Kelly Lee Curtis, an actress who appeared in films and television over a career spanning decades and who was known as the older sister of Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis, died on Saturday, May 30. She was 69.
Born June 17, 1956, in Santa Monica, California, Kelly Curtis came from one of Hollywood's most recognizable families. She was the daughter of legendary actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, making her a second-generation performer who carved out her own path in front of the camera.
Before pursuing acting, Curtis took a notably different route, according to her IMDb biography. She graduated from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, with a business degree and briefly worked as a stockbroker. She later studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and became a member of The Actors Studio.
Her screen credits included a role in the 1983 comedy "Trading Places"—a film her younger sister also appeared in—as well as the television series "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" in 1993 and "The Sentinel" in 1996. She also starred in the leading role of Miriam Kreisl in the 1991 horror film "The Devil's Daughter" and played Shirley in the 1987 comedy "Magic Sticks.”
Curtis also worked behind the scenes, serving as a production assistant on several films alongside her sister, including "Freaky Friday" (2003), "Christmas with the Kranks" (2004), and "You Again" (2010).
The night before Jamie Lee Curtis's 1984 wedding, Kelly served as maid of honor and slept over at her sister's apartment. A friend, photographer Suzanne Tenner, captured a portrait of the two sisters that evening—an image Tenner sent to Jamie Lee Saturday, which the younger Curtis included in her post.
In her tribute, she painted a portrait of her sister's personality and passions—describing her as "jaw droppingly beautiful" and a woman who "loved her family, nature, music, thrifting, travel, Facebook, and Pokémon Go.” She was of Danish and Hungarian Jewish heritage, a background she carried with pride. Her paternal grandparents were Hungarian-Jewish immigrants, and two of her maternal great-grandparents were Danish.
Family friend Kevin Blumenfeld, commenting on the post, remembered Curtis warmly. "She had the absolute best sense of humor and always made me laugh," he wrote. "Truly a beautiful soul and i'll always remember her."
Nearly 6,000 friends, fans, and people on Instagram left comments on the post that has received over 240,000 likes as of Sunday morning.