Alive with Steve Burns – "Listen Again: Keeping It Unapologetically Real with Jamie Lee Curtis"

Podcast: Alive with Steve Burns
Host: Steve Burns (Lemonada Media)
Guest: Jamie Lee Curtis
Release Date: February 4, 2026

Episode Overview

This engaging episode of "Alive with Steve Burns" centers around the concept of authenticity, self-acceptance, and what it means to show up as your real, imperfect self, particularly in the modern media landscape. Steve welcomes Jamie Lee Curtis—a multi-award-winning actor, children’s book author, and outspoken advocate—into a candid and intimate dialogue. Together, they reflect on personal growth, social expectations, sobriety, online life, and the challenges and rewards of living unapologetically real.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Questioning Self-Acceptance and Authenticity

• Steve Burns opens with reflections on the complexity of self-acceptance in a world where we're constantly presenting different versions of ourselves:
  • "Most days I would say, yeah, I think I generally like myself. That wasn't always true, God knows. But nowadays, sure." (01:05)
  • The difficulty in discerning the “real me” due to constant self-curation and concern over others' perceptions.

2. Jamie Lee Curtis on Media, Podcasts & Authentic Connection

• Jamie muses on the evolution of podcasts from audio-only to heavily produced, camera-ready affairs, humorously objecting to visual performance:
  • "If it's a podcast, why do we have to be on camera?...And they're lit like bitches… I'm coming in...where I'm not lit." (05:34)
• She expresses deep appreciation for Steve’s intentional moments of calm and gratitude:
  • "Whenever you put into our brains a moment of calm, a moment of gratitude for nature...for me, that's enough." (06:12)

3. The Internet’s Double-Edged Sword

• Both discuss the performative pressure of online life and its optimization for attention and conflict:
  • "It is optimized for conflict and it is optimized to steal your attention." — Steve (08:59)
  • Jamie reminisces about how media, like The View, shifted from generational dialogue to conflict-driven content. (09:09 - 09:56)

4. Authenticity versus Branding

• Steve praises Jamie for her perceived authenticity, noting how people respond positively to her genuine presence.
• Jamie pushes back, expressing concern about being "branded" as authentic:
  • "I have to be really clear that I don't let myself become the brand of authenticity because I'm human and I am flawed...it has to be fluid." (11:22)
• Both agree that “human” is a more honest, forgiving term than “authentic.”
  • "Human beings are flawed and contradictory." — Jamie (12:31)

5. Sobriety, Family, and Self-Discovery

• Steve asks about Jamie’s transformation—she credits getting sober as a critical inflection point:
  • "Under the lash of alcoholism and drug addiction, I was not free, really free to be me." (14:14)
• Jamie introduces the idea of being a 'high bottom' addict—her struggles were invisible to others but eroded her self-respect:
  • "If you really are a kind of high bottom...the thing you've lost is your self respect." (15:00)

6. Letting Go of Others’ Opinions

• Steve wants to know if Jamie truly doesn’t “give a shit” about public opinion:
  • "Do you really not give a...? ...How did you get there? I want to get there. I give a lot of shits." (20:10)
• Jamie shares her philosophy:
  • "What you think of me is none of my business." (20:20)
  • Recognizes it’s impossible to please everyone, especially as a public figure with strong beliefs (e.g., being pro-choice, having a trans daughter).
  • Stresses the importance of listening and seeking common ground.

7. Living a Full, Creative Life

• Jamie reflects on coming into her own later in life and finally having the agency to follow her ideas:
  • "I've been waiting my whole life for that. My whole life. I'm 67 this year." (23:47)
• She also describes her youthful ambition to become a police officer before pursuing acting. (24:09)

8. Art, Storytelling & ‘The Bear’

• Steve and Jamie discuss her Emmy-winning role in The Bear and how the holiday episode resonated on a personal, visceral level.
• Jamie gives credit to the writers for the show's authentic representation of flawed families and human pain:
  • "Clearly the mother has a huge impact on her children… it was a miracle for me, and I'm continually grateful for it." (27:08)
• Jamie opens up about recognizing herself as an artist only recently, especially after working on Everything Everywhere All at Once:
  • "I am part of an art form. And you know, to go from that and then to The Bear, I get it." (31:26)

9. Children’s Literature & Human Lessons

• Steve praises Jamie’s children’s books for their emotional honesty:
  • "They are beautiful… will be the best distillation of who I am and what I think." — Jamie (32:27)
• Jamie reads a heartfelt excerpt from her book Is There Really a Human Race?, encapsulating her philosophy on compassion, kindness, and making bold choices:
  • "Shouldn't it be looking back at the end that you judge your own race by the help that you lend?" (35:01)

10. Creative Inspiration, Vulnerability, & the Flow of Ideas

• Jamie tells the stories behind how her books Where Do Balloons Go? and Is There Really a Human Race? were inspired by her children and moments of everyday wonder and pain.
  • "I really don't understand where it comes from, but I know that it's my best thing." (35:59)
• She likens her creative process to the flow state experienced by improvisers and rappers.
• On children's literature: Jamie considers her books as unintentional "self-help" for kids, grounded in emotional honesty and vulnerability.

11. Spending Attention Wisely

• Steve ends with a reflection on choosing where to put one's limited attention:
  • "You can spend it on outrage and the world feels angrier. You can spend it on kindness, the world feels a little softer...what will you spend your attention on today?" (44:46)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On authenticity as a brand:

  "I have to be really clear that I don't let myself become the brand of authenticity because I'm human and I am flawed."
  — Jamie Lee Curtis (11:22)

• On letting go of others’ opinions:

  "What you think of me is none of my business."
  — Jamie Lee Curtis (20:20)

• On purpose and self-realization:

  "Now I have my own mind. It's actually my mind."
  — Jamie Lee Curtis (13:52)

• On children's literature as legacy:

  "The thing that will last the longest will be the books that I wrote for children. They will be the best distillation of who I am and what I think."
  — Jamie Lee Curtis (32:16 - 32:27)

• Excerpt from Is There Really a Human Race?

  "Shouldn’t it be that you just try your best/ And that's more important than beating the rest./ Shouldn’t it be looking back at the end/ That you judge your own race by the help that you lend?/..."
  — Jamie Lee Curtis (35:00 - 35:36)

• On spending your attention:

  "Your attention is basically a currency. And what you spend it on matters… what will you spend your attention on today?"
  — Steve Burns (44:46)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:05 – Steve reflects on self-acceptance and the "real me"
• 05:34 – Jamie Lee Curtis riffs on camera-ready podcast culture
• 06:48 - 07:22 – Jamie on "be where your feet are" and moments of calm
• 09:09 – Jamie and Steve critique conflict-driven media
• 11:22 - 12:31 – The pitfalls of becoming “branded” as authentic
• 14:14 - 16:20 – Jamie on sobriety, family addiction, and the meaning of "high bottom"
• 20:10 - 20:27 – Discussing the importance of not caring about others’ opinions
• 27:08 – Jamie on the depth and miracle of her role in The Bear
• 29:00 - 31:26 – Jamie’s journey to seeing herself as an artist
• 32:16 - 35:36 – Jamie reads from Is There Really a Human Race?
• 35:59 - 39:48 – Origin stories for Jamie's children’s books
• 44:46 – Steve on the value of attention

Conclusion

This episode is marked by warmth, humor, candor, and genuine vulnerability. Jamie Lee Curtis offers deep personal insights without self-aggrandizement, emphasizing the ongoing work of self-acceptance and the importance of being "human" above all else—flaws, contradictions, and all. Steve Burns draws out powerful reflections about letting go of others’ judgments, living with purpose, and leaving a legacy rooted in compassion and art—reminding listeners, as Jamie does, to "be where your feet are.”