Honestly, if you only know Jamie Lee Curtis as the "Scream Queen" running from Michael Myers, you’re missing the best parts of her work. For decades, the narrative has been that she’s a film star who occasionally "does TV." That is just wrong.
Basically, she’s a television chameleon.
While everyone was obsessed with her cinematic lungs in the 1970s and 80s, she was busy quietly building a resume of shows that redefined what a "movie star" could do on the small screen. Most people don't realize she actually started there. Before she was Laurie Strode, she was taking guest spots on Quincy, M.E. and Columbo.
She didn't just stumble into The Bear by accident.
The TV Roots You Probably Forgot
Let's talk about Operation Petticoat. It was 1977. Jamie Lee was barely 19. The show was based on a movie her father, Tony Curtis, had starred in. It didn't last long—just a season or so—but it was the first time the world saw that her timing was as sharp as her scream.
Then came the sitcom era.
If you haven't seen Anything But Love, go find it. It ran from 1989 to 1992 and honestly, the chemistry between Jamie Lee and Richard Lewis was electric. She played Hannah Miller, a writer navigating the "will-they-won't-they" trope before it became a tired cliché. She actually won a Golden Globe for this in 1990. People forget that. They think her awards run started with Everything Everywhere All at Once, but she was dominating the sitcom world while Halloween sequels were still hitting VHS.
Why The Bear Changed Everything
Fast forward to now. If you watched season 2 or season 3 of The Bear, you know.
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Donna Berzatto.
Her performance as the chaotic, fragile, and utterly terrifying matriarch of the Berzatto family is arguably the best work of her life. It’s hard to watch. It’s stressful. In the episode "Fishes," she’s a ticking time bomb in a kitchen. But then, in the season 3 episode "Ice Chips," she pivots.
She becomes the anchor for her daughter, Sugar, during labor. It’s a masterclass in nuance. She goes from being the villain in her children's lives to being a woman who is just... trying. She won an Emmy for it in 2024, and frankly, she should probably win another.
The range required to go from the "Dean Munsch" camp of Scream Queens to the raw, visceral trauma of The Bear is massive. Most actors can't do both. She does it while making it look like she’s just hanging out in her own living room.
The Ryan Murphy Effect: Scream Queens
Speaking of Dean Munsch.
Scream Queens (2015-2016) was a weird, wonderful fever dream. It was Ryan Murphy at his most unhinged. Jamie Lee played the Dean of Wallace University, and she was leaning so far into the campiness it was brilliant. She even recreated her mother Janet Leigh’s famous Psycho shower scene, which felt like a beautiful, meta middle finger to anyone who thought she took herself too seriously.
It was a cult classic.
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It proved she could lead a young ensemble cast without overshadowing them, even though she was clearly the most interesting person in every scene.
What’s Coming in 2026: Scarpetta
This is the big one.
The thing people are going to be talking about all year is Scarpetta. It’s a massive new series for Amazon Prime Video, and it’s finally dropping on March 11, 2026. This isn't just another procedural.
She’s starring alongside Nicole Kidman.
They’re playing sisters. Kidman is Kay Scarpetta, the forensic pathologist from the Patricia Cornwell novels, and Jamie Lee is her sister, Dorothy. If you know the books, you know their relationship is... complicated. It’s fractured. It’s messy.
Jamie Lee isn't just acting in this one; she’s an executive producer. Her company, Comet Pictures, has been trying to get this made for years. It’s a passion project. The show jumps between two timelines—the 90s and the present day—and explores how trauma follows you home.
Every Jamie Lee Curtis Show You Should Actually Watch
If you're looking to catch up on the essential Jamie Lee Curtis shows, don't just stick to the hits. Here is the real-deal list of what matters in her TV filmography:
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- The Bear (Hulu): You need to see "Fishes" and "Ice Chips." No excuses.
- Anything But Love (ABC): If you can find the DVDs or a rare stream, do it for the 90s fashion and the Richard Lewis banter.
- Scream Queens (Fox): Pure horror-comedy gold. Watch season 1 for the mystery, season 2 for the hospital madness.
- NCIS (CBS): She had a great two-episode arc as Dr. Samantha Ryan. It was a rare chance to see her spar with Mark Harmon.
- New Girl (Fox): She played Jess’s mom, Joan. It’s short, sweet, and shows off her "cool mom" energy perfectly.
- Scarpetta (Amazon Prime): Mark your calendar for March 11. This is going to be the prestige drama of 2026.
The Reality of Her "Late Career" Surge
People love to talk about the "Jamie-Lee-Ssaunce," like she went away and came back.
She didn't.
She just stopped taking the boring roles. For a while in the 2000s, she was the "supporting mom" in movies like Freaky Friday (which just got a sequel, Freakier Friday, by the way). But TV gave her the space to be weird again. It gave her the space to be ugly, to be loud, and to be haunting.
The industry finally caught up to her.
She’s 67 now, and she’s busier than she was at 27. That’s rare. Especially for a woman in Hollywood. But she’s always been an outlier. She’s a "Nepo Baby" who actually worked for it. She’s a horror icon who hates being scared. And she’s a movie star who found her soul on television.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you want to dive deeper into her work, start with the "Ice Chips" episode of The Bear. It’s the perfect distillation of who she is as an actress right now. Then, compare that to an old clip of Anything But Love. The contrast is wild.
Keep an eye on Amazon Prime in March. Scarpetta is being developed by Liz Sarnoff (who worked on Lost and Barry), so the writing is going to be top-tier. This isn't going to be a "background noise" show. It’s going to be a "turn off your phone and pay attention" show.
Jamie Lee Curtis isn't slowing down. She’s just getting started on her next act.
Next Steps to Explore Her Career:
- Watch "The Bear" Season 3, Episode 8 ("Ice Chips") to see her Emmy-winning craft in a bottle episode format.
- Set a reminder for the "Scarpetta" premiere on March 11, 2026, on Amazon Prime Video to see her first major lead drama role in years.
- Look for "Anything But Love" clips on YouTube to understand her foundational comedic timing that paved the way for her modern success.
- Follow her production company, Comet Pictures, to see the horror and thriller projects she is currently developing behind the scenes.