Curtis, whose mother, Janet Leigh, is an iconic horror movie actress in her own right for "Psycho," made her film debut with John Carpenter's "Halloween." The film is the story of a serial killer, Michael Myers, who returns home following 15 years in a psychiatric facility after he killed his teenage sister. Now he's back to terrorize the town of Haddonfield once again, including Laurie, another teenage babysitter.
Curtis followed up "Halloween," which truly revolutionized horror for the next few decades, with another Carpenter horror flick, "The Fog," in 1980, along with "Prom Night" and "Terror Train."
The character of Laurie also appeared in "Halloween II" in 1981. Curtis also had an uncredited role in 1982's "Halloween III: Season of the Witch."
By 1983, Curtis had already transitioned to mainstream films and appeared in comedies like "Trading Places," "A Fish Called Wanda," "My Girl," and more.