CALIFORNIA — Actress Kelly Curtis died at her California home at the age of 69, two and a half weeks before her 70th birthday. Her sister, Jamie Lee Curtis, announced the death in a social media post on Saturday.
"She was my first friend and lifelong confidant," Jamie Lee Curtis wrote in a Facebook post. She said her sister died "at peace" in her California home. No cause of death was revealed.
Kelly Curtis was the daughter of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh and the older sister of Jamie Lee Curtis. She first appeared on screen at age 2 in the 1958 film "The Vikings," in which her parents starred. She resumed acting 25 years later with a role in the television series "The Renegades." Her screen credits include the 1983 film "Trading Places," in which she appeared alongside her sister, and a portrayal of Lieutenant Carolyn Plummer in the first season of the UPN series "The Sentinel." She also had roles in television shows such as "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," "The Equalizer," "Hunter," "Silk Stalkings," "LateLine," and "Judging Amy." Her last acting credit was in a 1999 episode of "Judging Amy."
Later in life, Kelly Curtis turned to directing, completing the 2018 documentary "Marby Jets Are Go," about an Australian high school track team, and the 2019 documentary "Curling in Stanley," covering the first "Sawtooth Outdoor Bonspiel" curling tournament in Stanley, Idaho. She also worked as Jamie Lee Curtis’s assistant on the films "Freaky Friday," "Christmas With the Kranks," and "You Again."
"She was jaw droppingly beautiful, and a talented actress," Jamie Lee Curtis wrote. "She played a mean game of hearts, collected turtles, loved her family, nature, music, thrifting, travel, Facebook, and Pokémon Go."