Jaime Lee Curtis is one of the iconic ladies of the '80s and '90s, having racked up some impressive leading roles. But, apparently, one of her most notable film roles was met with some resistance from her famous co-star. After taking back up her role as Laurie Strode in the recently released Halloween Kills, Curtis opened up about how Arnold Schwarzenegger “did not want” her to play opposite him in True Lies.
It seems a little odd that the Total Recall star would have an issue playing a part that made him the love interest of a stunner like Jaime Lee Curtis. Sure, he's 12 years Curtis’ senior, which isn’t a huge age difference when you consider actors who play characters that are much younger or older than they really are. The problem, though, was that Curtis’ father is Tony Curtis, a famous actor in his own right and one that had worked and connected with her future co-star. In a Role Recall interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, Jaime Lee Curtis reflected on the matter. Here’s how the famous scream queen put it, exactly:
Arnold knew me as Tony's daughter. He only knew me as Tony's daughter. He loved Tony Curtis. So I'm sure Arnold just looked at me like it'd be like kissing your niece or something ... I guarantee, in fact, he did not want me to be in that movie. I think he just thought it would be weird. We knew each other a little bit socially. I just don't think he thought of me as his leading lady. I think he thought of me as Tony's little girl. And it was Jim who said, ‘No, I've written this for her. She's the one to do this with you.’
The star is, of course, talking about True Lies director James Cameron here, and it’s a credit to just how iconic she is that she can call a powerhouse like Cameron “Jim.” Cameron previously worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger on the Terminator franchise, and it’s possible his strong backing of the actress is the reason we have the beautiful team-up that we see in True Lies. While the steamy scenes between the pair may have been uncomfortable, at least for Schwarzenegger, to film, the two icons stay friendly to this day.
At present, you can see Jamie Lee Curtis Curtis in the newest addition to her storied horror franchise, Halloween Kills, in theaters, or you can stream it on Peacock TV now. And if you can wait awhile, you’ll be able to see her in the film adaptation of Borderlands next year. As for Arnold Schwarzenegger, he’s got quite a few projects we can look forward to, including a Twins sequel with Danny DeVito.
And if you’re feeling nostalgic and want to revisit True Lies, it’s available to stream on Hulu or Amazon Prime.
