Jamie Lee Curtis Receives Honorary Degree From American Film Institute: ‘I Am the Representation of the Underachiever Who Has Achieved’

variety.com:

Selena Kuznikov Jamie Lee Curtis was awarded with an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by the American Film Institute at the conservatory‘s commencement ceremony.

The Oscar winner was the keynote speaker at the event, held Aug. 10. at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. “If you look at the paper, I’m not supposed to be here,” Curtis stated as began her speech. “I am the underachiever who just was awarded this incredible honor.” Curtis’ resume would beg to differ: the actor, who won an Oscar in 2023 for her role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” has built an extensive filmography that includes the “Halloween” movies, “Freaky Friday,” “Knives Out,” “Trading Places,” “My Girl,” “A Fish Called Wanda” and “True Lies,” plus television credits like “Scream Queens” and “Anything But Love.” “I am, for you graduates, the representation of the underachiever who has achieved,” Curtis continued. “I am an artist, I can say it to you today.

I could not tell you that when I was 19 years old and didn’t know what I was going to do. I can tell you I became an actor by accident.

My parents became actors by accident.” “Halloween” filmmaker John Carpenter — who cast Curtis as Laurie Strode in the classic horror movie, marking her film debut — presented the actor with the award, saying she inevitably became the queen of the genre. “Jamie Lee was and is an instinctive actress,” Carpenter said of Curtis’ performance in the 1978 film. “She has quite a pedigree, her parents were famous movie stars [Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis].