Quote of the Day: Jamie Lee Curtis on Sobriety

Like mother, like daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis is a scream queen. The actress made her on-screen debut as Laurie Strode, the final girl in the 1978 film “Halloween,” following in her mother’s footsteps to become a horror icon. Janet Leigh left a mark on the genre as Marion Crane in “Psycho,” letting out an epic scream before getting stabbed in the shower by Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). Although Curtis got her start in what became a successful franchise, she never stuck with it.

The actor has starred in many memorable films, including “Perfect”, “My Girl”, “Freaky Friday” and “Knives Out”. Yet his most impressive achievement was his 2023 Oscar win for his supporting role in “Everywhere All at Once.” At the time, Curtis was 64 years old and had been in the industry for almost 45 years. This milestone changed his career for the better, with the actor even becoming a co-star on the hit FX series “The Bear”, winning an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

Curtis remains booked and busy, wrapping up another season of Prime Video’s crime series “Scarpetta” and preparing to star as Jessica Fletcher in a reboot film of “Murder She Wrote.” Yet aside from her acting endeavors, she has also become a strong advocate for addiction recovery. Today’s quote shows how Curtis found his way to sobriety and helped others overcome similar struggles with drug and alcohol addiction.

“I didn’t know that when I got sober, I would meet other people facing the same demons, who were in the same prison and who found the same salvation.”

The quote above is from an interview Jamie Lee Curtis did with AARP in 2025. From booking one role after another to putting on the producer hat for multiple projects, Curtis is happy to be able to create opportunities for herself and others in the industry.

Curtis also spoke about the freedom that sobriety has given him. Since beginning her journey to recovery, she has met others who have also had their own addiction issues and found a way to overcome them. “They are the ones who understand,” she added.

The deeper meaning of Jamie Lee Curtis’ quote is the importance of realizing that you don’t have to be alone to get or stay sober. There are many other people seeking community while battling their own vices, and together you can find the strength to carry on.

Curtis became addicted to opioids following an eye operation she had in 1989 and thought she could hide her struggle from everyone in her life. When people around her started to notice what was happening, Curtis knew she needed help. What inspired her to sign up for her first recovery meeting was reading an article by Tom Chiarella for Esquire in which he discussed his own experience with painkiller addiction.

The actor later realized that the relief that a drink or drug could provide was momentary. “Whatever relieved you of previous feelings will remind you that they are still there,” she said in the AARP interview. The “Halloween” star has been sober for nearly 30 years and is an inspiration to those looking to abstain from addiction.

• “To call oneself an alcoholic or a drug addict is a badge of honor, because that secret, that shameful secret, is why this is such a pervasive disease in our industry, in every industry, in every socioeconomic strata, in every country in the world. It’s the secret shame that keeps people locked into their illness.” – from his 2019 interview with Variety

• “We’re all struggling, but I think there are some beautiful people. I think you can find kindness everywhere you go…Just turn down the noise and start listening to your heart more, and you’ll naturally be drawn to people who do the same thing.” – from her SXSW 2026 red carpet with USA Today