Jamie Lee Curtis should have been nominated for an Oscar for these films | Pretty Reel

Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress and producer whose career spans over four decades. Curtis made a name for herself in her film debut as Laurie in John Carpenter’s Halloween. Since then, she’s starred 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’ amazing career is nothing short of impressive as she single-handedly kept the Halloween franchise afloat with her phenomenal performances. Although she has received many accolades over the years, this Scream Queen has never managed to land an Oscar nomination. That, of course, could change this year as the actress is currently in the running for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Everything, Everything At Once (via Gold Derby). More recently, in fact, Curtis picked up a Golden Globe nomination, per Vulture, so she’s definitely in the Oscar conversation this year. That being said, there were times when she should have been nominated before – here’s a list.

9/9 Exchange locations

Paramount Pictures

Trading Places tells the story of executive 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 accuse Winthrope of a crime he did not commit and replaces Winthrope with Valentin. When Winthrope and Valentine discover the brothers’ scheme, the pair team up for revenge. Curtis stars as Ophelia, a kind sex worker who helps Winthrope with his plan. The role of Ophelia came at a time when Curtis had been cast in the Scream Queen roles. Curtis’ performance in this departure from his typical job earned him a Golden Globe nomination and a BAFTA win, a performance that deserved an Oscar nomination.

8/9 A fish called Wanda

MGM

A Fish Called Wanda is a heist comedy that revolves around British mobster George and his assistant Ken, who recruit arrogant Americans Wanda and Otto for their next diamond heist. The heist goes horribly wrong and the crew ends up double-crossing, 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 one of his best performances to date. Curtis’ performance earned the actress her first Golden Globe for Best Actress and a BAFTA nomination. Among these distinctions, an Oscar nomination should have been part of it.

7/9 true lies

Lightstorm Entertainment

True Lies follows the life of secret spy Harry Tasker who must hide his dangerous job from his family. As Harry tracks down nuclear missiles in the possession of the jihadist Aziz, he discovers that his wife Helen is planning an affair with a used car salesman who claims to be a spy. Aziz kidnaps both Harry and Helen, leaving their fate and the fate of the world in Harry’s hands. Directed by James Cameron, this action-spy comedy won Curtis the Golden Globe for Best Actress and the Saturn Award for Best Actress. Considering Curtis received both a Golden Globe and a Saturn Award, an Academy Award should have been considered for this outstanding performance, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.

6/9 Halloween (1978)

Compass International Pictures

The original Halloween is what launched Curtis’ career in horror. In this pitch-perfect slasher, Curtis stars as Laurie Strode, a teenage girl whose Halloween babysitting night quickly turns into a horrifying one as Laurie is terrorized by Michael Myers, who 15 years after her sister’s murder returns to his hometown to continue his murder. party. Directed by John Carpenter, Halloween spawned a film franchise with a total of 13 films, several of which saw the return of Curtis. Halloween is considered one of the greatest and most influential horror films ever made, and Curtis’ performance should have received an Oscar nomination.

5/9 At loggerheads

Lions Gate

Knives Out is an American crime film that revolves 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 cast members of the set, playing Harlan’s daughter, Linda, who is dying to get her hands on her father’s fortune. Alongside several 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 Best Supporting Actress nomination.

4/9 Weird Friday

Pictures of Walt Disney

In this remake of the original Freaky Friday, Curtis stars as single mother Tess Coleman, who clashes with her teenage daughter Anna. After reading some very cryptic fortunes at a Chinese restaurant, Anna and Tess wake up the next morning to find they have changed bodies. Unable to turn back the clock, the two men are forced to behave like each other, gaining new respect for the roles they each play. Curtis won a Golden Globe for his performance, a performance even worthy of an Oscar.

3/9 Halloween (2018)

Universal images

While the original Halloween spawned a number of sequels, not all of them are notable. One such sequel worth its weight in gold is Halloween (2018). Set 40 years after the attack on Michael Myers, Halloween revolves around Michael returning to Haddonfield to finish off Laurie, only this time Laurie is set to take him down. Curtis returns to his original role, breaking new box office records thanks to his return to the franchise. Halloween received such acclaim that it received two sequels, but it also should have received an Oscar nomination for Curtis’ performance.

2/9 My daughter

Imagine Entertainment

My Girl tells the story of Vada whose life has been nothing but tragedy since birth. Between the death of her mother and her father running a funeral home, Vada struggles to find the good in life. She struggles at school, with others mocking her for her weird interests and the fact that her best friend is a boy, as she deals with her romantic feelings for her English teacher. Curtis stars as Shelly De Voto, a divorcee who develops a relationship with Vada and her father, Harry, acting as a kind of mother figure to the young girl. In one of Curtis’ most underrated roles, My Girl shows her in a whole new light, earning an Oscar nomination.

1/9 The Fog

Debra Hill Productions

Another John Carpenter movie 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 over the town and corpses begin to pile up. Curtis stars as Elizabeth, a hitchhiker who discovers the body of a dead fisherman. Although the film was not well received by critics, it was a box office success and has since become a cult classic, earning more retrospective positive reviews over the years. Yet another of Curtis’ most underrated roles, his performance in The Fog should have earned him an Oscar nomination.