Jamie Lee Curtis says that she has dabbled with retirement more than once, but keeps coming back. She sat down for a chat with Willie Geist on Today, spilling the beans about her acting retirement plans. The Oscar and Emmy-winning actress admitted that she has “claimed retirement” multiple times.
Curtis also talked about why walking away on her own terms matters more to her than an official exit date. Still, she is choosing the roles that satisfy her, and for now, it keeps her working.
Jamie Lee Curtis says she wants to quit acting on her own terms
Jamie Lee Curtis didn’t mince words about how often she’s thought about having a retirement. She explained, “I have probably claimed retirement four times. Specifically because I want to get out before you no longer ask me to be in.” (via Today)
Jamie Lee Curtis has been shaped by watching her parents’ careers, she said in one of her previous interviews. Seeing how Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis were gradually sidelined left a mark. Thus, she’s been “prepping to get out” so she doesn’t suffer the same fate, a point Curtis has discussed in recent profiles and interviews.
That perspective is a big reason the 67-year-old has been deliberate about the work she still takes on. She continued, “I just don’t want to have the same sad feeling of missing out on the thing that gave me my life force, which was my work. I wanted to go like, ‘OK, I’m done, I’ll be done.'”
Willie Geist, however, noted that Jamie Lee Curtis keeps returning to the industry even as she considers retirement. As a result, she has even won an Academy Award in 2023 and an Emmy in 2024.
On how this moment in her career feels, Curtis reveals, “Perfect. There’s nothing about it that isn’t just feeling perfect. I’m so happy it’s happening now, like, at my age. I’m trying to make sure that I check my boxes off before I go. But I’m having a really good time. It’s awesome!”
Originally reported by Preksha Sharma on ComingSoon.
