Jamie Lee Curtis never thought she’d be accepting an Emmy Award in 2024 — especially after hawking Activia yogurt for seven years.
Curtis, 65, took home her first Emmy on Sunday, September 8, for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Donna Berzatto on The Bear during the 2024 Creative Arts Emmys.
“It’s astonishing that I got this opportunity at this point in my life,” she said, in part, during her acceptance speech. This marked Curtis’ first-ever Emmy Award throughout her entire career, beating out Olivia Colman who was nominated for The Bear, Kaitlin Olson who was nominated for Hacks, Da’Vine Joy Randolph who was nominated for Only Murders in the Building, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig, both nominated for Saturday Night Live.
While she was overcome with emotion on stage, Curtis had her usual humor when entering the press room following the win.
“I’ve been an actor since I was 19,” she told Us Weekly and other reporters. “I’m 65. I sold yogurt that makes you s–t for seven years. I just never thought in my life that I would get to do work at this level of depth and complexity. It’s just been the thrill of my creative life these last couple of years.”
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Curtis said that it’s “extraordinary” to be able to play this role — and win an award for it — at this point in her career.
“I think we’re all underestimated, and as actors, you just hustle for a job, any job. And look at my career, I’ve done a lot of weird stuff because I just love the process,” she explained. “And to me, the perseverance and patience and belief in yourself, rejection, this is an industry filled with rejection. You are rejected every day, every day when you’re an actor.”
Curtis made her debut as Donna Berzatto during The Bear season 2, which premiered in June 2023, playing Carmy’s (Jeremy Allen White) mom in the fan-favorite episode “Fishes.” Curtis wasn’t the only A-lister who made an appearance in that episode but packed the biggest punch as the complicated Berzatto family matriarch. She reprised the role for The Bear season 3, which premiered earlier this year.
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After winning both an Oscar and an Emmy within the past two years, Curtis was asked if she has plans to pursue the prestigious EGOT. (Curtis took home a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 2023 for Everything Everywhere All at Once.)
“Well, I can’t sing at all, and I’ve never been on stage, actually. I’ve never done a play, and so I can’t imagine,” she quipped. “I don’t stay up that late … So I am just not sure I would do so well in the theater since you go to bed so late. But you know what? I never thought any of this was going to be possible in my life at all.”
