Kelly Curtis, Actress of The Sentinel and Sister of Jamie Lee Curtis, Dies at 69
According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, American actress Kelly Curtis, the older sister of Jamie Lee Curtis, died on Saturday at the age of 69.
Jamie Lee Curtis announced her sister’s passing in a Facebook post, writing: “A warm hello and goodbye to my big sister, Kelly Lee Curtis. She passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by nature. She was my first friend and lifelong confidante. She possessed stunning beauty and was a talented actress.”
Curtis went on to reflect on her sister’s passions, including family, nature, music, travel, collecting turtles, thrift shopping, Facebook, and the mobile game Pokémon GO. She also noted that Kelly took pride in her Danish roots and her Hungarian Jewish heritage and was a devoted patriot.
“She will be remembered for her generous spirit, candid opinions, endless curiosity, unique sense of style, and her Christmas almond crescent cookies,” Curtis added, explaining that these beloved treats earned her the nickname “Aunt Cookie.”
Kelly Curtis appeared alongside her sister in the 1983 comedy film Trading Places. She also worked as Jamie Lee Curtis’s assistant on films including Freaky Friday, Christmas with the Kranks, and You Again.
She was best known for portraying Lieutenant Carolyn Plummer in the first season of the action television series The Sentinel. Her television credits also included appearances in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Equalizer, Hunter, Silk Stalkings, and Judging Amy.
On the big screen, Curtis appeared in the comedy film Magic Sticks and the television movie Thanksgiving Day, which starred Mary Tyler Moore. Other credits included False Arrest and The Sect.
In recent years, Curtis turned her attention to documentary filmmaking. Her first documentary, Marby Jets Are Go (2018), chronicled the challenges and triumphs of a high school track-and-field team in Australia. Her second documentary, Curling in Stanley, focused on the inaugural Southouth Outdoor Bonspiel curling competition in Stanley, Idaho.
Kelly Curtis was born in Santa Monica in 1956. Her first appearance on screen came in the adventure film The Vikings, which starred her parents, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.
