Melissa McBride and Jamie Lee Curtis are two of the most iconic actresses in the horror genre, but are they related by blood or just by friendship? Many fans have wondered if the two stars share a family connection, especially since they both have short hair and a similar facial structure. The answer is no, they are not related, but they do have a lot in common.
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Melissa McBride: The Walking Dead’s Carol Peletier
Melissa McBride has portrayed Carol Peletier in The Walking Dead for 12 years. She was introduced in season 1, episode 2, “Tell it to the Frogs,” as an abused wife under the thumb of her boorish husband Ed (Adam Minarovich). They had a daughter Sophia (Madison Lintz), who was just as afraid of her father as her mother was. Throughout the series, Carol has endured much heartbreak, but instead of allowing that to beat her, she has risen above and become the Scream Queen of The Walking Dead.
Fans have watched her time and time again selflessly save our survivors. Even in season 1, when she was still quite timid, she produced the grenade to Rick (Andrew Lincoln) that allowed them to escape the CDC building before it blew up. Viewers have watched her endure her daughter Sophie’s death and the numerous children she adopted into her care. This alone would buckle a weaker woman, but not Carol. She pressed on and even avenged Alpha (Samantha Morton) for killing Henry (Matt Lintz). She has made decisions everyone might not agree with, but she’s usually correct in handling things. The group has survived countless tragedies because of her actions.
McBride has done a fantastic job taking Carol from the comics, who died early on in that story, and broadened her into one badass apocalypse warrior. According to IMDb, McBride was born on May 23, 1965 in Lexington, Kentucky. She started her acting career in 1991 with minor roles in films and TV shows. She also worked as a casting director for several projects in Atlanta, Georgia². She was only in three of season one’s six episodes of The Walking Dead. “I figured my character was not going to live,” she said. McBride, who resembles Jamie Lee Curtis with her short hair and calm demeanor, bonded with the other Atlanta actors on the show, all of whom she had known when she was a casting director.
Jamie Lee Curtis: The Halloween’s Laurie Strode
Jamie Lee Curtis is the original Scream Queen, who has portrayed Laurie Strode in the Halloween franchise for 44 years. She made her film debut in 1978’s Halloween, directed by John Carpenter, as the teenage babysitter who survives the attacks of Michael Myers, a masked serial killer. She reprised her role in several sequels, including Halloween II (1981), Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998), Halloween: Resurrection (2002), Halloween (2018), and Halloween Kills (2021). She will also appear in the final installment, Halloween Ends (2022).
Curtis has described Laurie as a true survivor who is self-reliant and resilient. She says, “a scream queen isn’t a damsel in distress but quick thinking, strong-willed and able to adapt to any threat to her or her family.” This description is spot on for TWD’s Carol Peletier¹. Curtis has also starred in other horror films, such as The Fog (1980), Prom Night (1980), Terror Train (1980), and The Scream Factory Presents: Terror Train Collector’s Edition [Blu-ray/DVD Combo] (2012). She has also ventured into other genres, such as comedy, drama, action, and sci-fi.
According to IMDb, Curtis was born on November 22, 1958 in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of legendary actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. She has a sister, Kelly Curtis, who is also an actress. She is married to actor and director Christopher Guest, with whom she has two adopted children.
The Friendship Between Melissa McBride and Jamie Lee Curtis
Melissa McBride and Jamie Lee Curtis are not related by blood, but they are good friends who share a mutual admiration for each other’s work. During the recent Talking Dead season 11 preview special, Curtis filmed a special message about the ending of two spectacular franchises. The Walking Dead will end on November 20, 2022, and the Halloween franchise premieres Halloween Ends on October 14, 2022.
In the video, Curtis praised McBride for her portrayal of Carol, saying that she is “one of the great actresses of our time” and that she has “created a character that is so complex and so interesting and so compelling.” She also said that she hopes to work with her someday, and that she is “a huge fan” of The Walking Dead.
McBride was touched by Curtis’s message, and thanked her on Twitter, saying that she is “honored and humbled” by her words. She also expressed her love for Curtis and her excitement for Halloween Kills.
The two actresses have a lot in common, as they are both Scream Queens who have played strong, resilient, and complex characters in long-running horror franchises. They are also both talented, successful, and inspiring women who have earned the respect and admiration of fans and peers alike. They are not related by blood, but they are related by friendship and by horror.
