Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress and producer whose career has spanned more than four decades. Curtis made a name for herself in her film debut as Laurie in John Carpenter's Halloween. Since then, she has gone on to star in a number of slashers, including Prom Night, Terror Train, and The Fog, earning her the title of Hollywood Scream Queen. While Curtis' work was originally limited thanks to this title, she broke out into a number of other genres, including comedies like A Fish Called Wanda and Freaky Friday.
Curtis' astounding career is nothing short of impressive as she's managed to single-handedly keep the Halloween franchise afloat with her phenomenal performances. While she has received a number of accolades over the years, this Scream Queen has never managed to snag an Oscar nomination. This, of course, might change this year as the actress is currently in the Best Supporting Actress race for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once (via Gold Derby). Most recently, in fact, Curtis scored a Golden Globe nomination, per Vulture, so she's certainly in the Oscars conversation this year. That being said, there have been times when she should have been nominated before — here's a list.
9 Trading Places
Trading Places tells the story of exec Louis Winthrope III (Dan Aykroyd) and hustler Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy), who are the targets of a bet by brokers Mortimer and Randolph Duke, who frame Winthrope for a crime he did not commit and replace Winthrope with Valentine. When Winthrope and Valentine discover the brothers' scheme, the pair team up to get revenge. Curtis plays the role of Ophelia, a kind sex worker who helps Winthrope with his plan. The role of Ophelia came at a time when Curtis had been type-casted in Scream Queen roles. Curtis' performance in this departure from her typical work earned her a Golden Globe nomination and a BAFTA win, a performance that deserved an Oscar nomination.
8 A Fish Called Wanda
A Fish Called Wanda is a heist comedy that revolves around British gangster George and his aide Ken, who recruit arrogant Americans Wanda and Otto for their upcoming diamond heist. The heist goes horribly wrong, and the crew ends up double-crossing each other, which ends up with Wanda trying to seduce George's lawyer for information while Ken attempts to kill an elderly witness. Curtis plays the title character of Wanda, which is considered to be one of her best performances to date. Curtis' performance earned the actress her first Golden Globe for Best Actress and a BAFTA nomination. Among these accolades, an Academy Award nomination should have been in the mix.
7 True Lies
True Lies follows the life of secret spy Harry Tasker who must hide his dangerous job from his family. While Harry is tracking down nuclear missiles in possession of jihadist Aziz, he discovers that his wife Helen is considering having an affair with a used-car salesman who claims to be a spy. Aziz kidnaps both Harry and Helen, leaving their fates and the fate of the world in the hands of Harry. Directed by James Cameron, this spy action comedy earned Curtis a Golden Globe for Best Actress and the Saturn Award for Best Actress. Considering that Curtis received both a Golden Globe and a Saturn Award, an Academy Award should've been considered for this outstanding performance, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.
6 Halloween (1978)
The original Halloween is what kick-started Curtis' career into the realm of horror. In this perfect slasher, Curtis plays the role of Laurie Strode, a teen whose night of babysitting on Halloween quickly turns into a horrifying night as Laurie is terrorized by Michael Myers, who 15 years after murdering his sister returns to his hometown to continue his killing spree. Directed by John Carpenter, Halloween spawned a film franchise with a total of 13 movies, several of which have seen Curtis return. Halloween is considered one of the greatest and most influential horror films ever made, and Curtis' performance should have received an Academy Award nomination.
5 Knives Out
Knives Out is an American mystery film revolving around the mysterious death of Harlan Thrombey. Detective Benoit Blanc investigates, and everyone in the Thrombey family is a suspect. Curtis is one of the members of the ensemble cast, playing the role of Harlan's daughter Linda, who is dying to get her hands on her father's fortune. Starring alongside a number of big names including Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, and Ana de Armas, Curtis shines on-screen. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, but Curtis' performance should have received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
4 Freaky Friday
In this remake of the original Freaky Friday, Curtis stars as single mother Tess Coleman, who butts heads with her teen daughter Anna. After reading some very cryptic fortunes at a Chinese restaurant, Anna and Tess awake the next morning to discover they have switched bodies. Unable to switch back, the pair are forced to behave as one another, earning a newfound respect for the roles they each play. Curtis earned a Golden Globe for her performance, a performance even worthy of an Academy Award.
3 Halloween (2018)
While the original Halloween has spawned a number of sequels, not all of them are noteworthy. One-such sequel that is worth its weight in gold is Halloween (2018). Set 40 years after the attack from Michael Myers, Halloween revolves around Michael returning to Haddonfield to finish Laurie off, except this time, Laurie is prepared to take him down. Curtis returns in her original role, breaking new records in the box-office thanks to her return to the franchise. Halloween was subject to such praise that it received two sequels, but it also should've received an Oscar nomination for Curtis' performance.
2 My Girl
My Girl tells the story of Vada whose life has been nothing but tragedy since she was born. Between her mother's death and her father running a funeral home, Vada has a hard time finding the good in life. She struggles at school, with others making fun of her for her odd interests and the fact that her best friend is a boy, while she deals with her romantic feelings for her English teacher. Curtis plays the part of Shelly De Voto, a divorcee who develops a relationship with Vada and her father, Harry, acting as a sort of mother-figure to young girl. In one of Curtis' more underrated roles, My Girl shows her in a whole new light, deserving of an Oscar nomination.
1 The Fog
Another John Carpenter film that Curtis starred in was The Fog. The film revolves around a small California town where a series of strange events begin to occur and inanimate objects come to life before an iridescent fog descends on the town and the dead bodies begin to pile up. Curtis stars as Elizabeth, a hitchhiker who discovers the body of a dead fisherman. While the film was not critically well-received, it was a hit at the box office and has since become a cult classic, earning more retrospective positive reviews over the years. Yet another one of Curtis' more underrated roles, her performance in The Fog should have earned her a nomination at the Academy Awards.