As Jamie Lee Curtis picked up her first trophy ever at the 45th Annual Saturn Awards Friday night, she had a good luck charm on her arm: former manager Chuck Binder, whom she said was the reason she became an actor.
“I was in college and had no thought of being an actor,” Curtis told Variety ahead of her best actress win for “Halloween.” “I came home from college at Christmas, and an old friend of mine who used to be a tennis teacher was managing actors. He said, ‘They’re looking for Nancy Drew. Do you want to go up for it? And I was like, ‘Sure.’”
Although Curtis didn’t get the part, she was hooked, and after a series of wins and losses, she landed the role that kicked off her career. “I ended up with an [acting] contract at Universal Studios,” she continued. “I quit college, and was an actor for about a year on a TV show. Then, I got fired. Then, Chuck, who at that time was my manager, put me up for Halloween. Had I not run into Chuck Binder on that day over Christmas, I would have never been an actor.”
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“I would’ve been a police officer,” she continued. “He’s my date tonight, because I thought he’d bring me luck, and although he’s not my manager and we haven’t worked together in 30, 40 years, he is the reason I’m an actor and there’s no one else I am more grateful for that because it’s given me a creative life I never thought I’d have.”
CREDIT: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
The Saturn Awards, which honors motion picture, television, home entertainment, and live stage productions in the horror and sci-fi genres, was hosted by Aisha Tyler, and fittingly held on Friday the 13th at The Avalon in Hollywood. “Welcome to the Saturn Awards. Tonight, we celebrate everything that used to get us kicked and beaten in school,” Tyler quipped as she started the show.
Curtis was just one of the night’s many big winners. Longtime Saturn Awards presenter and attendee, “Star Trek: Discovery” star Doug Jones, took home his first award at the show for best supporting actor in a streaming presentation. Meanwhile, Zendaya nabbed best supporting actress for “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” and Josh Brolin won best supporting actor for “Avengers: Infinity War.”
“Avengers: Endgame” led the awards with six Saturns, taking home best comic-to-motion picture release, best actor in a film (Robert Downey Jr.), best film production design, best film editing, best film make-up and best film special/visual effects. Game of Thrones took home four: best fantasy television series, best actress on a television series (Emilia Clarke), best supporting actor on a television series (Peter Dinklage) and best performance by a younger actor on a television series (Maisie Williams).
