Jamie Lee Curtis Explains Why Sobriety Is Her Legacy: 'I'm More Free Today Than I've Ever Been' (Exclusive)

The Golden Globe nominee celebrates being 24 years sober while speaking to ET.

Jamie Lee Curtis is celebrating over two decades of being sober. The Everything Everywhere All at Once star and Golden Globe nominee spoke with ET's Nischelle Turner about the importance of her sobriety and how it's a lasting part of her legacy.

"I mean, I'm more free today than I've ever been and I'm 24 years sober," Curtis said while walking the red carpet at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's 80th annual awards show. 

The 64-year-old actress has been open about her past struggles with alcohol and pain pill addiction, previously telling ET that the "process of being a sober person puts you in the one-day-at-a-time mentality."

While at the Golden Globes, Curtis added that "with all of show business, the greatest thing I can do is break the cycle of addiction in my family line and stay sober through all of this because all of this is a mind f**k and a lot of people drink over it – the disappointment or the excitement or whatever… I'm very proud that choosing to live a sober life has allowed me incredible freedom." 

While speaking about legacies in Hollywood, Curtis also paid tribute to two of the night's biggest honorees, Eddie Murphy, who is receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Award for film, and Ryan Murphy, who is being given the Carol Burnett Award for TV.

When it comes to the latter, with whom she worked with on Scream Queens, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination in 2016, Curtis said that "he's a brave person." 

"He's not afraid to push all of our consciousness to think differently to look at issues with a very clear eye and a brave eye," she continued. "He's a brave creator and his legacy will live way on beyond him."

As for Murphy, who Curtis shared the screen with in 1983's Trading Places, she reflected on how the two have known each other for decades. "I have known him since he was a young guy," she said. "Now, he's a grown man, a father, a beautiful person and a very creative, talented guy. And I'm happy for him." 

Meanwhile, this is not Curtis' first time being honored by the HFPA, with two previous wins for Anything But Love and True Lies as well as multiple nominations. This year, she is being celebrated for her turn in Everything Everywhere All at Once, which has garnered six total nominations, including one for her in the Best Supporting Actress category. 

"Life is short and precious and we're in a profession that celebrates art, a time when we're out of COVID and we're back together and if we're not celebrating this moment right now, what are we doing?" she reflected, adding that when it comes to winning or losing, "It's out of your control… At the end, win or lose, it doesn't matter. We're here celebrating the arts." 

The 2023 Golden Globes airs live on Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock. Stay tuned to ETonline.com for complete Golden Globes coverage, including this year's winners


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