John Carpenter’s Halloween was Jamie Lee Curtis’ first-ever movie role, and while the iconic slasher is one of the horror genre’s most famed efforts, it almost saw the young actress typecast as a scream queen from the off. In fact, Curtis made six consecutive movies that featured either serial killers or the supernatural before she finally branched out by trying her hand at comedy in Trading Places.
The Fog, Terror Train, Road Games, Halloween II and an uncredited cameo as a telephone operator in Season of the Witch would see anyone struggle to shake off the shackles of running for their life, but it’s now 2021 and Curtis is still raring to go as Laurie Strode. October’s Halloween Kills will mark the sixth consecutive decade that she’s played the role, but until the second installment in David Gordon Green’s trilogy arrives, she won’t hold the all-time appearance record.
Donald Pleasance starred as Dr. Sam Loomis in the first four installments before returning one final time in 1995’s The Curse of Michael Myers, and his five outings have remained the benchmark for over a quarter of a century. That’s all set to change when Curtis follows Halloween, Halloween II, Halloween H20, Halloween: Resurrection and the 2018 update with Halloween Kills, and her final outing in next year’s Halloween Ends will bring her up to seven for good measure.
Laurie Strode is without a doubt one of the most recognizable protagonists in the history of horror, but at the start of her career you can guarantee that Curtis would have laughed off any suggestions she’d still be trying to outrun and outsmart Michael Myers over 40 years after she barely survived the first time.
