‘My mother said no’: Jamie Lee Curtis reveals she was approached for iconic horror role at 12, and she’s thankful it didn’t happen

Jamie Lee Curtis may be known today as Hollywood’s iconic “Scream Queen,” but her journey in the horror genre could have begun much earlier, if not for a decision made by her mother. As it turns out, Curtis nearly entered the world of horror films as a child, years before her famous breakout roles.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Curtis recently appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show, where she shared a surprising behind-the-scenes story from her childhood. According to the actress, a producer once wanted her to audition for The Exorcist, the legendary 1973 horror film. At the time, Curtis was just 12 years old.

She explained that the producer had noticed her at a party and was struck by her lively and playful personality. He later reached out to Curtis’s mother, Janet Leigh, herself a Hollywood icon best known for Psycho, to suggest that young Jamie audition for the film, which was being adapted from William Peter Blatty’s bestselling novel.

Janet Leigh prioritized her daughter’s childhood over early fame

However, Leigh quickly shut the idea down. Curtis revealed that her mother refused to allow her to audition, likely wanting to protect her daughter from the dark and disturbing subject matter of the film. As a result, Curtis missed what could have been her first major step into the horror genre.

“He called my mom and said, ‘Hey, I’m producing the movie of the book The Exorcist.’ Will you let Jamie audition for it?’” Curtis revealed. “And at the time I was probably 12 and, like, cute and kind of sassy and I had some personality, and I’m sure he saw me at a party and was like, ‘Oh, she’d be funny.’ And my mother said, ‘No.’”

While she didn’t land a role in The Exorcist, Curtis would go on to define horror cinema years later with Halloween and many other genre classics, proving that her path to becoming a horror legend was simply delayed, not denied.

Curtis is grateful her mother made that choice. She believes Leigh protected her from the problems of child stardom. She also avoided any emotional harm that could come from acting in a scary movie so young.

Curtis talked to Barrymore about having a normal childhood. She thanked her mom for giving her that gift. Barrymore started acting at age 7 in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982 and didn’t have the same protection. Many child actors face similar challenges, like Macaulay Culkin’s difficult experience filming Home Alone.

Linda Blair got the role of possessed child Regan in The Exorcist instead. Curtis made her horror debut later at 19 years old. She played Laurie Strode in Halloween in 1978.

Curtis went on to star in many horror films over her long career. She appeared in more Halloween movies, The Fog, Prom Night, Terror Train, and Road Games. These roles made her a legend in the horror genre. The horror genre has produced numerous iconic films, some of which have been inspired by real-life events that continue to captivate audiences.

Her mother’s decision to say no turned out to be the right call. Curtis got to have a childhood and still became the Scream Queen on her own terms.