Podcast Summary: Jamie Lee Curtis on Finding Purpose and Reimagining Her Future in Hollywood

Podcast: Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist (Sunday TODAY)
Date: December 7, 2025
Guest: Jamie Lee Curtis
Host: Willie Geist

Overview

In this episode, Willie Geist sits down with actress and newly-minted producer Jamie Lee Curtis for a candid, lively conversation about her late-career “hot streak,” finding purpose beyond fame, and her latest project, Ella McKay. The discussion weaves through family legacy, reinvention in Hollywood, the highs and lows of fame, and the profound power of believing in yourself amid change.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Family Legacy, Identity, and Motivation (03:12 – 11:44)

• Famous Parents & Personal Identity:
  Jamie Lee opens up about living in the shadows of her iconic parents, Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis, and how that shaped her understanding of self-worth and motivation.

• The Importance of Being Seen:
  Jamie recounts how, as an undistinguished teenager, novelist Gwen Davis recognized her intelligence and kindness, making her feel truly “seen” for the first time.

  • "She was the only person in my life who ever looked at me and said, 'I see you, Jamie... You're clever, you're funny, you're really observant and aware of everything.'" (06:10 – 07:19, Jamie Lee Curtis)

• Contrast with Parents' Experience:
  She describes how her parents, once movie stars, suffered as work faded, emphasizing how the transience of fame can be painful and warning against letting it define you.

  • "Actors don't self-retire... they just become redundant. They just become irrelevant." (09:54 – 10:08, Jamie Lee Curtis)

Reinvention, Production, and Carving a New Path (11:44 – 21:51)

• Embracing Aging and Letting Go of Vanity:
  Jamie credits her ongoing success to rejecting vanity and embracing her age, unlike her parents, whose identities were anchored in their beauty.

  • "I won an Oscar in a part where vanity was gone. There wasn't a mirror in sight." (13:25 – 13:30, Jamie Lee Curtis)

• Stepping into Producing & Creating Opportunity:
  She shares how she took the initiative to start Comet Pictures, leveraging a “vanity deal” for Halloween sequels with Jason Blum and making it meaningful with ambitious projects (The Lost Bus, Kay Scarpetta series).

  • "I put myself in the path of it. I literally stepped in front of Jason Blum..." (15:13 – 15:17, Jamie Lee Curtis)

• Origin of 'Comet Pictures':
  A charming story about naming her company after a magazine clipping during True Lies filming with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Critical Acclaim and Recent Work (21:51 – 29:19)

• On Winning the Oscar and Emmy:

  • Jamie reflects on her recent awards (“it’s not mine, it’s team effort”), her un-precious approach, and how she decorates her trophies with personal items for fun and meaning.
    • "Oscar has a googly eye ... I also degendered them. So it’s a ‘they/them’ pin on it." (26:13 – 26:40, Jamie Lee Curtis)
  • Portraying Donna in The Bear:
    Jamie describes the whirlwind, high-intensity experience of shooting the Christmas episode—walking into a set of strangers and instant chaos.
    • "It was like a grenade is rolling into the room... it's a beautiful dance. It's a yummy soup, but it's intense." (24:14 – 24:42, Jamie Lee Curtis)

• On Her Current Personal and Creative Life:

  • Jamie expresses deep satisfaction with her life balance: family, writing books, charity, and sobriety.
    • "I'm so happy it's happening now. Like at my age. I'm excited about the future. I have opportunities. I'm still hustling. I love a good hustle." (29:00 – 29:19, Jamie Lee Curtis)
  • The impact of watching her parents "drive away" from their careers—and her determination to keep moving forward, not dwelling on the rear-view mirror.

Looking Forward: Producing, Writing, and Staying Purposeful (32:06 – 35:17)

• Future Projects:
  Jamie shares excitement for upcoming production work (developing TV series she won’t act in), another children’s book, and philanthropic plans.
• Serendipity in Hollywood:
  She giddily recounts receiving direct offers, including John Cleese and especially James L. Brooks, who wrote her role as Aunt Helen in Ella McKay specifically for her.
  • "I've worked on this script forever. We shoot in the fall. I’d love you to be Helen. I direct much better than I handwrite. – Jim" (36:21, Jamie Lee Curtis reading Brooks’ letter)

Ella McKay and the Magic of Jim Brooks (35:17 – 41:53)

• About the Film & Role:
  Jamie describes Ella McKay as a heartwarming, family-centered political drama about an idealist (Emma Mackey) and the supporting love of her Aunt Helen (Jamie’s role).
  • "It's a movie about an idealistic young politician who really believes in the power of public service, helping people." (36:56 – 37:19, Jamie Lee Curtis)
• Brooks’ Brilliant Writing:
  She emphasizes Jim Brooks’ genius for poetic, grounded scripts that celebrate flawed, complex people—a dream come true to be invited into his world.
  • "He has a way of distilling what's happening into poetry that then you film and you feel... It's just a very singular Jim Brooks experience." (41:12, Jamie Lee Curtis)
• Star-Studded Cast:
  The film includes Woody Harrelson, Julie Kavner, Albert Brooks, and more, released Dec 12, 2025.

Finding Joy and Humor in the Journey (41:53 – End)

• A Deeply Appreciated Moment:
  Jamie admits to being “pinch me” grateful for her current chapter, carrying mementos close, and feeling “perfectly” situated for what’s next.
• Warm Closing Banter:
  Jamie jokes about Jon Meacham “joining” her marriage and affirms the fun, open-hearted approach she brings to her life and career.
  • "There's room in my marriage for Jon Meacham... I'm a big enough woman that I can accept Jon Meacham into my marriage." (42:36 – 42:55, Jamie Lee Curtis)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Self-Motivation:
  “Every human wakes up and looks in the mirror every morning... Nobody wakes up with people looking in the mirror with you going, ‘You can do it, Willie.’” (03:32 – 03:42, Jamie Lee Curtis)

• On Aging in Hollywood:
  "I have embraced [aging] fully, and I think that may be the secret key. I don’t give a—ultimately." (13:03 – 13:25, Jamie Lee Curtis)

• On Creativity and Hustle:
  “I'm excited about the future. I have opportunities now. I’m still putting myself in the path. I still hustle. I love a good hustle." (29:00 – 29:19, Jamie Lee Curtis)

• On Receiving Jim Brooks’ Letter:
  “The letter says, ‘Dear Jamie Lee, I’ve worked on this script forever. We shoot in the fall. I’d love you to be Helen. I direct much better than I handwrite. Jim.’” (36:21, Jamie Lee Curtis)

• On Purpose:
  “I'm trying to make sure that I check my boxes off before I go. But I'm having a really good time." (30:33 – 30:49, Jamie Lee Curtis)

• On Family, Fame, and Letting Go:
  “If you're in a car in a rearview mirror and you're looking at what you used to do and you're driving away and you aren't able to do it anymore... It had an impact on me.” (29:36 – 29:57, Jamie Lee Curtis)

Key Timestamps

• 03:12: Jamie Lee reflects on her parents and feeling “seen” for the first time
• 06:06 – 07:19: Gwen Davis’s encouragement and its lifelong impact
• 10:08 – 11:44: The pain of fading fame and her parents’ decline
• 13:25 – 13:47: Rejecting vanity, embracing age
• 15:13: Starting Comet Pictures (“I put myself in the path of it.”)
• 21:51: Discussion of The Bear, Oscar, and Emmy experiences
• 26:13 – 26:40: Jamie’s playful attitude toward her awards
• 29:00: Jamie’s gratitude and balance in life
• 36:21: The Jim Brooks letter and her excitement
• 37:19 – 39:14: Ella McKay’s plot and message
• 41:12: On Jim Brooks’ writing and what makes it magic
• 42:36 – 42:55: Jon Meacham “joining” the marriage (humorous closing)

Tone and Style

The conversation is open, intimate, and peppered with Jamie Lee Curtis’s characteristic wit, self-awareness, and warmth. She is candid about insecurities, transitions, and the work behind her current success—empowering listeners with her zest for life and defiance of Hollywood stereotypes.

For listeners seeking inspiration, insights into Hollywood reinvention, and the joy of creative purpose at any age, this episode is a must.