’s films Freaky Friday, Christmas with the Kranks and You Again.
Sharing on Instagram on Saturday, Jamie Lee announced that her sister died at home on Saturday morning, but refrained from explaining the reason.
Saluting her sister’s ‘loving generosity’ and ‘tough opinions’, the distraught Halloween star mourned the loss of her ‘first friend’ and ‘lifelong’ confidant.
The Daily Mail has contacted Curtis’ representative for further comment.
Jamie Lee Curtis announced with sadness on Saturday that her older sister, Kelly Curtis, had died at just 69 years old; The couple was photographed in 2012
Both were famous from the moment they were born; They were the daughters of Some Like It Hot star Tony Curtis and Psycho actress Janet Leigh.
‘A warm hello to my sister, Kelly Lee Curtis. He passed away this morning. At his house. In nature. At peace,” Jamie Lee wrote.
‘He was my first friend and lifelong confidant. She was jaw-droppingly beautiful and a talented actress. “He played the cruel game of hearts, collected turtles, loved his family, nature, music, thrifting, travel, Facebook and Pokémon Go,” he added.
Kelly ‘was proud of his Danish roots and Hungarian Jewish ancestry and was a staunch American patriot,’ Jamie Lee wrote fondly.
Jamie Lee continued: ‘She will be remembered for her loving generosity, fierce ideas, endless curiosity, unique style and the dusty, almond-crescent cookies she baked at Christmas, hence her name, Auntie Cookie.’
The True Lies actor recalled: ‘Kelly always signs any message or bids you farewell with a Hungarian blessing… Ask Brat, God is with you.’
Jamie Lee concluded his words as follows: ‘Listen to Tai’ye Brat, the sister of the sun and the moon. See you later.’
Kelly was born in Santa Monica in 1956, two years before her movie star parents welcomed younger sister Jamie Lee into the world.
Behind the glamorous façade presented by Hollywood promotional shots of their family paradise, the marriage between the girls’ parents was falling apart dramatically, ending in divorce when Kelly was only six years old.
Kelly has appeared in films such as The Devil’s Daughter (pictured), a 1991 Italian horror film directed by Dario Argento, whose previous credits include the original Suspiria.
Kelly (left) and Jamie Lee (right) are photographed with their mother (center), who raised them in the 1980s after her divorce from Tony Curtis.
During the 2000s, Kelly worked alongside her older sister and served as a production assistant on the films Freaky Friday, Christmas with the Kranks and You Again; pictured 2007
Devastated Halloween star mourned the loss of her ‘first friend’ and ‘lifelong’ confidant; The sisters are pictured at the 1994 premiere of Jamie Lee’s film True Lies.
Tony Curtis claimed in his memoirs that he finally acted on impulse after a particularly brutal fight; At the end of this fight, Janet, well lubricated with whiskey, swallowed a ‘handful’ of pills and had to slap him on the back to make him vomit.
‘Sad to say, Kelly and Jamie have always been against me,’ Tony wrote, adding that the girls’ mother had full custody, which was customary at the time, and I’m sure she filled their heads with all sorts of negative stories about me.
Despite the turmoil and troubles of his upbringing, Kelly’s father said he was ‘always extremely practical’ and recalled that when Kelly saw a television for the first time at the age of four, he sat behind it and explained to his father that he was ‘trying to see where the pictures and sounds were coming from’.
Taking an early interest in the mechanics of show business, Kelly studied at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute, named for the head of the Actors Studio.
He made his film debut at the age of two in his parents’ film The Vikings, and appeared occasionally in films as an adult.
Kelly had a brief appearance in Jamie Lee’s classic 1983 comedy Trading Places, starring Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy and Don Ameche.
He also became the star of the 1987 adventure comedy Magic Sticks, in which a young Samuel L. Jackson played a homeless man.
In 1991, she played perhaps her most remembered role in the Italian horror film The Devil’s Daughter: an American schoolteacher in Germany who is the target of a Satanic cult determined to impregnate her with their antichrist.
Kelly was born in Santa Monica in 1956, two years before her movie star parents welcomed younger sister Jamie Lee into the world; family pictured in 1959
Behind the glamorous appearance presented by Hollywood promotional shots of family paradises, the marriage between the girls’ parents was falling apart dramatically; pictured 1960
The film was directed by Italian ‘Master of Horror’ Dario Argento, whose daughter is the daughter of scandal-plagued actress Asia Argento, whose films include Suspiria, Deep Red and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.
Kelly also guest-starred on several classic TV shows from the 1980s and 1990s, including The Equalizer, Hunter, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Sentinel and Judging Amy.
His father stated in his memoirs: ‘Kelly wanted to be an actress and eventually made some changes to work in films, but it never really made her happy.’
She also acted in theater and married playwright and producer Scott Morfee in 1989, but the marriage fell apart and her stage career never resulted in stardom.
In the 2000s, Kelly worked alongside her older sister, serving as a production assistant on three of her films: the 2003 classic Freaky Friday starring Lindsay Lohan, the 2004 Christmas with the Cranks starring Jamie Lee and Tim Allen, and the 2010 romantic comedy You Again, starring Kristen Bell and Sigourney Weaver.
Tony Curtis, who died in 2010 aged 85, paid tribute to her in his book: ‘Kelly was an incredibly generous and caring person, sweet and giving.’
