Genetics are a wild thing, honestly. When you think of the daughter of Janet Leigh, your brain probably goes straight to that iconic profile—the high cheekbones, the sharp wit, and that gravelly voice that won an Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Jamie Lee Curtis.
She is, without a question, one of the most successful "nepo babies" to ever grace Hollywood, a term she embraces with a sort of self-deprecating shrug. But there’s a whole other side to this family tree that doesn’t get the "Scream Queen" headlines. Janet Leigh didn’t just have one daughter. She had two. And while one became a global household name, the other, Kelly Curtis, carved out a completely different, quieter path in the same shark-infested waters of the film industry.
It’s easy to get lost in the glitz. We see Jamie Lee winning Emmys for The Bear in 2024 and we forget that these women grew up in the shadow of a mother who literally defined the horror genre in Psycho.
The Curtis Sister Most People Forget
Kelly Lee Curtis was the first. Born in 1956 to Janet Leigh and the legendary Tony Curtis, she was the original blueprint. If you look back at the 1958 film The Vikings, you’ll see a tiny, two-year-old Kelly on screen with her parents. It was a Hollywood royal start.
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But Kelly's career didn't follow the rocket-ship trajectory of her younger sister. While Jamie Lee was dodging Michael Myers in 1978, Kelly was focusing on her education. She graduated from Skidmore College with a business degree. She even worked as a stockbroker for a minute. Can you imagine buying shares from the daughter of Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis?
Eventually, the "acting bug" bit. Or maybe it was just the family business calling her back. She studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and started landing roles that felt more grounded than the blockbuster slashers Jamie was doing. Think Magic Sticks (1987) or the lead in the Italian horror film The Devil's Daughter (1991).
Working in the Shadow (Literally)
One of the coolest things about the daughter of Janet Leigh dynamic is how the sisters actually worked together. Kelly didn't just compete for roles; she supported the family machine.
Did you know she was a production assistant on some of Jamie’s biggest hits?
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- Freaky Friday (2003)
- Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
- You Again (2010)
There is something deeply human about that. In a town where siblings usually tear each other apart for the cover of People magazine, Kelly was on set making sure things actually ran. She was the "Lt. Carolyn Plummer" on The Sentinel for a season, but she also spent years as Jamie Lee's personal assistant. It’s a level of humility you rarely see from Hollywood royalty.
The Jamie Lee Curtis "Luck"
Jamie Lee Curtis is the first to tell you she got lucky. In 2024, after winning her Emmy for playing the chaotic Donna Berzatto in The Bear, she joked about her "yogurt years"—referring to those Activia commercials that paid the bills for a decade.
She often talks about how she only got her first big break in Halloween because John Carpenter knew her mother was the "Scream Queen" of Psycho. It was a marketing gimmick that turned into a legacy.
But Jamie’s success isn't just about her last name. It’s about her staying power. She survived the "pretty" phase of Hollywood. She watched her parents' careers fade as they aged, and she decided she wasn’t going to let that happen to her. She reinvented herself as a children's book author, an activist, and eventually, the elder stateswoman of acting.
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Why the Leigh Legacy Matters in 2026
In 2026, the conversation around Hollywood dynasties is louder than ever. We're obsessed with who "earned" it and who was born into it. But when you look at the daughter of Janet Leigh, whether it's Jamie Lee or Kelly, you see two women who dealt with the fallout of their parents' 1962 divorce in very different ways.
Their mother, Janet, remarried Robert Brandt and stayed with him for 42 years until her death in 2004. That stability in their later childhood probably saved them. Jamie Lee has often said she wishes her mom could see them now—thriving, healthy, and still close.
What you should take away from the Leigh-Curtis story:
- Success isn't linear. Kelly Curtis found her lane in production and guest roles (remember her in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine?), and she seems perfectly happy not being chased by paparazzi.
- Longevity requires pivot. Jamie Lee went from "horror girl" to "comedy star" (A Fish Called Wanda) to "serious actor" (The Bear).
- Family over fame. The fact that Kelly worked as Jamie's assistant for years tells you more about their character than any IMDB credit ever could.
If you’re looking to understand the real Hollywood, stop looking at the red carpet photos. Look at the credits. Look at the sisters who show up for each other when the cameras aren't even rolling.
Check out Kelly Curtis’s guest spot in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Captive Pursuit" to see her range outside of her sister's shadow. Then, go back and watch Jamie Lee in Fishes (The Bear, Season 2) to see how she finally channeled the complex, high-wire energy of her parents' era into something entirely her own.