Iconic ‘Scream Queen’ Jamie Lee Curtis recently reminisced about a memorable photoshoot from her career.
In a recent post, the Halloween star reflected on a promotional shoot for the 1998 film Halloween: H20, which commemorated the 20th anniversary of the original slasher classic featuring Michael Myers.
Curtis, who made her debut in the first Halloween film, has since appeared in six installments of the franchise.
While H20 wasn’t widely celebrated by critics or fans, one daring marketing decision did draw attention.
She and then-17-year-old co-star Michelle Williams (Dawson’s Creek, Brokeback Mountain) participated in a provocative cover shoot for Entertainment Weekly, featuring the two women in a mock pool of blood, surrounded by knives. Curtis famously sat on a throne, wearing a crown made of knives, while Williams was by her side.
Sharing the picture on Instagram, Curtis elaborated on the marketing strategy behind the shoot.
Lyvans Boolaky/Getty Images, Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
“This was the day H2O was released. I was really interested in marketing,” she posted. “When I found out the movie’s title was H2O, I thought the tagline should be ‘BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER’—a nod to the idea that MM was my brother. For the @entertainmentweekly cover, I wanted to dive into a ‘pool of blood,’ but we ended up doing a ‘blood bath’ instead.”
She further explained, “It stirred some controversy since Michelle was an emancipated 17-year-old, and we appeared to be naked in a bathtub of blood. We weren’t naked, and it wasn’t real blood, but it definitely made an impact!”
To wrap up her post, the actress encouraged her followers to take risks: “You’ve got to take a big swing once in a while; go big or go home!”
Fans eagerly chimed in on Curtis’s post.
“H20 is my favorite Halloween movie,” commented @buffalo.1985.
“Halloween 2 & H20 are still the best sequels!” wrote @jpalmieri13.
Meanwhile, @meli_swenk shared, “I still adore this movie, and I think I own a copy of that magazine. What a stunning photoshoot with you and Michelle! 😍🔥”
In 2022, Curtis bid farewell to the Halloween franchise with her role in Halloween Ends.
“I’m so grateful; I can’t believe I’m here,” she said at a screening, as shared on X, formerly Twitter. “My legacy, beyond my children, is that I never gave up. That’s an important message for all of us: never give up, never give up, never give up.”