Stop Chasing The Shiny Things with Jamie Lee Curtis

Summary

Podcast Summary: IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson

Episode: "Stop Chasing the Shiny Things" with Jamie Lee Curtis

Date: April 1, 2026
Host: Higher Ground

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Main Theme & Purpose

In this engaging episode of IMO, Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson sit down with legendary actress Jamie Lee Curtis to explore the nature of purpose, staying grounded amid fame, the evolving challenges and rewards of aging, and why life’s real value is never found in “the shiny things.” Through honest anecdotes, vulnerability, and humor, Jamie Lee Curtis traces her path from Hollywood legacy to Oscar-winning actress, all while remaining fiercely authentic and rooted in empathy. Listener questions about finding purpose in a confusing, unfair world are addressed with heart and wisdom.

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Episode Breakdown

1. Grounded in Reality: Jamie Lee’s Hollywood Legacy

[03:29–09:49]

• Jamie Lee reflects on her upbringing: Despite being the daughter of Hollywood icons Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis, Jamie Lee details a surprisingly normal childhood, crediting her grounding to her mother’s resilience and authenticity.
  • Quote: “My mother lived a very real life and stayed real her whole life. Her book...was called There Really Was a Hollywood, which tells you everything.” (Jamie Lee Curtis, 07:41)
• Staying 'real' in a manufactured world: Jamie shares how Hollywood’s mythology contrasts with her practical, no-nonsense worldview.
  • Quote: “I live the life of a human being, so I’m a chop wood, carry water kind of gal.” (Jamie Lee Curtis, 05:53)

2. Family Values and Parental Influence

[10:30–13:54]

• Jamie describes her mother’s “miraculous” journey and the simple, loving household she created, emphasizing the importance of humility, empathy, and separation as a goal of parenting.
• Challenging tradition: Jamie considers whether her own evolution would have pleased her mother, particularly her more outspoken and boundary-pushing choices.
  • Quote: “The goal of a parent is to actually separate into separate ideologies, separate physical lives...having your own mind is dangerous.” (Jamie Lee Curtis, 12:40)

3. Becoming Your Own Person—Especially as a Woman

[16:45–18:15]

• Social change and breaking molds: Craig and Jamie discuss how recent generations have begun challenging antiquated expectations about women, identity, and submission.
  • Quote: “As soon as women started to understand that they could have their own mind...job equality, pay equality...there's people who don't like that.” (Jamie Lee Curtis, 17:11)
  • Shout-out to trailblazers like Billie Jean King.

4. Identity, Work, and Accomplishment in Hollywood

[19:03–24:54]

• Jamie on career randomness and patience: She emphasizes there was no grand plan—just showing up, working hard, and seizing opportunities, including the oft-mocked yogurt commercials.
  • Quote: “I won an Oscar and I sold yogurt that makes you shit for six years...But you have to remember, I did commercials...” (Jamie Lee Curtis, 03:07 & 19:09)
  • Humorous moment: Jamie’s recollection of parodies of her yogurt ads on SNL: “Now you’re in the mix...when you do a commercial and someone parodies you, you become part of the culture.” (20:58)

5. Encouragement for Young People: Facing Insecurity and Finding Value

[24:02–25:31]

• Jamie admits she had no master plan and lacked formal training, but relied on a strong work ethic and curiosity. She urges young people not to wait for “purpose” or believe external perfection is needed.
  • Quote: “I have a very strong work ethic. And I’m curious enough to ask questions. I want to know things. I don’t know. I can say I don’t know. And how do you do that?” (Jamie Lee Curtis, 25:19)
• Michelle adds: Many young people think they lack what it takes; she and Jamie agree: real drive comes from action, not from waiting for the right opportunity or feeling “enough” first.

6. The Value of Empathy and Shared Human Experience

[25:55–32:19]

• Jamie’s deep empathy comes through sharing stories about ordinary people’s daily struggles—like the nurse with three kids getting up at 4:15 a.m. before work.
  • Quote: “I’m aware that that’s really the life going on around me.” (Jamie Lee Curtis, 29:22)
  • Memorable line: Jamie’s favorite quote: “Life is pain, Highness. And anyone who says differently is selling something.” (Princess Bride, 30:15)
• The group reflects on how helping others and recognizing the struggle in everyone’s story is the ultimate act of humanity.

7. On Achievement, Aging, and “Not Chasing the Shiny Things”

[36:38–53:42]

• Behind an Oscar win: Jamie confesses her Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once was the last thing she ever expected, affirming there was no master plan, just luck, timing, and showing up.
  • Quote: “I didn’t understand a word of [the script]. And my agent sent it to me...first thing, it was shot in Los Angeles...two, it was starring Michelle Yeoh...and three, they gave me enough money to pay cash flow. And I said yes. Those were the three reasons. I didn’t understand it.” (Jamie Lee Curtis, 37:11)
  • Candid moment: Jamie recalls rejecting Oscar campaign “hype”: “I said, ‘fuck you’ to both of them. I was like, stop it. Stop it right now. There is no campaign.” (41:48)
• Aging and beauty: Jamie passionately argues against the pressure for youth and perfection, instead embracing authenticity, self-acceptance, and even her own failed attempts at cosmetic “fixes.”
  • Quote: “It actually makes you feel fraudulent...for me, accepting that I look the way I look is part of self love.” (51:01)
  • She tells the More Magazine story (53:00): posing for before/after photos to reveal the fakery of celebrity images and advocate for self-esteem, especially for girls.
  • Message for young people: Do “esteemable acts” for others to build real fulfillment: “You want to feel purpose? Go to a children’s hospital and offer to volunteer...the need is great...you find your purpose by putting yourself in the path of it.” (Jamie Lee Curtis, 56:39)

8. Listener Question: Finding Purpose in a Cynical World

[54:50–58:54]

• Madeline from Boston asks how to find purpose and motivation in a world of greed and loneliness.
  • Jamie’s answer: Don’t expect purpose to come to you—seek out service, “put yourself in the path of love, work, and purpose.” Trying new things, volunteering, and focusing outside the self are ways to find meaning.
  • Michelle expands: Purpose isn’t fame or money; the real sources of pride and happiness are giving, growing, and connecting with others.

9. Jamie on Parenthood, Grandparenthood, and True “Shiny Things”

[58:54–66:23]

• Jamie shares for the first time that she’s a new grandmother, having just welcomed her first grandchild; she reflects on grief and joy, the cycles of life, and the profound privilege of raising children.
  • Quote: “Forget the movies. Forget the things. Forget the shiny things. The shiniest thing is a child. The greatest gift is a child and getting the privilege of raising them and learning how to help someone through their life.” (60:16)
• Jamie’s daughter Annie gives her blessing to share their family's joy, noting her respect for Michelle and the Obamas’ example of public compassion.
• Both Michelle and Jamie reinforce: Legacy is not the awards or public acclaim, but real impact—kindness, family, and helping others.
  • Quote: “It’s how you show up in the world that matters…The only thing people are going to remember at the end...that’s the shiny thing.” (Craig Robinson & Jamie Lee Curtis, 66:12–66:19)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the randomness of career and purpose:

  “I never had a plan...I can spell plan.”
  (Jamie Lee Curtis, 21:45)

• On caring for others:

  “Reach back. Help somebody up.”
  (Jamie Lee Curtis, 31:17)

• On aging and authenticity:

  “It actually makes you feel fraudulent...For me, accepting that I look the way I look is part of self love.”
  (Jamie Lee Curtis, 51:01)

• On finding true worth:

  “Forget the shiny things. The shiniest thing is a child. The greatest gift is a child…”
  (Jamie Lee Curtis, 60:16)

• On legacy and purpose:

  “It’s how you show up in the world that matters...The only thing people are going to remember at the end...that’s the shiny thing.”
  (Jamie Lee Curtis & Craig Robinson, 66:12–66:19)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jamie’s Hollywood roots & “realness”: 03:29–09:49
• Parenting & individuality: 10:30–13:54
• Women’s progress & Billie Jean King: 16:45–18:15
• Yogurt commercials & career humility: 19:03–24:54
• Advice to young people: 24:02–25:31
• Empathy & the “life is pain” moment: 25:55–32:19
• Oscar win & chasing success: 36:38–48:44
• Aging, self-acceptance, and magazine story: 48:44–53:42
• Listener question (Madeline): 54:50–58:54
• Parenthood & “real” shiny things: 58:54–66:23

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Closing Thoughts

This episode is a refreshing, moving, and frequently funny meditation on what matters most—rolling with life despite uncertainty, seeking connection and usefulness, and rejecting the empty promises of “shiny things.” Jamie Lee Curtis, with the candid honesty of someone who’s seen it all and lived to tell, reminds listeners (young and old) that purpose is found not in ever-shifting “stuff,” but in love, care, and service—showing up as your real self in the world.

Transcript

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I've been waiting patiently to do my thing.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah, yeah. Biting the truth.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And I have suited up and shown up for lots of different work. I did commercials when nobody. I mean, I won an Oscar, and I sold yogurt that makes you shit for six years.

[Craig Robinson]

This episode is brought to you by Shipt.

[Michelle Obama]

Hey, you.

[Craig Robinson]

Craig Robinson.

[Michelle Obama]

Michelle Obama. How you doing?

[Craig Robinson]

Good. Always good to be with you.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, it's so nice to be here.

[Craig Robinson]

It's been raining a bit.

[Michelle Obama]

You know, it has been. And speaking of rain, so, you know, we had the kids here. They're all gone. Kelly's gone. I'm now by myself again. And I was enjoying sitting outside of my Airbnb, because I'm.

[Craig Robinson]

Is it outside?

[Michelle Obama]

No, it's raining. Oh.

[Craig Robinson]

Because it's been raining. So you've been trapped alone?

[Michelle Obama]

I've been inside, but I haven't had zero to do because my Airbnb has a pool table.

[Craig Robinson]

Oh, yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

So I've been working on my game.

[Craig Robinson]

Have you really been.

[Michelle Obama]

I've been working on it.

[Craig Robinson]

Is it a good, solid pool table?

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah. Oh, no, it's a real pool table. It's a real pool table. And I realized that I haven't played pool in forever, so I'm terrible. But it gives me something to do when I'm.

[Craig Robinson]

But you also said that this is a famous place that you're staying.

[Michelle Obama]

Yes, it's Orson Welles home.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Former home.

[Michelle Obama]

Yes. Yes. A lot of historical stuff inside.

[Craig Robinson]

And do you know if it's been passed down? Like, do they. Does Airbnb give you a bit of a history? Did you know that? Because how did you know that it was possible?

[Michelle Obama]

I didn't know until I walked into the place. So when. When the folks at Airbnb give me a couple to choose from, and typically I choose the one that's closest to the office, and that's what I did. I didn't really do much research. And then I walk in and there's memorabilia everywhere. It's really cool. Really cool. For a Turner Classic Movie guy. Yeah, it's pretty cool.

[Craig Robinson]

It's like you're in heaven.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

You are in heaven.

[Michelle Obama]

I am in heaven.

[Craig Robinson]

Well, speaking of the classics, our guest today is a classic. Beauty, personality, all the above. It's gonna be a great episode, y'.

[Michelle Obama]

All.

[Craig Robinson]

But Craig is gonna do the formal introduction.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah, I'm gonna do the formal introduction for Jamie Lee Curtis, who is an actress known for her roles in many iconic films, including the Halloween franchise, A Fish Called Wanda, Freaky Friday, Knives out, and most recently, the Last Showgirl and Freakier Friday. In 2023, she won the Oscar for best supporting Actress for her role in Everything Everywhere all at Once. And we got to say hello. And I am so looking forward to spending time with Jamie Lee Curtis.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Come on, Jamie.

[Michelle Obama]

Yes. You go to her first.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Thank you for being here.

[Michelle Obama]

Welcome. So happy you're here.

[Craig Robinson]

Oh, hi, Biggie.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I wasn't here before.

[Craig Robinson]

Welcome to imo.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I like it. Hi. That was a nice introduction. How it's always weird for me.

[Michelle Obama]

I'm sure it is.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

It's weird because you said the Halloween franchise. I was like, it wasn't a franchise. It was a 17 day shoot in the. In Pasadena and Hollywood for $300,000 in 1978. It wasn't a franchise, it was a gig. That was so great. Cause my name was on every page. You know what I mean?

[Craig Robinson]

I mean, that was the new thing about it.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

That was how it was for me at that time.

[Michelle Obama]

19.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I was like, are you kidding? So it's funny that it's you. Listen, I'm sure you both have that where you hear as we're. I'm older now, you hear things and you go, really? That's me. That's my life.

[Craig Robinson]

Really? And you want people to. It's like, okay, okay, that's enough. That's enough.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Well, yeah, it just doesn't. You know why? Because I don't relate to it.

[Craig Robinson]

That's right. That's right.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I honestly don't relate to any of it. I only relate to sort of the immediate moment here with you. I was at Children's Hospital Los Angeles before I came here. That became an immediate moment for me. I do not look back.

[Michelle Obama]

But it speaks to your. It speaks to your character too.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

I was gonna say, you're not taking yourself.

[Craig Robinson]

Like, that's clear the second someone meets you. I mean, that was like, oh, she's real.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

You know, I mean, she's a real person, a real woman.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

But that's so strange to me because I understand that the industry, that the whole concept is not real, that it's that magical. Well, you're talking about Orson Welles. I mean, that idea of you're a Turner Classic Movie nerd, like that lore of what that is in Hollywood and the speakeasies and yes, I know some of those houses in Hancock park that had the speakeasy built into behind the Wall. But I live the life of a human being, so I'm a chop wood, carry water kind of gal. So I've never understood that the idea of not Being real, of having some fake thing. It would make me.

[Craig Robinson]

Well, a lot of people would say, you are the daughter of Hollywood.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Right. Of that image.

[Craig Robinson]

But that's what people would say. What do you think kept you grounded

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

in that, Janet Leigh?

[Craig Robinson]

Okay.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

My mother was from Stockton, California. Her name was Jeanette Helen Morrison. She lived in a garage with her parents, and she became. You know, it's too long of a story, but she was discovered by Norma Shearer, silent film star, who. There was a photo. It's a long story. There was a photograph of my mother at a motel where my grandfather was the manager of. Of a ski motel. At a ski resort. In a. Not ski resort. At a ski place. And Norma Shearer was married to a skier. And they stayed at this motel and saw the picture when she was checking out and said, who's that? And he said, that's my daughter. She said, may I have the picture? Took it to Hollywood. They called for her. She became. They. She became an actress, changed her name to Janet Leigh and starred in a movie with Van Johnson right away in whatever year it was 1948, I believe. And that began her career. But she was from a really rough childhood in Stockton, California. She raised me.

[Michelle Obama]

I feel like I'm watching Turner Classic right now because, see, my sister doesn't know that you did this on Turner Classic to introduce the whole story, the whole story of your mom. And I've got goosebumps right now listening to you.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

You have to remember, that was my mother. My mother was Jeanette Helen Morrison from Stockton, California. My father was Bernie Schwartz from New York City. Now Bernie Schwartz became Tony Curtis.

[Craig Robinson]

Wow.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

He adopted the fake life. Got it now. He did it with. He did it with some style. He bought mansions and art collections and had a kind of grandiosity about him, was charming. If he walked in a room, he would be a little bit like, hello. And he would walk to tell, hello, I'm Tone. And, you know, people would just be like, oh. And he lived a little bit like a prince. So he lived this fake reality, of course, died a drug addict. My mother lived a very real life and stayed real her whole life. Her book that she wrote was called There Really Was a Hollywood, which tells you everything. That for her, that idea of there was something magical that she then entered. I grew up in Los Angeles, California, on a dirt road with. With a donkey in a stable that wasn't ours next door. You know what I mean? I grew up a Southern California kid like you're talking about. Kid like. I grew up not In a fancy life at all. And so my mother is the.

[Craig Robinson]

Were you aware of who your mother was?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

You know what? You become aware of it. I guarantee you. I don't know about your family life, Craig. I didn't do my homework.

[Michelle Obama]

You didn't. That's okay. That's okay.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I was in Chicago yesterday, so I did not do my homework, but I don't. Well, I'm telling you, this is.

[Craig Robinson]

I hear you. Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I'm sure that your daughters have had to deal with the fact that people know who your parents are before you walk in a room or as you walk in the room. That's the first thing that is said. I understood that to some degree as I became.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

You know, a teen.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I don't think as a kid I knew anything, but I think as a.

[Michelle Obama]

That's about right. Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

You understand there's something. But remember, there was no Internet. There was television. My parents were movie stars, not television stars.

[Craig Robinson]

They were coming into your house and they didn't.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Their movies didn't show on television, so it wasn't like they were in the movies. And then the movies went away. Oh, sorry. And then the movies left town or whatever their movie was, and then they went on to the next one. So their fame, their presence just became attached to me, but not because I had any clue as to really what that meant, what they did.

[Craig Robinson]

I'm interested. Cause I think I am fascinated with parenthood and how people get things right and what. You know. And I'm just. What did your mom do right. In terms of your day to day, the messages that she sent to you that helped keep you grounded?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I think it was just the way she lived and just the way she interacted with people. I think she never lost that sense that she was. That it was a miracle that she became Janet Leigh and that impoverished childhood. She had a lot of sadness in her family life. Her father took his life. When she was first married with Tony Curtis, her father took his life. She had a lot of sadness. I think there was obviously alcoholism in the family. So she had secrets. I think, though, just that that was her. She was the nicest person. She would talk to every person. And I think that just really. It wasn't a specific thing. I mean, we grew up, as I said, in a very normalized life. We had, you know, early. Early bedtimes and chores and bikes and, you know, played outside and neighborhood friends. Neighborhoods and, you know, a lot of fantasy play. But that's just what kids do. So I think it was just the Normalized life that she didn't, you know, But I certainly didn't come up with this. Someone way smarter than me came up with it. That the being a parent, that if you're successful, it's the only thing you're successful at that ends in separation. Like everything else, the whole success is based on.

[Craig Robinson]

You get to keep it and holding

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

it and clutching it. The goal of a parent is to actually separate into separate ideologies, separate physical lives. And hopefully there's nice interactions. But people are allowed to have their own minds because having your own mind is dangerous.

[Craig Robinson]

Or to some, it's perceived as dangerous.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Well, it's dangerous because you're challenging. Just through the idea of having your own ideas is going to challenge the status quo. And that, to me, is the great gift of my evolution. Is that my mother's gift? I don't know. I don't know if my mother would love the mind I have. Do you know what I mean? Like, I may have challenged some of the. Like. I guarantee you right now, I can tell you right now, if my mother had been alive during everything, everywhere, all at once, she would not have liked. I mean, I don't think she would have liked the movie. And I'm not speaking ill of her beautiful mother. I think that would have challenged every norm, because in her years as an

[Craig Robinson]

actress, an actress meant a facade very

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

much about what you looked like and how women were perceived in their bodies. And I think my mother would have. It would have been very challenging.

[Michelle Obama]

Hey, mish, you ever notice how even tiny choices can feel really personal? What we buy at the grocery store, the little preferences we don't want to budge on, it's not random. It's how we take care of ourselves and the people we love. You and I both know our family has opinions about everything. And somehow those little choices end up saying a lot about who we are and. And how we care for people. You know about me and sardines, right?

[Craig Robinson]

What about you and sardines?

[Michelle Obama]

You don't remember this? I was hoping I'd catch you off guard with this. I love sardines. It's my comfort snack.

[Craig Robinson]

I remember our dad loves sardines.

[Michelle Obama]

And that's exactly right. And I enjoy eating them on a club cracker. But you remember him eating them on saltines.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Yes.

[Michelle Obama]

Yes.

[Craig Robinson]

With mustard.

[Michelle Obama]

With mustard. That's exactly right. And I don't do the mustard anymore.

[Craig Robinson]

You're not following tradition.

[Michelle Obama]

No, but I am also not following the saltine crackers. Do you remember the fact that we couldn't use Ritz crackers. Cause we had to save those for special occasions.

[Craig Robinson]

Special occasions.

[Michelle Obama]

Special occasions. Yeah. Well, now I got all the salt, I got all the Ritz crackers I want. But it tasted really good and he let me try it and I loved it. And now my kids prefer their chips and cookies. But it really feels good when Kelly grocery shops and she remembers to grab sardines just for me.

[Craig Robinson]

And they're good for you.

[Michelle Obama]

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[Craig Robinson]

I think we're probably the first, the, the beginning of the first generation of women who is pushing against the norm, the standard, the way women were raised to and conditioned to think about themselves. Think about themselves in connection with the rest of the world, their place as women in the family.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Because it was all orchestrated by men.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes, exactly.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

So as soon as women started to understand that they could have their own mind, they could challenge job equality, pay equality.

[Craig Robinson]

There's people who don't like that.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Billie Jean effing King.

[Craig Robinson]

That's right.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I mean, just the way she challenged, you know that.

[Craig Robinson]

And it's a scary proposition to some of the men that are used to being in complete power.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Of course.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah. It's like, don't have your own mind, have mine.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Well, that's. So what happens is we become, we become our own people. Because I'm not Tony Curtis.

[Craig Robinson]

That's right.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I don't walk around. Ho ho, yes, of course. I'm Jamie. How are you? You know, But I'm flirty like he was, you know, I'm a wicked flirt.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

So you, you know, you develop pieces of. Yes. You make your own life through the trial and error and experience of others and, And a lot of error. So I don't think, I think getting sober gave me a lot of that. I've been married. Gave me a lot of it. Being a parent gave me A lot of it, obviously. Big time having. I hate this word. It's just awful. The word I don't like is accomplishment. It's like. It's hard for me. So I am having a lot of external accomplishments at a very late age. And when you asked, what was the sort of causation, what were the factors? I've been waiting patiently to do my thing.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah, yeah. Biding the time.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I have suited up and shown up for lots of different work. I did commercials when nobody. I mean, I won an Oscar and I sold yogurt that makes you shit for six years. And it's a good laugh line. I use it a lot. But you have to remember, I did commercials. I was 26, 27, maybe 28. I had done A Fish Called Wanda. One day my phone rang and they said, hey, Hertz, Rent a car. Somebody called me and said, hey, they're looking for a female business executive to run through airports. You've been asked to do it. What? Why did they understand that I can sell something? I don't know. I was an actress. I wasn't Jamie. I wasn't. I hadn't established my Jamie Dom. Do you know what I mean? Like, I just was a young mom, a young act, married person, and I had been in a couple movies. Now you can imagine when I was offered to do commercials for a probiotic yogurt that helps regulate your digestive system with Bifidus regularis.

[Craig Robinson]

You remember?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Dude, I remember every word I've ever said in any movie ever, anywhere.

[Craig Robinson]

Wow.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Every word.

[Craig Robinson]

Wow.

[Michelle Obama]

Really?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Everything. But my point is, I guarantee you, someone was like, really? You're gonna do yogurt commercials that helps you poop? And then it became parodied on snl.

[Craig Robinson]

I remember.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And then Kristen Wiig did the parody. That's when you kind of go, oh, okay, that's interesting. Now we're talking. Because, like, now you're in the mix. You know what I mean? When you do a commercial and someone parodies, you become a part of the culture. You're now part of a cultural thing. So all of a sudden, that has never been a problem for me.

[Craig Robinson]

But that wasn't your plan.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I've never had a plan for Michelle Obama. Did you have? Well, maybe you did because you're a G. I did. Up until you're a total effing G. I mean, you're just like G with a capital big ass G, man. So, yeah, I'm sure you had a plan. I didn't have a plan. I can spell plan.

[Michelle Obama]

Well, since you didn't have a plan. When you were younger, I read you wanted to be a cop.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Well, I. By the way, Craig.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I got into college because my mother was the most famous person that had ever gone to the college. It, like, let her in. So my application that had an 8:40 combined SAT score and I believe a C minus was probably graded on a curve to give me a C minus gpa. I don't know what it was. Somebody who's a brainiac will tell me what a C minus GPA is. It is not good. Somehow the University of Pacific in Stockton, California, thought, I'm your girl. We want her.

[Michelle Obama]

They could see past the application.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I had no business.

[Michelle Obama]

They could see past the application.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I had no business in higher education. I should have gone to a trade school. I'm not joking. No, I really. I am not an intellectual and I don't pretend to be one. And I had no business in college. I, you know, majored in criminology and minored in being a little sister at a frat. I mean, I mean, seriously.

[Michelle Obama]

So when did you think, all right, then I'll go in the family business,

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

but I would never think that. Craig, look at this. I'm telling you right now.

[Craig Robinson]

What do you. Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Was not the girl. You have to remember, my mother was the most beautiful woman.

[Michelle Obama]

Listen. I know. Ever seen. I've. I've. Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Tony Curtis.

[Michelle Obama]

I know.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Holy moly. Me. They were beautiful.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

But I was cute. You know what? I'm just telling you, Michelle.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

So the idea that I would go into the movie business, where this is your life. I had no discernible talent. I don't do accents. I. I'm not. I never went to drama school. I'm just a living creature who's developed over these low many years. And my point is, it was the last thing I thought I would do is be in show business. And it was an accident. And it's boring. And it's a long story, but it's not boring.

[Craig Robinson]

But let me ask you this because there are a lot of young people listening out there in the world.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

God bless you.

[Craig Robinson]

Who believe the same thing about themselves. Like, there is nothing, obviously, that I have. And I wanna ask what was it that you tapped into in the midst of all that that kept you going? Because right now there are a lot of kids who are like, I don't see my future. There's nothing. I'm not pretty enough. I'm not this enough. I'm not really talented enough. So they quit or they don't Push.

[Michelle Obama]

I.

[Craig Robinson]

What, What. What was your. What was your driver? What was the thing in your head that said, I'm. I'm going to figure this out?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I'm going to. I'm going to not tell you the story of how I became an actor, which was boring. And literally it was an accident.

[Craig Robinson]

And you've told this story.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Right. I've been, you know, I became an actress because somebody I knew randomly said they were looking for Nancy Drew at Universal. It was home at Christmas. I was like, okay. I was lucky. So a lot of it has to do with luck. Michelle Obama. I had no clue. I didn't have a clue. I just followed the next thing. I didn't. But I have a very strong work ethic.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And I'm curious enough to ask questions. I want to know things. I don't know. I can say I don't know. And how do you do that? I have no training and yet.

[Craig Robinson]

Did you ever have any training?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

No. No.

[Craig Robinson]

So what did you. What, what were you learning as you, you know, you went about your acting ability? Like, what, light bulbs were clicking for you as you went along or were

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

you just fully light? Just what comes up.

[Craig Robinson]

It's like, read this and go do that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I'm an emotional person, and I would like to say I'm an empathetic person. If there's anything in me, it's that I have an understanding that life is hard for people

[Craig Robinson]

and a deep level of empathy, which why I tear up in it, is that it's so. It's so absent these days because our leadership isn't showing it, you know?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I know.

[Craig Robinson]

So it's really nice to see it in action because it's out there. It's out there.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

It's out there everywhere.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And there are people. There are beautiful people. There are just. I mean, I had a colonoscopy recently.

[Craig Robinson]

Please tell us more, Jamie.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Heidi's Heidi right now. Heidi's like, I swear to God, this is what just happened in the back room with Heidi Schaeffer. She literally just went like this.

[Craig Robinson]

Well, we at the table have all had colonoscopies.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I've had a colonoscopy recently.

[Craig Robinson]

The Twilight thing is pretty good.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

So just so you know, first of all, I write notes to my doctor with that I somehow can twist around and write them in eyebrow pen, you know, eyeliner pencil on my butt.

[Craig Robinson]

You don't.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I do. And I write arrows pointing and I say, this side up. I write, thank you, doctor. I won't name him. Thank you, Dr. M. For going to medical school.

[Craig Robinson]

You get that all on your.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

But then I also bring a hundred dollar bill and I say, listen, if the anesthesiologist wants to dial the Propofol just a little bit and the Hyundai's gone, when I wake up, just pull it up. Because, yes, sorry, but that's not why I brought up my colonoscopy.

[Craig Robinson]

But once again, we digress.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

But I do.

[Craig Robinson]

For those of us who have had it, it's like, that's hilarious.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I do draw diagrams and arrows.

[Craig Robinson]

Never thought of that.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Remind them.

[Craig Robinson]

Never thought of that.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And I where to go?

[Craig Robinson]

I still go to Walter Reed, to the military doctors. I think that might be a good one for my next colonoscopy trip out the generals.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I'll send you a picture. I took a picture of the last one.

[Craig Robinson]

Please do that.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I'm not gonna show it to anybody. The reason I brought my colonoscopy was that the nurse who greeted me at 6am to put her in the IV and to get me prepped before the team comes in, I'm talking to her, and she's young, beautiful, Hispanic, young girl. And I said, you know, as we. Do you have kids? She said, yeah, I have three. And I said, you have three kids? I said, where are they right now? She said, they're at my sister's. I said. She said, I dropped them there before I come to work. It was 6am yeah, she's waking up three little kids every day. She said, Five days a week, she says. I said, what time did you get them up? She said, 4:15. Every day at 4:15, she wakes up her three kids and she's put their school clothes in the backpack in each of their backpacks, and she takes them to her sister's in their pajamas, and then they go back to sleep at her sister's. And then her sister takes them to school every day, five days a week. You see, I didn't have that. I don't work that hard and I don't have that life. That wasn't my life with my children. But I'm aware that that's really the life going on around me. I was just at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. You want to spend a day and understand how hard people work.

[Craig Robinson]

Everyone should go to a children's hospital,

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

volunteer at a children's hospital and see how dedicated those teams are to those. So for me not to belabor the point, I think it's just simply I'm aware that life is hard. My favorite quote is from the Princess Bride. Life is pain, Highness. And anyone who says differently is selling something. And it's really.

[Craig Robinson]

Well, and it's something to be mindful of. You don't get something for nothing in this world. And anybody tells you, I don't care if he's the president or not, you don't get something for nothing. You know, there's. You know, there's a cost to life, of course. You know, there's a cost to making sure everybody has health insurance, and there's a cost to all of us to make sure that that nurse could possibly have some more reasonable, affordable childcare while she's serving other people. There's a cost to all of us to have a clean environment. You don't get to do it without paying taxes or shorting your taxes. You don't.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

That's the fundamental idea of being human. Of any religion. Of any religion. That is the cornerstone of it.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes, it is.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Help each other.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes, it is.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Love thy neighbor.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes, it is.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Welcome. Someone. Be open. Put your hand out.

[Craig Robinson]

Reach back. Help somebody up.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Reach back. Pull them up. It's the nature of. For me, and that's not. I mean, my parents were good people, but it wasn't. It's just the experience of being alive this long. And, I mean, I don't have any other way of doing it. I am a worker amongst workers. That's not just a recovery phrase. That's been my vibe for a long time. I would have required our crew here wear name tags so that when I walk in the room, you know my name, I don't know yours. There's an imbalance.

[Michelle Obama]

So that's a good idea.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

No, but that's an imbalance. And right away it puts me. I mean, I'm the one sitting here at the table with y', all, but, like, I don't know your name. Like, it. Like, that feels imbalanced to me. And on work that I do as the leader of a show, that's a requirement. So, I mean, I have some. I have a lot of opinions. I'm just opinionated.

[Craig Robinson]

Well, it's a good thing you're on imo, because it's all about opinions.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I can.

[Michelle Obama]

So this summer, the FIFA World cup is bringing fans from all over the world into cities across the U.S. people traveling, looking for a place to stay, trying to catch the games and soak up the atmosphere. I'm actually looking to plan a little vacation myself around that time, so I realized maybe I could list my place on airbnb while I'm away. When you leave town, your home is just sitting there. But if you become a host with Airbnb, you can make sure your place gets used while making some extra cash for your next trip. So if you've ever thought about hosting, this summer might be the perfect time with soccer fans arriving from all over, your home might be exactly what someone's looking for. Check it out. Maybe you live in a FIFA World cup host city. If you've ever thought about hosting, this summer is a great time as we welcome FIFA World cup fans. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host April is the make or break month for momentum. That beginning of the year push is in the rear view, and it's up to us right now to decide if we'll keep grinding or if we're coasting until summer. Take this show for example. There is so much that goes into running a podcast, and if there's one thing I could tweak this month to make the rest of 2026 easier for me, it would be finding tech that actually works for us instead of slowing us down. That's why so many businesses start with Shopify. It's built to take the guesswork out of running and growing a business with everything from your storefront to payments to marketing all managed in one place. I'll say this when we're ready for IMO Merchand, I know we want it as badly as you do. We definitely will be checking out Shopify. Whether you're just wanting to test an idea out or you're getting serious about launching your own brand, it's never been easier to get started. And you can do that on shopify.com IMO right now, working on your mental health doesn't happen all at once. It happens in moments, one conversation, one deep breath, one session at a time. Growth Therapy makes it easier to begin As a coach and an athlete, I've always believed taking care of your mind is part of taking care of your overall game. You train consistently, you build the right support around you, and you give yourself space to improve. Therapy can be part of that routine, whether it's your first time in therapy or your 50th grow makes it simple to find a therapist who actually fits you. They connect you with thousands of licensed therapists across the US with virtual or in person sessions, including nights and weekends. You can search by insurance, specialty, identity or availability and start in as little as two days. No subscriptions, no long term commitments, just pay per session on your time. Whatever challenges you're facing GrowTherapy is here to help grow. Accepts over 100 insurance plans, including Medicaid in some states. Sessions average about $21 with insurance, and some pay as little as $0 depending on their plan. Visit growththerapy.com imo today to get started. That's growththerapy.com imo. Growththerapy.com imo availability and coverage vary by size, state and insurance plan. So, Jamie, what, Craig? You recently. So you're.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I get into that very late night DJ voice.

[Craig Robinson]

What?

[Michelle Obama]

Craig, at what point in your career did you start sort of aiming for stuff that you were like, you're talking about, I'm doing things now that are for me.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Accident. Same way I'm an actor. Accident. I'm telling you now. I was sent everything, everywhere, all at once. It was the weirdest thing I'd ever read. I didn't understand a word of it.

[Craig Robinson]

I still don't. I need to watch it two more times.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I didn't understand a word of it, and my agent sent it to me. I had made the Halloween movies in Charleston, Wilmington and Savannah.

[Michelle Obama]

Okay?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

So all of those movies were made away from my family. I have two children. I have a dog who loves me more than any human on the earth. And I have a husband and family and friends. And all I do is leave town to work. And I was sent a script, and first thing, it was shot in Los Angeles. So it was shot in Simi Valley, Los Angeles, which is not. It's outside the tmz, so it's far enough away that they could get away with making it, but it was still Los Angeles. I was still gonna sleep in my bed. Two, it was starring Michelle Yeoh, who's getting her star today, even though I know this is months later, she is actually right now getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Michelle Yeoh. And three, they gave me enough money to pay cash flow, and I said yes. Those were the three reasons. I didn't understand it.

[Craig Robinson]

You weren't angling. You didn't.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Fantastic.

[Craig Robinson]

I didn't do nothing.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I just said, okay. But I knew her. You met Deirdre's Deirdre. I know her. This is someone who's unloved, untouched. I understand the power of your job, that when someone has a job like that, all of the slights of humanity that has come your way as an unattractive, unlovable human being, all of the slights that come with those two descriptions, and my job is to say, fuck you. No, you're gonna have to do all that again. Oh, no, oh, no, this is my payback. And so that was her life. And the key to Deirdre Boe Beirdra was, if you see the movie again, she has beautifully manicured hands. Because I realized that was the only time she ever was touched. My point is that was made in 38 days in Simi Valley in January of 2020. We wrapped the movie the day Covid started. So whatever. Monday, March 16th, was the last day of the shoot. 2020. And the movie didn't come out for two years. Movie came out in March of 2022, and then it won nine Oscars or seven Oscars in March of 2023. Now, if you think for one second that you had a plan, driving to Simi Valley at 5 o' clock in the morning to go to an empty office building that used to be the Countrywide Savings and Loan campus sex and not have trailers because we used offices in the building as our dressing rooms. And you're making a movie about the multiverse and you think, oh, yeah, this is my chance. This is the one, man. This is gonna. This is. Whoa.

[Craig Robinson]

So what goes through your mind when this happened is in, you know. And you're like, what?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I remember exactly where I was sitting. I remember what I was wearing when Heidi and Rick. The assistant called and said, I have Rick and Heidi for you. And I was like, oh, okay. Hello. You go, hi. I was like, hi, what's up? He said, hey, listen, we wanted to talk to you. We had a conversation today with a 24 releasing company. I was like, yeah. I said, about what they said about the campaign. I was like, the campaign for what? And they said, well, you know, we want to make sure that they're including you in the campaign. I was like, I can't say what? I said, yeah, I can, right?

[Craig Robinson]

Yes, you can.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

CBS isn't gonna fire me. No.

[Craig Robinson]

Mm. Mm.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Well, isn't that what they do?

[Craig Robinson]

That's what they do.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Yeah, apparently.

[Michelle Obama]

But not here.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Not here. You know, I said, fuck you to both of them. I was like, stop it. Stop it right now. There is no campaign. They said, well, we just want to make sure that, you know, they're going to do a big push for the movie. I was like, okay, whatever. Look, it. Just back off. Anyway, that became insane. It's really a thing.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And it's really mind swimming. And I did everything I could the whole time to go, la, la, la, la. This isn't me.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Like, just not. I didn't want to read anything. I didn't want to have people whisper things in my ear, I hated it. And I. The last. I never in my life, you have to remember, I. The last thing in my life I ever thought would ever happen would be that I would be nominated for an Academy Award. That just was never in the cards, and that was never anywhere in the work I did. It was just. That was what other people had happen to them, not me. And I am telling you, that morning. That morning and this. I got Covid at the Golden Globes. Thank you, Colin Farrell. And he knows, and we've worked it out. Anyway, he gave me Covid at the Golden Globe. So I had been homesick with COVID and it was the day of the nominations, and I'm telling you, I'd had, like, a lot of people texting, like, he's so excited. I was like, shut up. Go away. Stop. And then I woke up that morning, and I went downstairs. Now, my husband of a long time makes really funny movies, and one of the movies he made was a movie called, for your consideration, Christopher Gill, which is a parody of the season of shiny things. It's the whole idea of this weird little movie. Somebody whispering in somebody's ear that they're gonna get an Oscar nomination. And then what happens? Catherine o', Hara, that great weird thing. She can do that with her face. Sweet girl. We just lost her, what, a week

[Michelle Obama]

ago, Two weeks ago.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Anyway, I know this is later, but that wasn't or anything. That's just. She had this weird ability to make her face look like that. And so. But, you know, and what happens to people, the mind game that goes on, that's what the movie is about. My husband made that movie. So that morning of the Oscar nominations, you know, my husband said, what are you doing? I said, well, I'm gonna get up and watch the thing. He said, why? I said, you know why, honey. A. I have to exorcise you and your movie. Like, I can't. This is my life. That was a movie. I said, I'm not a character in a movie. I'm a person. I said, I'm aware that there's enough chatter that there is a chance that that would happen. I don't think it's gonna happen, but I'm telling you, that's a possibility that it could happen. And here's the story. This will delight you. I've been an actress for a long time. The only person I know who won an Oscar is Deborah Oppenheimer. And on the morning of the Oscar nominations, I was like, I get up really early. So I was up at 4. And then I made coffee or whatever. And then at like 5, the thing starts at 5:30. So like at 5:10, I looked at my phone and there was a text from Deb. And it said, I'm sitting outside your house. I have my computer with me. If you don't want me to be there with you, I'm fine where I

[Craig Robinson]

am, but I'm here.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

But I'm sitting outside your house. And I opened my gate and there she was. And she was sitting in her car with a pillow and her computer. And she came in and sat with me. And when my name came up on that screen, I didn't know she was doing this. My friend Deborah Oppenheimer was taking pictures secretly. She kind of held her phone. Cause I could not believe it. And the real moment of disbelief was when they called my name. And then they called Stephanie Shue because, you know, she was my. She wasn't my daughter in the movie, but she was the other actor counterpart. And it would have felt wrong to me.

[Craig Robinson]

Right, right.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Because she has a fantastic. She's fantastic in the movie. Anyway, that was the moment of real exuberation. But I have it all on film.

[Craig Robinson]

Oh my gosh.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

That's like the last thing I ever thought would happen in my life was that moment. The rest of it was not like the rest of it. The night of it, I went with my husband. We sat. Literally this happened. We were sitting in the front row at the fricking Oscars and there was Michelle and Key and Stephen and then the Daniels were over there. And I kneeled down. We were in the front row. I saw her on the left side and I kneeled down in front of Michelle Yeoh. And I looked at her, I said, michelle, where are we right now? She said, what do you mean? I said, michelle, where are we right now? She said, at the Oscars. I said, uh huh. And why are we at the Oscars? She said, because we made a movie that people liked. I said, uh huh. And where are we sitting? And she said, in the front row. I said, okay, great. Just check in and make sure I'm.

[Craig Robinson]

I'm awake, like aware.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And then I went down the line, sat kneeled in front of Key. Key. Same thing, Steph, same thing. Be aware. So when I say there we were in the front row, it was literal.

[Craig Robinson]

You had already won. It was like, michelle Keys, Steph.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

All of us were like, wow, how

[Craig Robinson]

did we get here?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

How did we get here? And then of course, the miracle of all miracles is that we won.

[Craig Robinson]

You are so the anti superstar.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I mean, I just don't understand it.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah. And I think it's beautiful. I think that's why people love you. That's why I am in love with you.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Now you're flirting.

[Craig Robinson]

You were one of one. I'm a flirt. I can do it too. I can do it too. Um, but you've. You've changed the notion of what it means to age in the public eye. And I'd love for you to talk about that.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Sure.

[Craig Robinson]

Um, because I. I'm hoping that we are ushering in all of us. Cause I'm 62. You are 67.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

We are in our 60s, which I think is the best time of life, without question. And I want talk about that journey for yourself, how you feel. It's like, you know, you're not. You know, you believe in aging. You know, you believe in the beauty of it.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Like shit happens. Aging happens. I mean, it's coming for all of us.

[Craig Robinson]

But that's not what Hollywood is all about.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

You know, here's the problem. It's not just Hollywood. It's also technology. It's also social media. It's also filtering. It's also, it's what we used to call airbrushing is now just filtering. It's all fil. Fakery. It's just the fakery. It's the cosmeceutical industrial complex, which is as insidious in many ways as the military industrial complex. It's about money. So it's just about fucking money. Right. And it's the idea that you're going to tell someone that this is going to change you and make you better. And therefore better means you'll be more loved, you'll be more successful. So it's this. It's this cycle of. Of bullshit. But it preys on our base insecurities, you know, and for many people, it's what they look like now. I've never been pretty. And I. I'm saying it out loud. I. I'm not been. I wouldn't. I was.

[Craig Robinson]

Or you've never thought you were pretty.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I wasn't pretty like that. I wasn't pretty the way girls are pretty. I was cute. I was cute. I can look good. I'm not. I can fully look good. But it's. But that was not.

[Craig Robinson]

You weren't the traditional notion.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

That was not my ticket.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And that's very important for me because that was never the thing I relied on. I have succumbed and have talked about it many times to trying all the things I've Sucked the fat, I've cut the fat. I've tried to do the things that people do that everybody's doing, and it doesn't work. There are many things that happen when

[Craig Robinson]

you say it doesn't work.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

It doesn't work. First of all, because of the self esteem issue, because you ultimately are looking in the mirror and realizing you've used something outside of yourself to change something to make you, quote, better. But you're not better because you're still the same person before as you were before. I think it actually makes you feel fraudulent. And I think it creates self hatred. And for me, accepting that I look the way I look is part of self love. Now, I did that magazine, as you know, years ago, More magazine, where I took off my clothes. And the reason I did that is because I was a cover girl of magazines. And again, people were comparing themselves to me the same way I would compare myself to. To someone else. And I know what it feels like to look at a picture of a beautiful woman and go, whoa, I wish.

[Craig Robinson]

Why isn't. What is that?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I've got like, really? I'm never gonna look like that. And so I in. The one thing we haven't brought up at all is that I also write books for children. And the books I write for children are about things. They're not just nothing. They're about issues and topics that plague children as much as they plague adults. I'd written a book about self esteem. It was called I'm Gonna Like Me Letting Off a Little Self Esteem. It was about self love. How do you get it? Esteemable acts is how you get self esteem. It's back to your question of young people. They don't feel like, I don't know what to do. Do something for someone else.

[Craig Robinson]

Boom, there you go.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

The dopamine hits. You're like you're filling up with goodness. It changes the way you do. So I'm promoting a book for children about self esteem. And I was doing the COVID of More magazine and I realized I was a liar. Cause if I was paying attention to what I wrote, I wouldn't have done plastic surgery. I wouldn't have done liposuction. So I said, you know what? I'm gonna take a picture of me in my undies with no good light, no makeup, no hair. I'm gonna stand there au natural, and you're gonna take my picture. And then you're going to let me get all dolled up. But you're gonna have to print those two pictures side by side and you're gonna have to say how long it took, how much money it took, how many people were involved, and then I'll do that. And that was something. That was in 2001. We're in 20, 26.

[Craig Robinson]

Unheard of.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

But that was even then, me understanding that what we're selling is fraudulent, it has only gotten crazier. And by the way, I'm not proselytizing. I know that some people takes have, like. I know there's a lot of weight loss questions out there right now. If it actually helps people be healthier, God bless them.

[Michelle Obama]

Well, Jamie, we have what a listener question. As. As Jennifer Lewis said, I talked too much. Way too much. I do.

[Craig Robinson]

You're in between two opinionated women, which is.

[Michelle Obama]

We have a listener question.

[Craig Robinson]

A G, a G, a G, G,

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

my G. I'm telling you right now.

[Craig Robinson]

Sorry, what were you saying, Craig?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

What do you want? I'm gonna sing that.

[Craig Robinson]

What? Craig, you.

[Michelle Obama]

To hear our listener question from Madeline and maybe offer some opinions.

[Craig Robinson]

Okay.

[Michelle Obama]

We have a question from Madeline in Boston.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Okay.

[Craig Robinson]

I am entering my senior year of college, and it feels like my generation is unsure what the point is. In a time and world that is full of greed, unfairness, and loneliness, how do you find purpose and drive to work towards your interests and goals when it often feels like there are only certain routes to be successful and sustain a happy lifestyle? From Madeline in Boston.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Well, I mean, please, that's. That's the question, right? Purpose.

[Craig Robinson]

That's right.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Purpose. Ultimately, it's fine. Purpose that when you say or are feeling that you can't find your path to the purpose. My experience with people over and over again is put yourself in the path of anything. Put yourself in the path of love. Put yourself in the path of work. Put yourself in the path of purpose. Like, again, volunteer. You want to feel purpose? Go to a children's hospital and offer to volunteer to be one of the, you know, helpers that work in hospitals. The need is great out there in the world. I think finding your purpose is putting yourself in the path of it. You may not know what it is. It may not. As I've. I am a living example of that. Nothing in my life represents what I thought or had, even a fantasy, what my life would be. I had no idea I didn't have a purpose. Keep your mind open. And so for me, that's. You find your purpose by putting yourself in the path of it. I just feel like people keep thinking purpose is going to come to them.

[Craig Robinson]

That's right.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Love is going to Come to them. Work is going to come to them. Success is going to come to them. And it is not. You have to go to it for it. You have to go for it.

[Craig Robinson]

I love that. I'd want. What's our question?

[Michelle Obama]

Madeline.

[Craig Robinson]

Madeline. To also think very carefully about how she's defining purpose. Right? Because I think that's some of the confusion these days. Because purpose in this day and age right now, this moment in time, is fame, money, you know, more. It's all stuff. It's acquiring. It's superficial. So when we talk about purpose, I think we are talking about. We are talking about something much more altruistic. You know, the dopamine hit that comes with engaging with other people, you know, So I want her to think beyond stuff even, you know, yeah, go to school, get your degree if you can afford it, you know, have a good career, you know, you know, be able to support yourself. But I know too many people who have all of that and more. The billionaires in the world, the millionaires, the people who are famous, the people who have it all, the people that you look at and think, well, I want their purpose. And what they're doing isn't making them happy or whole. It's not giving them self esteem. You know, in fact, it's doing the opposite. So I want Madeline to think about working outside of herself.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And by the way, Madeline, tough name to have after Lily Allen's album.

[Craig Robinson]

Oh, yeah, that's. Craig doesn't understand that.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Craig will have to. You know what? I'm gonna play the whole thing for you. It's gonna blow your mind. It's so genius. Talk about a G. It's a G. Anyway, but before we began this, you know, I've talked a lot about, like, me and my wife, me and my life, but the truth is, I'm also a mom. I'm a mother.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Of two. I've raised two children from birth through uncharted waters because I had no role model to show me how to do it. And every human being is different. And there's been difference in our path with our children. And our children were born through adoption, and our family was built through adoption. And we were talking at the beginning of the podcast. And the truth is all of this emotionality that I have is really rooted in being their mother.

[Craig Robinson]

Like the, the, oh, my God, don't make me cry.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

But the truth is that the. The greatest lessons, the hardest days ever in my life ever, have been being a parent and now a grandparent. We were talking before, and I needed to call my daughter and her husband to ask if it was okay. But the idea that I would be this person at this age. Excuse my French. Forget the movies. Forget the things. Forget the.

[Craig Robinson]

The.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Forget the shiny things. The shiniest thing is a child.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes. Oh, my God.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

The greatest gift is a child and getting the privilege of raising them and learning how to help someone through their life. And my husband and I became grandparents to our eldest daughter and her husband.

[Craig Robinson]

And

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

it. Their baby boy was born in December, And it was a week after Rob and Michelle, and Rob and Michelle are her godparents. And they died on her birthday. And my beautiful daughter, who loved them as we all did, managed to be able to metabolize that grief and sadness as we all have had to do. Obviously nothing greater than their children, but as close friends and I know colleagues and friends and people we all admired. And then my daughter and her husband brought their son to this world a week later. And life on life's harshest terms. And life on life's most beautiful terms. Perfect terms. And the reason I brought it up is I remember where I was the day your husband was elected president, because my daughter called me from a party that she and her friends were at. My daughter was in college. And I remember where I was sitting in a hotel talking on the phone with my daughter about the possibility that the world was gonna change because of the election and because of you. You and your husband stepping up, saying, we're here to help you. And I remember where I was that day. And now that daughter has brought a little grandson into our lives. And the joy. Talk about. I never thought. I never thought I would have children. I never thought in my wildest dreams I would be a grandma.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

A granny.

[Craig Robinson]

Granny.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I want to be Granny.

[Craig Robinson]

Granny.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

But so it has just been an extraordinary connection. And when I called my daughter today to say, hey, I'm about to do this, we have never talked about it. It's been a private matter. But we live in a world many people know in our circle. Many, many people know that, you know, we're grandparents. One of these days, somebody's gonna know. Somebody's gonna say something. And I am getting to say it. And when I called my daughter and said, you know, I'm about to do this thing, I think it's gonna come up. How would you feel about me talking about it?

[Craig Robinson]

Oh, my.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And she said, tell her I love her. My daughter Annie said, tell her I love her. You are loved and. And so respected that she would say, yes, mom, you can talk about it. To Michelle Obama, because she's a g. Because she loves you, because you represented love in the world and you brought love to the White House and beyond. And so it's really thrilling to me that the first time I'm gonna say to the universe that I became a granny is here with you. And that it was. And that she said that I could do it because it was you, because of what you've represented to her and her generation of young women and how much respect we have for you and your husband and. Well, that's. You too. Yes, you too.

[Craig Robinson]

You too, Craig.

[Michelle Obama]

Thank you.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

But that Laura is very, very strong

[Craig Robinson]

because we know from the ring.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And I, I just, I'm. I, I. That's beautiful. That's the truth. That. That is the truth.

[Craig Robinson]

For.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

That's what she said to me for Meline. And Meline. I'm so sorry.

[Craig Robinson]

No, but this is the, the point being that, like, so, so many wonderful things have happened to all of us in the world. So many tangible things. But knowing that you can impact people's lives in that way, like, that's purpose, and that's a purpose that sustained you through ugly stuff and name calling and lies, and it fills you up fully. And I want young people to understand that. Right. Like you don't. Like, money doesn't buy that impact. You know, titles don't give it to you. It's how you show up in the world that matters.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And the only thing people are going to remember at the end.

[Craig Robinson]

That's right. And that's the shiny thing.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

That's. To me,

[Craig Robinson]

that's what Madeline should be working towards.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

That's what we all should be working toward for sure. And that's what you and your husband worked. And that's the gift that you guys gave us, and that was the hope that you offered us. And I believe that. Well, I know you've changed the world for the better, and I believe that. I believe that the times are going to change, and I think our better minds are going to start paying attention to the corruption, the greed, the avarice, the hatred, the misogyny, the homophobia, the violence, xenophobia, the violence perpetrated by this administration in the name of America. I believe that will change. And I believe the example that we will lead toward is the example you and your husband give us. So if I get to say nothing else on this, I got to say that to your face. Thank you very much for everything that you have done. Thank you for.

[Craig Robinson]

Thank you. What, Craig? Thank you.

[Michelle Obama]

Thank you. What?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Craig?

[Michelle Obama]

Hey, sometimes you just have to get rebounds. You don't score. You don't have to score. Sometimes you just play D. This is.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And by the way, there's your gift to Madeline. That's your answer to Madeline.

[Michelle Obama]

That's right. Sometimes you're just the. You're. You are. You are just the teammate.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Yeah. Well.

[Michelle Obama]

And you can be a good teammate.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

You are a good teammate.

[Craig Robinson]

But, Jamie, thank you.

[Michelle Obama]

I digress.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Thank you.

[Craig Robinson]

Thank you for this. This was. You powerful, beautiful.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Ah, thank you.

[Michelle Obama]

Hey, there. I'm Louis Fertel, head gay in charge of the crooked media podcast Keep It Every Wednesday. A fellow pop culture expert and I will be your intrepid guides through this fever dream we call the news. From Taylor Swift's Showgirl era to every award show to whatever the midterms version of Brat will be. And when my co host and I aren't dishing about celebrities, we'll be talking to them. Think of names like Cate Blanchett, Danielle Deadweiler, Andrew Garfield, and several others in the Keep it guest hall of fame. Listen to Keep it now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.