Jamie Lee Curtis’ Sister Kelly Curtis Dead at 69
Jamie Lee Curtis is in mourning after a devastating loss.
The Freakier Friday star shared that her sister Kelly Curtis died May 30. She was 69.
“A warm aloha to my older sister, Kelly Lee Curtis,” Jamie wrote on Instagram May 30 alongside a throwback pic of Kelly. “She passed away this morning. In her home. In nature. At peace.”
“She was my first friend and lifelong confidant,” The Bear actress added. “She was jaw droppingly beautiful, and a talented actress. She played a mean game of hearts, collected turtles, loved her family, nature, music, thrifting, travel, Facebook, and Pokémon Go. She was proud of her Danish roots and Hungarian Jewish ancestry and was a devoted American patriot.”
Kelly made her onscreen debut at just 2 years old in the 1958 film The Vikings, which starred her parents Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.
After graduating from Skidmore College with a degree in business in 1972, she worked as a stockbroker before studying acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute.
Though Kelly had her own fruitful career in showbiz, appearing alongside Jamie in 1983’s Trading Places and the 1987 German comedy Magic Stick, she also served as an assistant to her younger sister on Freaky Friday (2003), Christmas With the Kranks (2004) and You Again (2010).
Photo by Brian To/FilmMagic
In addition to Jamie, Kelly is survived by her husband Scott Morfee as well as her siblings Alexandra Curtis, Allegra Curtis and Ben Curtis, who Tony welcomed in later marriages. He was also dad to son Nicholas Curtis, who died in 1994 of a heroin overdose.
Aside from her career, Kelly “will be remembered for her loving generosity, fierce opinions, endless curiosity, unique style, and her powdered, almond, crescent cookies at Christmas, hence her name, Auntie Cookie.”
“Kelly always signed off any message or fare thee well with a Hungarian blessing…,” Jamie added. “Isten Veled, God is with you.”
She continued, “Isten Veled to my sister of the sun and the moon, my Tai. I’ll see you on down the line.”
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