Janet Leigh was born to a family that frequently relocated, causing her to spend most of her childhood in various apartments. Despite this unstable upbringing, Janet proved to be a bright and ambitious individual, skipping several grades and finishing high school at the tender age of 15. As a lonely child, she often found solace in movie theaters, where she would spend hours watching films and developing her passion for the big screen.
Janet's academic pursuits took her to the University of the Pacific, where she studied music and psychology. However, her collegiate career was cut short when she was "discovered" by retired MGM actress Norma Shearer, who saw a picture of Janet on the front desk of a ski resort where her parents worked. This chance encounter led to a screen test at MGM, which ultimately resulted in a starring role in The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947).
Janet's early success at MGM led to a string of starring roles, including Little Women (1949),Angels in the Outfield (1951),Scaramouche (1952),Houdini (1953),and The Black Shield of Falworth (1954). She worked alongside some of the biggest stars of the time, including Errol Flynn, Gary Cooper, James Stewart, Orson Welles, and Judy Garland.
Throughout her career, Janet appeared in a wide range of films, from comedies to westerns to musicals to dramas. She starred in over 50 movies, including the iconic thriller Psycho (1960),directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Although her character met a tragic end in the film, Janet's performance earned her an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe.
Janet's subsequent films were fewer and farther between, but she still managed to appear in notable projects like The Manchurian Candidate (1962),Harper (1966),and The Fog (1980),in which she starred alongside her daughter Jamie Lee Curtis. In the 1990s, she reprised her role as Laurie Strode in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998).
Janet Leigh passed away on October 3, 2004, at the age of 77, leaving behind a legacy as a talented actress and a beloved figure in the film industry.
