Kelly Curtis

Kelly Lee Curtis (June 17, 1956 – May 30, 2026) was an American actress. She was known for her roles in Magic Sticks and The Devil's Daughter (1991).

Early life Kelly Lee Curtis was born on June 17, 1956, in Santa Monica, California, the elder child of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. She was the older sister of actress Jamie Lee Curtis. Her paternal grandparents were Hungarian-Jewish immigrants, and two of her maternal great-grandparents were Danish. 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.

Curtis made her first appearance on film as a young girl in the United Artists action-adventure 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 in Saratoga Springs, New York, with a degree in business, and worked briefly as a stockbroker. An article in the Los Angeles Times of July 28, 1982, about the play Say Goodnight, Gracie reads, in part, "Kelly Curtis is Ginny, sadly resigned to not being smart but smartly settled for honest responses. Here, writing and performance transcend one-note designation. Seated quietly, Curtis delivers a touching monologue that would have been the heart of another and better play, rather than a disarming moment of inspired simplicity."

She was a regular cast member as Lieutenant Carolyn Plummer during the first season of the crime-action television series 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, Freaky Friday (2003), Christmas with the Kranks (2004) and You Again (2010). At the time the couple were working together on his musical theater piece, Shout and Twist, in which she appeared and also produced. She later married filmmaker John Marsh, with whom she made local documentaries.

Curtis died at her home in Bellevue, Idaho of natural causes, on May 30, 2026, at the age of 69. She spent a week in hospice care before her death. Her death was announced by her sister, Jamie Lee, on social media.

Filmography Film + Year Title Role Notes 1958 The Vikings Young Girl Uncredited 1983 Trading Places Muffy 1987 Magic Sticks Shirley 1987 Checkpoint Joyce 1991 The Devil's Daughter Miriam Kreisl Starring role 1992 Ex-Cop Officer 1998 Mixed Blessings Annie Weaver 1998 June Short film Sources:

Television + Year Title Role Notes 1983 The Renegades Cynthia Holtson Episode: "Target: Marciano" 1986 The Equalizer Vicki Episode: "No Conscience" 1988 The Equalizer Paula Whitaker Episode: "No Place Like Home" 1989 Kojak: Ariana Whitley TV movie 1990 Thanksgiving Day Barbara Schloss TV movie 1991 Hunter Amy Rivers Episode: "The Reporter" 1991 False Arrest Mary Durand TV movie 1992 Silk Stalkings Sara Lawton Episode: "Curtain Call" 1993 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Miss Sarda Episode: "Captive Pursuit" 1994 Search and Rescue Susan TV movie 1996 The Sentinel Lt. Carolyn Plummer 7 episodes 1999 LateLine Shelly Episode: "Karp's Night Out" 1999 Judging Amy Leslie Wirth Episode: "Last Tango in Hartford" Sources:

Production crew Freaky Friday (2003), production assistant Christmas with the Kranks (2004), assistant You Again (2010), assistant