Kelly Curtis
Kelly Curtis | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Curtis in 1979 | |
| Born | Kelly Lee Curtis June 17, 1956 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1958, 1983–present |
| Spouse |
Scott Morfee (m. 1989) |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Jamie Lee Curtis (sister) Allegra Curtis (half-sister) |
Kelly Lee Curtis (born June 17, 1956)[2] is an American actress. She is known for her roles in Magic Sticks (1987) and The Devil's Daughter (1991).
Early life
[edit]Kelly Curtis was born in Santa Monica, California, the oldest child of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Her younger sister is actress Jamie Lee Curtis. Her paternal grandparents were Hungarian-Jewish immigrants[3] and two of her maternal great-grandparents were Danish.[4] The rest of her mother’s ancestry is German and Scots-Irish. She has four half-siblings, from her father's remarriages, Alexandra Curtis; Allegra Curtis; Nicholas Curtis, who died of a drug overdose;[5] and Benjamin Curtis.[citation needed]
Curtis' first appearance on the silver screen was as a young girl in the United Artists action/adventure The Vikings (1958) starring her parents. Her parents divorced in 1962, and her mother later married Robert Brandt.[citation needed]
In 1978, she graduated from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York with a degree in business. She worked briefly as a stockbroker.[1]
Career
[edit]Curtis studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute.[6] An article in the Los Angeles Times of July 28, 1982, about the play Say Goodnight, Gracie reads, in part, "Kelly Curtis is Ginny, sadly resigned to not being smart but smartly settled for honest responses. Here, writing and performance transcend one-note designation. Seated quietly, Curtis delivers a touching monologue that would have been the heart of another and better play, rather than a disarming moment of inspired simplicity."[6] She played the role as Shirley in the comedy Magic Sticks (1987) and starred in the leading role as Miriam Kreisl in the horror film The Devil's Daughter (1991).
On September 14, 1989, she and playwright/producer Scott Morfee (born 1954) were married.[7] The couple were then working together on his play with music, Shout and Twist, which she was not only appearing in, but producing.
Curtis was a regular cast member in the role as Lieutenant Carolyn Plummer during the first season of the crime/action television series The Sentinel (1996). Her guest appearances on TV include roles on The Renegades (1983), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), and Judging Amy (1999). She has worked as a production assistant on Freaky Friday (2003), Christmas with the Kranks (2004), and You Again (2010).
Filmography
[edit]- The Vikings (1958) as young girl (uncredited)
- Trading Places (1983) as Muffy
- Magic Sticks[8] (1987) as Shirley
- Checkpoint (1987) as Joyce
- The Devil's Daughter (1991) as Miriam Kreisl (starring role)
- Ex-Cop (1992) as Officer
- Mixed Blessings (1998) as Annie Weaver
- June (1998) (short film)
Production crew
[edit]- Freaky Friday (2003), production assistant
- Christmas with the Kranks (2004), assistant
- You Again (2010), assistant
Television films
[edit]- Kojak: Ariana (1989) as Whitley
- Thanksgiving Day (1990) as Barbara Schloss
- False Arrest (1991) as Mary Durand
- Search and Rescue (1994)
Series television
[edit]- The Renegades episode: Target: Marciano (1983) as Cynthia Holtson
- The Equalizer episode: No Conscience (1986) as Vicki; episode: No Place Like Home (1988) as Paula Whitaker
- Hunter episode: The Reporter (1991) as Amy Rivers
- Silk Stalkings episode: Curtain Call (1992) as Sara Lawton
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode: Captive Pursuit (1993) as Miss Sarda
- The Sentinel (1996) as Lt. Carolyn Plummer
- LateLine episode: Karp's Night Out (1999) as Shelly
- Judging Amy episode: Last Tango in Hartford (1999) as Leslie Wirth
References
[edit]- ^ a b Schindehette, Susan (1990). "Tony and Janet's Other Daughter, Kelly, Proves That Jamie Lee's Not the Only Curtis Kid with Acting Genes". People. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
- ^ "Kelly Curtis Followed in Acting Footsteps of Famous Father". CBS News. New York City. September 30, 2010. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ "Jamie Lee Curtis Interview: Starring as Herself: Embracing Reality". Reader's Digest. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2009.
- ^ There/Hollywood, page 6, 1985, by Janet Leigh
- ^ "Family for Tony Curtis" Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ a b Mahoney, John C. "'Say Goodnight, Gracie' Off Target." Los Angeles Times. July 28, 1982. p. G2. Retrieved 2016-12-31. "Kelly Curtis is Ginny. [...] All participants have been associated with the Lee Strasberg Theater [sic] Institute."
- ^ Smith, Liz. "The younger [sic] daughter of Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis was quietly wed Sept. 14." Los Angeles Times, Nov. 14, 1989. p. P9. Retrieved 2016-12-31.
- ^ Magic Sticks at The New York Times
External links
[edit]- Kelly Curtis at IMDb
- Stockton honors legend Janet Leigh with plaza; Jamie Lee and Kelly Curtis speak at ceremony
- "F is for ... Fealty,' Image of Kelly with her sister Jamie Lee in 2008, Time Magazine
- Janet Leigh and Kelly Curtis at It Runs in the Family film premiere
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
- 20th-century American actresses
- Living people
- 1956 births
- Actresses from Santa Monica, California
- American film actresses
- American people of German descent
- American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent
- American people of Danish descent
- American people of Scotch-Irish descent
- American television actresses
- Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute alumni
- Skidmore College alumni
- 21st-century American women
- Curtis family (show business)
- Jewish film people