Kelly Curtis Dies at 69:
Kelly Curtis, a 69-year-old actress and documentary filmmaker who was the daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, died early on Saturday. Jamie Lee Curtis, her younger sister, broke the news.
Jamie Lee Curtis Pays Tribute to Her Sister:
Jamie Lee Curtis stated that Kelly Curtis died “at home, surrounded by nature, peacefully” in an emotional social media message. She referred to her sister as her lifetime confidante and first friend.
Additionally, Jamie recalled Kelly Curtisas a stunning individual and a gifted actor who enjoyed playing Hearts, collecting turtles, spending time with her family, appreciating music and the outdoors, shopping for antiques, traveling, Facebook, and Pokémon Go. She went on to say that Kelly was an ardent American patriot and proud of her Danish and Hungarian Jewish ancestry.
Kelly Curtis passed away in Bellevue, Idaho, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The cause of her death has not been disclosed.
Acting Career in Film and Television:
In the 1983 movie Trading Places, Kelly Curtis made a brief appearance alongside her sister. She also acted in Dario Argento’s 1991 Italian horror thriller The Devil’s Daughter and the 1987 German comedy Magic Sticks.
In the first season of the UPN television series The Sentinel (1996–1999), she portrayed Lieutenant Carolyn Plummer. She also made cameos in TV series like Judging Amy, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Hunter, The Equalizer, and Silk Stalkings.
Early Life and Education:
On June 17, 1956, Kelly Curtis was born in Santa Monica, California. In the 1958 adventure movie The Vikings, which starred both of her parents, she made her on-screen debut.
She graduated with a business degree from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, in 1972. She worked as a stockbroker for a while after graduating before enrolling in the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute to pursue acting.
She belonged to The Actors Studio as well. She appeared on stage in the play Say Goodnight, Gracie in 1982.
Documentary Filmmaking and Behind-the-Scenes Work:
The 2018 documentary Marbie Jetz Are Go, which concentrated on an Australian high school track squad, was also directed by Kelly. She also assisted on a number of her sister’s movies, such as You Again (2010), Christmas with the Kranks (2004), and Freaky Friday (2003).
Family Background:
In 1951, her parents were married. They separated in 1962 following the birth of Jamie Lee Curtis in 1958. Her mother wed Robert Brandt, a businessman, later that year. They were married till Leigh passed away in 2004 at the age of 77. At the age of 82, Brandt passed away in 2009.
Tony Curtis was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in The Defiant Ones (1958). He was married six times before his away in 2010 at the age of 85. Additionally, he starred in iconic movies like Some Like It Hot (1959) and Sweet Smell of Success (1957). Janet Leigh gave outstanding performances in movies like Touch of Evil (1958) and The Manchurian Candidate (1962), and she was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Psycho (1960).
For her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), Jamie Lee Curtis received an Academy Award.
Philanthropic Efforts:
The restoration and reconstruction of the old Dohě Street Synagogue in Budapest, Hungary, were funded in part by Kelly Curtis and her father, Bernard Schwartz. The Emanuel Foundation, named for Tony Curtis’s father, Emanuel Schwartz, was used to carry out the project.
Survivors and Legacy:
Kelly Curtis’s second husband, John Marsh, a producer, filmmaker, and Professor Emeritus at the College of Southern Nevada, survives her along with her sister. The couple also started Liberty Films, a documentary production firm. Her half-siblings Alexandra, Allegra, Ben, and Nicholas, as well as her brother-in-law, actor and director Christopher Guest, also survive her.