Jamie Lee Curtis compared 'Halloween' villain Michael Myers to overcoming her former drug addiction: 'It's right there at all times'
- Jamie Lee Curtis likened 'Halloween' villain Michael Myers to her former drug addiction.
- In an interview with BuzzFeed, the actress spoke about what the end of the franchise means to her.
Jamie Lee Curtis likened her "Halloween" character's battle with villain Michael Myers to overcoming her long-time drug addiction, despite being sober for more than two decades.
In an interview with BuzzFeed's Terry Carter Jr. published Friday, the actress opened up about playing the lead character Laurie Strode, a former babysitter who spends more than four decades years battling the serial killer. The first "Halloween" movie premiered in 1978, with Curtis appearing in six of the twelve sequels, including the franchise's final film "Halloween Ends."
Curtis told BuzzFeed that she feels "intertwined" with Laurie because they both have courage and tenacity. She likened Laurie's bravery against Myers to her own journey with opioid addiction, noting that she's been sober for nearly 24 years.
"You know, addiction is a motherfucker, and it has killed and continues to kill, regardless of gender, race, socioeconomic privilege, or lack thereof," she said. "Addiction knows no boundaries and kills indiscriminately. And addiction wants you dead, period."
She continued: "In 'Halloween Ends,' we think Michael Myers has disappeared at the beginning of the movie. We say it: 'He's disappeared!' Well, addiction never disappears. It is right here. It's like the little cartoons of the devil and the angel on your shoulders. That's addiction. It's right there at all times. I'm afraid of it. And I am trying very hard, on a daily basis, to keep it away."
The "Freaky Friday" actress opened up about her addiction to opioids in a 2018 interview with People. She told the magazine that "no one knew" she became dependent on painkillers after getting minor plastic surgery in 1989.
Curtis also revealed just how seriously she took her work on the "Halloween" films, sharing that she's never been friends with the actors who played Myers.
"We keep our distance. I treat this very seriously, as you can tell. Do you know why? Because if I was, excuse my French, fucking around on set with everybody, then it's a joke. And it isn't a joke," she said, adding, "I am not going to pretend that we are close, because we shouldn't be."
"Halloween Ends" marks the last time Curtis will play Strode on the big screen — and she put it in writing. During an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Tuesday, the late-night host asked the actress to sign a document to confirm she was "definitively" done with the role.
The decision was a sad one for Curtis, who also told Kimmel that she's been "weeping for a month trying to figure out how to say goodbye to all of this."
"Halloween Ends" premiered on October 14 in theaters and on Peacock.