Red Carpet Coverage

By Ella Bailey

The third celebrity red carpet event of the 28th Santa Barbara Film Festival (SBIFF) features Maltin Modern Master Award Recipient, Jamie Lee Curtis. The award highlights an individual who has enriched our culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry. SBHS’s The Forge had the privilege of interviewing the honoree, along with many other actors and filmmakers representing progressive projects. The films represented that night showcased inclusivity, awareness, and activism. Curtis is nominated for Best Supporting Actress in the upcoming 2023 Academy Awards for her role as Deirdre Beaubeirdre in Everything Everywhere All at Once. When asked about the film she answered, “It’s a multiverse movie, but it’s about kindness at the center of it. It’s about love, family, reunification, and failure. I don’t think we make movies that highlight people who have not had the American dream go so well. It’s important.” Leonard Maltin moderated the event and the award was presented by Curtis’ spouse, actor/filmmaker, Christopher Guest.

Event Coverage

By Clara Watson

At the Santa Barbara International Film Festival famous movie critic Leonard Maltin sat down to interview Maltin Modern Master Award recipient Jamie Lee Curtis on February 11th, to get an introspective look into her whole career in front of a full Arlington theater audience. Jamie Lee Curtis’ career started when she was only 19, with her breakout role in Halloween directed by John Carpenter. After the first day of shooting Halloween, she got a call from Mr. Carpenter at her house. Swearing she was going to be fired, Ms. Curtis inched to the phone, only to pick it up and find out it was John calling to tell her of what a good job she did on the first day. She explained how much that meant to her, and to this day John was the only director to have ever done that act of kindness. 

Jamie Lee Curtis definitely did not take herself too seriously in the interview, she wasn’t afraid to laugh, and got the whole theater laughing with her. She opened by sharing a special talent of mimicking spot on baby crying noises into the microphone. One of the best quotes of the night was; “I’m the only Oscar Nominee that sells yogurt that makes you sh*t,” referring to her long history of starring in Activia yogurt commercials. 

However, the night was also filled with thoughtful commentary from an actress who has truly mastered the craft. Her tip? Never go back to your trailer when you’re on set, that way you get put in more scenes and are able to help out. Through the night the audience was shown clips from all of Curtis’s most iconic movies such as; Halloween, Terror Train, Trading Places, The Fog, A Fish Called Wanda, Blue Steel, True Lies, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, Freaky Friday, Knives Out, and her Oscar-nominated role in Everything Everywhere All At Once.

She also discussed in great detail the care she put into crafting an intricate background for her characters. She shared that in her role as Deirdre Beaubeirdre in Everything Everywhere All At Once, she made sure Deirdre, a character that externally seems to have given up on life, had these beautiful manicured nails, because in her mind Deirdre getting her nails done was the only time she had the opportunity to feel human touch. It was listening to these snippets of the outstanding amount of work that goes into being an actress that showcased how deserving Jamie Lee Curtis is of the Martin Modern Master Award. A big thank you to her for coming down to Santa Barbara, and a big thank to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival for this event. 

[Top Image Credit: Ella Bailey, Middle Image Credit: Clara Watson]