Jamie Lee Curtis Listened to Steely Dan on ‘Beautiful,’ Youthful ‘Halloween’ Set
Jamie Lee Curtis has been in dozens of blockbuster movies, but one of her most noteworthy roles was in 1978’s Halloween. The actor recently talked about what it was like to work on the now-classic horror movie — including what music the cast and crew listened to.
The success of ‘Halloween’
Halloween was directed and co-written by John Carpenter, who is now one of the biggest names in horror. Carpenter is also the creative mind behind The Fog and The Thing.
Curtis stars in the franchise as Laurie Strode, a woman who is constantly battling against the serial killer, Michael Myers. Her starring role in Halloween was also Curtis’ big-screen debut. Halloween ended up grossing $70 million, making it one of the most profitable independent films of all time.
It is considered one of the greatest and most influential horror movies ever made, and was even selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Jamie Lee Curtis calls ‘Halloween’ set ‘beautiful’
Curtis recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about her time on the set of the first Halloween movie. Curtis called Carpenter “quiet and very focused on what he needed.” This was due in large part to the movie’s small budget — just $300,000 — and a tight, four-week schedule.
“There wasn’t a lot of hanging around. There wasn’t a lot of talking,” Curtis recalled. However, “there was a lot of working.” The actor also spoke about what it was like to be on the set of the first movie.
“I loved being part of that group of young filmmakers,” she enthused. “The oldest person on the crew was John Carpenter and he was 30.” Curtis shared that the young crew played “Hey 19” by Steely Dan while working on Halloween, “and I was 19!”
The actor called the making of the first Halloween movie “beautiful…just youth and community, and that’s what I remember.”
Will Jamie Lee Curtis come back for another ‘Halloween’ movie?
Curtis would go on to star in Halloween II, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, Halloween: Resurrection, Halloween (2018), and Halloween Kills. The latest installment in the franchise, Halloween Ends, debuts on October 14, 2022.
Halloween Ends is the end of the horror classic franchise, and Curtis is getting ready to say goodbye to one of her most iconic characters.
“I need to now cut [Laurie] loose and let her live in the minds and hearts of the fans that have supported her,” Curtis explained. “I now get to go off and do my own thing.” However, that might not mean a complete end to Laurie Strode. The actress said it would be “stupid” to say she would never be in another Halloween movie ever again, and many fans are hoping Curtis will continue to show up in the series.
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