‘Halloween’: Jamie Lee Curtis Thinks She Should Have Played This Character in the Original Film

Jamie Lee Curtis played Laurie Strode in the original Halloween, which would go on to become one of her most memorable characters in the horror genre. Despite the character’s legacy, Curtis thinks that her own personality could have been better suited to play Laurie’s friend Annie Brackett, who was played by Nancy Kyes.

“I, quite frankly, should have been cast in the smart ass [role],” Curtis shared with TooFab, noting that she ultimately got to play “a full character” as opposed to being cast to merely model a “cute pair of jeans.”

She added, “The fact that [director John Carpenter] cast me as the intellectual, thinking, quiet girl, at a time when people asked me what size jeans I wore, made me understand that I was an actress and really what it is, is I became an actress.”

Prior to joining Halloween, Curtis had multiple roles in TV shows, yet it wasn’t until she took on the role in the film that she fully comprehended her worth.

“I don’t think I was an actress before. I think I was just a performer and I became an actress on Halloween,” Curtis revealed.

In the 40 years since that film, Curtis has gone on to star in countless successful films, including A Fish Called Wanda, True Lies, and Trading Places. The actress noted that by starring in the new Halloween sequel, she had a similar reaction to the one she had when she was in the first film, as she was given the chance to perform yet another complex character.

“And [director] David [Gordon Green], I’ll literally start to sob at the table and that would be embarrassing, but I really do believe that David gave me a chance to be an actress again,” she pointed out. “Because I haven’t. I sold yogurt that makes you sh-t for seven years. And it’s really beautiful to be able to have done something that has some depth. It’s been amazing.”

This new film marks the fifth time she’s played the character, though she didn’t always approach the franchise with the same passion. Curtis starred in 1998’s Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, her first appearance since 1981’s Halloween II, yet she admitted it was mainly for the paycheck.

“H20 started out with best intentions, but it ended up being a money gig,” Curtis shared with Variety. “The film had some good things in it. It talked about alcoholism and trauma, but I ended up really doing it for the paycheck.”

Fans can see Curtis in the new Halloween, which hits theaters on October 19th.

Do you think the film would have been different if Curtis played Annie? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!

[H/T TooFab]