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BIO
Jamie Lee Curtis is a critically-acclaimed and best-selling author. Her most recent book, TODAY I FEEL SILLY and OTHER MOODS THAT MAKE MY DAY enjoyed an extraordinary nine weeks on the New York Times best-seller list. It has sold over 750,000 copies to date. Other best-selling titles include TELL ME AGAIN ABOUT THE NIGHT I WAS BORN and WHEN I WAS LITTLE: A Four-Year Old's Memoir Of Her Youth. All of Curtis' picture books have been illustrated by the acclaimed artist, Laura Cornell. Her fourth book, WHERE DO BALLOONS GO? An Uplifting Mystery will be published in September 2000.
Curtis has demonstrated her versatility as a film actress with starring roles in such acclaimed films as the blockbuster True Lies opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, for which she earned a Golden Globe Award, and Trading Places with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd for which she earned a British Film Academy award for Best Supporting Actress. Most recently Jamie starred in Halloween: H2O, which was the 20 year sequel to Halloween, —the now classic film which first brought her to the attention of audiences worldwide. Other memorable leading film role performances include A Fish Called Wanda, Fierce Creatures, Virus, Dominick And Eugene, Blue Steel, My Girl, My Girl Ii, Forever Young, Mother's Boys, House Arrest and Love Letters.
In television, Curtis co-starred opposite Richard Lewis in the acclaimed sitcom Anything But Love which earned her both a Golden Globe and People's Choice Award, as well as TNT's adaptation of the Wendy Wasserstein play The Heidi Chronicles which also earned her a Golden Globe nomination. More recently, Jamie starred in the CBS telefilm Nicholas' Gift for which she received an Emmy nomination.
Curtis began her Hollywood career in 1977 when she signed on as a contract player with Universal Studios. She was a regular on the television series Operation Petticoat when she was cast in Halloween. That role lead to subsequent roles in Prom Night, Terror Train and The Fog.
Jamie Lee Curtis is the mother of Annie and Thomas. She has been married for 16 years to actor/director Christopher Guest.
© Copyright 2002, HarperCollins.com. All rights reserved.
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AUTHOR TALK
A Talk with Jamie Lee Curtis: Actor, Author, Mom
by Shannon Maughan
Jamie Lee Curtis has been entertaining us for more than 20 years with her roles in such films as Halloween, A Fish Called Wanda and True Lies. But lately, she's been happy to take on another role, that of picture book author. Her first book for children, WHEN I WAS LITTLE: A Four-Year-Old's Memoir of Her Youth, illustrated by Laura Cornell, was published to warm reviews in 1993. Curtis followed up that title with a tender story about adoption, TELL ME AGAIN ABOUT THE NIGHT I WAS BORN in 1996. And just last year Curtis penned TODAY I FEEL SILLY: And Other Moods That Make My Day, which quickly became a favorite of parents, kids and booksellers and spent the final nine weeks of 1998 on the New York Times bestseller list --- no small feat for a children's book.
With such success, Curtis has proven that she's hardly a flash in the pan, or just one of many celebrities dabbling in another line of work. This fact makes her extremely proud. "I'm 40 years old and I've had all sorts of successes since I first became an actor at 18," Curtis says. "But I'd have to say that having my book land on the New York Times bestseller list is the greatest achievement of my external [professional] life. To have a book --- something from my head --- speak to people on some level means more than any awards or movies or ratings."
Though she seems like a natural, Curtis never intended to write books for kids. "It wasn't any grand plan or dream of mine to write a children's book," she says. "I wrote my first book because my daughter said something funny about her experiences. The idea that a four-year-old talked about her past with the same incredulity that an adult would, made me laugh out loud. My intentions were very pure."
The idea for Curtis's second book, TELL ME AGAIN ABOUT THE NIGHT I WAS BORN, was also inspired by her children, Annie and Tom. TELL ME AGAIN is a heartfelt and joyful celebration of becoming a family, something Curtis knows about firsthand. And, of course, Curtis's rich homelife fueled the creative fire behind TODAY I FEEL SILLY, which explores the roller-coaster of emotions kids can feel from day to day, even moment to moment.
It's clear, after reading any of her picture books, that the role Curtis relishes most of all is that of Mom. But fans needn't worry. In between the times she spends with her children and husband, Christopher Guest, or on a movie set, Curtis is working on a new book. Though she won't be quitting her day job anytime soon, Curtis says, "being a part of the publishing world is truly frosting for me," says Curtis, "and it's the most delicious kind."
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