Hollywood is basically a small town where everyone’s related, but some family trees have way more drama than others. You’ve probably seen Jamie Lee Curtis winning an Oscar or fighting off Michael Myers, but if you’ve ever wondered who is Jamie Lee Curtis’s dad, the answer takes you straight back to the Golden Age of cinema.
Her father was the legendary Tony Curtis.
He wasn't just some guy in movies. He was a massive, era-defining movie star. Think of the level of fame we see with Brad Pitt or Leonardo DiCaprio today—that was Tony in the 1950s. But behind the sparkling blue eyes and the "pretty boy" persona was a life that was honestly pretty chaotic. From a rough childhood in the Bronx to a final will that shocked the world, the story of Jamie Lee Curtis's dad is anything but simple.
From Bernard Schwartz to Tony Curtis
Before he was a heartthrob, Tony Curtis was Bernard Schwartz. He was born in 1925 in Manhattan to Hungarian Jewish immigrants. Life wasn't easy. His father was a tailor, and the family was so poor they actually lived in the back of the tailor shop. At one point, when Tony was only eight, his parents couldn't afford to feed him and his brother Julius, so they spent a month in an orphanage.
It gets heavier. His brother Julius was later killed by a truck when he was only twelve. Tony also dealt with a very difficult relationship with his mother, who was later diagnosed with schizophrenia.
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Basically, he joined the Navy during World War II to get away from it all. He actually witnessed the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay from the deck of the USS Proteus. After the war, he used the G.I. Bill to study acting in New York alongside future greats like Walter Matthau and Rod Steiger. When he finally got to Hollywood, Universal Pictures changed his name because they didn't think "Bernard Schwartz" sounded like a leading man. He took the name "Anthony" from the novel Anthony Adverse and "Curtis" from a family name, Kurtz.
The King of the 1950s Screen
If you want to understand why Jamie Lee Curtis's dad was such a big deal, you have to look at his filmography. He started out in "B" movies—mostly swashbucklers where he wore tight outfits and swung swords. Critics kinda dismissed him as just a handsome face.
Then came the 1957 film Sweet Smell of Success. He played a slimy, ambitious press agent named Sidney Falco, and suddenly, everyone realized the guy could actually act. A year later, he starred in The Defiant Ones with Sidney Poitier. They played two escaped convicts chained together. It was groundbreaking for the time, and it earned him his only Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
Most people today probably recognize him from Some Like It Hot (1959). He starred alongside Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon, famously spending half the movie in a dress. It’s widely considered one of the best comedies ever made. He was also in the massive epic Spartacus, where he famously shared a bathtub scene with Laurence Olivier that was so "risqué" for the time it was actually cut and only restored decades later.
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A Complicated Family Dynamic
Tony Curtis married six times. Jamie Lee's mother, Janet Leigh (the star of Psycho), was his first wife. They were the "it" couple of Hollywood, often called "the most beautiful couple in the world." They had two daughters: Kelly and Jamie Lee.
But the marriage didn't last. They divorced in 1962 when Jamie Lee was only about three or four years old. After that, the relationship between Jamie Lee and her father became... strained. She has been very open about the fact that she and her sister were mostly raised by their mother and stepfather, Robert Brandt.
In various interviews, Jamie Lee has described her father as "not a father" in the traditional sense. He was more of a public figure she shared a name with. There was even a dark period where they both struggled with substance abuse. Jamie Lee once shared a story about how she actually did cocaine with her father once before they both eventually sought sobriety. While Tony did get sober for a few years toward the end of his life, his focus was often on his own career and his newest wives rather than his children from previous marriages.
The Will That Stunned Hollywood
When Tony Curtis died in 2010 at the age of 85, he left behind one final, massive controversy. People expected his estate to be divided among his six children. Instead, it turned out he had redrafted his will just five months before his death.
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The will specifically stated: "I acknowledge the existence of my children... and have intentionally and with full knowledge chosen not to provide for them."
He left his entire estate to his sixth wife, Jill Vandenberg, who was 42 years younger than him. This led to a huge legal mess. His daughter Kelly filed court papers alleging the decision was a result of "duress" or "undue influence." It was a messy, public ending to a life that had always been lived in the spotlight. Jamie Lee, for her part, has stayed relatively dignified about the whole thing, often noting that she had long since accepted the reality of who her father was.
Key Facts About Tony Curtis
To wrap your head around his life, here’s the breakdown:
- Birth Name: Bernard Schwartz (born June 3, 1925).
- Military Service: U.S. Navy during World War II.
- Breakout Role: Sweet Smell of Success (1957).
- Most Famous Movie: Some Like It Hot (1959).
- Oscar Nom: Best Actor for The Defiant Ones (1958).
- Marriages: Six (including Janet Leigh and Christine Kaufmann).
- Children: Six, including actresses Kelly, Jamie Lee, and Allegra.
- Death: September 29, 2010, from cardiac arrest.
Moving Forward with the Legacy
If you're interested in diving deeper into the history of Hollywood dynasties, the best thing you can do is actually watch the work. Start with Some Like It Hot to see his comedic timing, then watch The Defiant Ones to see the dramatic weight he brought to the screen.
Understanding the father helps explain the daughter's drive. Jamie Lee Curtis often says she is a "nepo baby" who used her opportunities to work incredibly hard and carve out her own identity. She managed to achieve something her father never did—winning an Oscar (for Everything Everywhere All at Once)—and she did it while building a reputation for being one of the most grounded and kindest people in the industry.
Take a look at Tony’s 2008 memoir, American Prince, if you want his side of the story. It’s a raw, sometimes uncomfortable look at a man who was obsessed with fame but never quite found peace at home. Knowing the history makes Jamie Lee’s own success feel a lot more earned.