Kelly Curtis Biography
Kelly Lee Curtis (born June 17, 1956) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in Magic Sticks (1987) and The Devil's Daughter (1991).
Early life
Kelly Curtis was born in Santa Monica, California, the oldest child of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Her younger sister is actress Jamie Lee Curtis. Her paternal grandparents were Hungarian-Jewish immigrants and two of her maternal great-grandparents were Danish. The rest of her mother’s ancestry is German and Scots-Irish. She has four half-siblings, from her father's remarriages, Alexandra Curtis; Allegra Curtis; Nicholas Curtis, who died of a drug overdose; and Benjamin Curtis.
Curtis' first appearance on the silver screen was as a young girl in the United Artists action/adventure The Vikings (1958) starring her parents. Her parents divorced in 1962, and her mother later married Robert Brandt.
In 1978, she graduated from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York with a degree in business. She worked briefly as a stockbroker.
Career
Curtis studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Ins*ute. An article in the Los Angeles Times of July 28, 1982, about the play Say Goodnight, Gracie reads, in part, "Kelly Curtis is Ginny, sadly resigned to not being smart but smartly settled for honest responses. Here, writing and performance transcend one-note designation. Seated quietly, Curtis delivers a touching monologue that would have been the heart of another and better play, rather than a disarming moment of inspired simplicity." She played the role as Shirley in the comedy Magic Sticks (1987) and starred in the leading role as Miriam Kreisl in the horror film The Devil's Daughter (1991).
On September 14, 1989, she and playwright/producer Scott Morfee (born 1954) were married. The couple were then working together on his play with music, Shout and Twist, which she was not only appearing in, but producing.
Curtis was a regular cast member in the role as Lieutenant Carolyn Plummer during the first season of the crime/action television series The Sentinel (1996). Her guest appearances on TV include roles on The Renegades (1983), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), and Judging Amy (1999). She has worked as a production *istant on Freaky Friday (2003), Christmas with the Kranks (2004), and You Again (2010).
Filmography
- The Vikings (1958) as young girl (uncredited)
- Trading Places (1983) as Muffy
- Magic Sticks (1987) as Shirley
- Checkpoint (1987) as Joyce
- The Devil's Daughter (1991) as Miriam Kreisl (starring role)
- Ex-Cop (1992) as Officer
- Mixed Blessings (1998) as Annie Weaver
- June (1998) (short film)
Production crew
- Freaky Friday (2003), production *istant
- Christmas with the Kranks (2004), *istant
- You Again (2010), *istant
Television films
- Kojak: Ariana (1989) as Whitley
- Thanksgiving Day (1990) as Barbara Schloss
- False Arrest (1991) as Mary Durand
- Search and Rescue (1994)
Series television
- The Renegades episode: Target: Marciano (1983) as Cynthia Holtson
- The Equalizer episode: No Conscience (1986) as Vicki; episode: No Place Like Home (1988) as Paula Whitaker
- Hunter episode: The Reporter (1991) as Amy Rivers
- Silk Stalkings episode: Curtain Call (1992) as Sara Lawton
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode: Captive Pursuit (1993) as Miss Sarda
- The Sentinel (1996) as Lt. Carolyn Plummer
- LateLine episode: Karp's Night Out (1999) as Shelly
- Judging Amy episode: Last Tango in Hartford (1999) as Leslie Wirth
References
External links
- Kelly Curtis at IMDb
- Stockton honors legend Janet Leigh with plaza; Jamie Lee and Kelly Curtis speak at ceremony
- "F is for ... Fealty,' Image of Kelly with her sister Jamie Lee in 2008, Time Magazine
- Janet Leigh and Kelly Curtis at It Runs in the Family film premiere
