Kelly Lee Curtis (June 17, 1956 โ May 30, 2026) was an American actress. She was known for her roles in Magic Sticks (1987) and The Devil’s Daughter (1991).
๐ถ Early Life and Family
Kelly Lee Curtis was born on June 17, 1956, in Santa Monica, California. She was the elder child of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, and the older sister of actress Jamie Lee Curtis.
Her paternal grandparents were Hungarian-Jewish immigrants. Two of her maternal great-grandparents were Danish, and the rest of her mother’s ancestry was German and Scots-Irish.
She had four half-siblings from her father’s later marriages: Alexandra Curtis, Allegra Curtis, Nicholas Curtis (who died of a drug overdose) and Benjamin Curtis.
๐ Education and Early Career
Curtis made her first appearance on film as a young girl in The Vikings (1958), which starred her parents. Her parents divorced in 1962, and her mother later married Robert Brandt.
In 1978, she graduated from Skidmore College with a degree in business. She worked briefly as a stockbroker.
๐ญ Acting Career
Curtis studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. An article in the Los Angeles Times of July 28, 1982, about the play Say Goodnight, Gracie praised her performance.
She played Shirley in the comedy Magic Sticks (1987) and starred as Miriam Kreisl in The Devil’s Daughter (1991). She was a regular cast member as Lieutenant Carolyn Plummer during the first season of The Sentinel (1996).
Her guest appearances on TV included roles in The Renegades (1983), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) and Judging Amy (1999). She also worked as a production assistant on several films with her sister, including Freaky Friday (2003), Christmas with the Kranks (2004) and You Again (2010).
๐ Personal Life and Death
Curtis married Scott Morfee on September 14, 1989. She later married filmmaker John Marsh, with whom she made local documentaries.
She died at her home in Bellevue, Idaho, on May 30, 2026, at the age of 69. Her death was announced by her sister, Jamie Lee, on social media.
| Category | Detail | Category | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | June 17, 1956 | Died | May 30, 2026 |
| Birthplace | Santa Monica, California | Death Place | Bellevue, Idaho |
| Parents | Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh | Sibling | Jamie Lee Curtis |
| Notable Films | Magic Sticks (1987), The Devil’s Daughter (1991) | TV Role | Lt. Carolyn Plummer on The Sentinel (1996) |