She cannot stand the horror film genre that made her famous, but she is also grateful to it. Jamie Lee Curtis is fearful and gets afraid during the shooting. Perhaps, that is why she is so persuasive as Laurie Strode, the Halloween heroine that she interpreted over the years, and that contributed to her being awarded the Golden Lion as a lifetime achievement.
With her androgynous style, the ironic, jaunty actress seems far from the Hollywood stereotypes. Thriller is a sort of karma for her. Beyond slasher and suspense, she sees more meaningful insights in the films she interprets: sisterhood in adversity, the victory upon her demons, and the ability to look forward. Now, she is working on the third episode of the Halloween Kills trilogy (presented at the Venice Film festival) and is due to be released in 2022 with Halloween Ends.
What does the Golden Lion represent to you?
It might appear as a lifetime achievement, but today I feel more creative than at the beginning of my career, and I’m very honoured.
You seem to feel particularly at ease as Laurie Strode
I’ve been working on this character for 43 years, something unprecedented in cinema. I grew up with her; I saw her changing over time: she’s clever, brave, romantic, and able to act against adversities. A message of strength for the women.
How do you work in constructing the character?
I don’t have training in acting, so I prepare myself emotionally. I have a fearful attitude, a reason why, when you see me terrified on the screen, it’s because I am. That makes my interpretation seem more natural and explains why I hate thriller movies: I hate being frightened.
What’s Halloween Kills message?
We are all human beings. The viewers sympathize with Laurie because, like her, they fight against their demons. During the last shot of Halloween (the first chapter of Gordon Green’s trilogy in 2018), when I got to the set, all the crew stood up silent to let me know that they were close to me – we were all in the same shoes.
What are the movie’s strong points?
Its truthfulness first. Authentic circumstances are created: actual people in real places. There are no artificial scenes, and brutality is not construed.
In your films, there is often an eternal conflict between good and evil. Don’t you think that it is all too present today?
You just need to turn on the TV to figure it out, especially in some places in the world. Good does exist, but we only see its sporadic, little victories. It’s a difficult age, but it’s not the only one. And if we look at history, we’ll realize that evil has often been defeated by its opponent.
What three films in your career do you feel as most important?
It’s not easy to choose, maybe Halloween, A Fish called Wanda, and True Lies.
What do you love most about working in film?
That a group of people gets together to share a project and that the result comes from synergy is very moving for me. I see the film crew as a family with the best moments spent together.
