ACTRESS Jamie Lee Curtis, 65, just received an award from the American Film Institute (AFI).
The drama school awarded Curtis, with an honorary degree at a graduation ceremony on Saturday, August 10, for his contributions to film.
“A moment like this requires respect for the institution and the longevity of my life as an artist, and I claim that,” Curtis told PEOPLE at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.
“It would make me cry,” he added. “But I now claim the word ‘artist’ at my age. I didn’t then.”
After decades of work Curtis says he now identifies himself as an “artist with a capital ‘S’”, a title he has only felt the relevance of for a long time.
Discussing the significance of the honorific given her family background, she tells PEOPLE, “‘Nepo babies’ is an easy way for people to say that you don’t deserve your success. And I’ve been aware of that my whole life.”
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“I don’t shy away from it,” he added. “I’m under no illusion that it doesn’t have an impact and an effect. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t help when they say roll and action. That’s when art takes over.”
“And I didn’t know I was an artist, but I knew I was a creative person,” she said. “I’m an idea maker, and I’ve been an idea maker since the beginning. I’m a marketer. I’m a publicist. … I’ve written children’s books, I’ve written screenplays, I’ve directed. I’ve produced.”
Today, the mother of two says, “My legacy is less profound” because “my art has transcended that.”
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“I’m in a place of great historical significance and my daughter is here with me,” she continued. “That legacy is that I’m a mother and a friend and a collaborator. And of course, all of that has an impact, but it’s not that profound.”
And, Curtis explains, his “legacy” is still a work in progress — and will remain so until he can no longer work.
“I’m more in my own body and mind, and I don’t have time to waste because I’m going to die soon,” she tells PEOPLE.
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“And I don’t say that like, ‘Oh, that’s a funny, stupid thing.’ I say, I’m telling you: I’m (65). My mother died at 76, my father at 85. I don’t have time to waste.”
“And this is an example of establishing the solidity of my being and my mind,” The Bear star added. “And now I just have to work hard and I’m working hard right now.”
According to an official statement, the AFI Conservatory awarded Curtis an honorary doctorate of fine arts for “distinguished contributions to the art of the moving image.”
“Jamie Lee Curtis is a supernova born from the union of two stars, an icon with a fearless approach to the craft and a relentless dedication to advancing the culture that defines excellence in our modern age,” said AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale.
Curtis won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2023 for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once and will reprise her role as Tess Coleman in the upcoming sequel to 2003’s Freaky Friday alongside Lindsay Lohan’s Anna Coleman.
The film, which is set to hit theaters next year, will follow the mother-daughter duo of Curtis and Lohan as they switch bodies with two teenage girls. She also stars as Dr. Patricia Tannis in the recently released Borderlands film, which is based on the popular video game series. (People/Z-3)
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