Kelly Curtis, actress and eldest daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, died peacefully at her home in nature on May 31, 2026, at age 69 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Jamie Lee Curtis confirmed her sister's death, calling Kelly "my first friend and lifelong confidant" and "jaw droppingly beautiful, and a talented actress" [1].
Born June 17, 1956, in Santa Monica, California, Kelly made her screen debut as an infant in the 1958 film The Vikings, starring her parents [1, 2, 3, 6]. She appeared in films including Trading Places (1983), Magic Sticks (1987), and The Devil's Daughter (1991), and had roles on television shows such as The Equalizer, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Sentinel, Hunter, and Silk Stalkings throughout the 1980s and 1990s [1, 2, 3, 4, 6]. Her final TV appearances came in 1999 on LateLine and Judging Amy [3].
Kelly also worked behind the scenes as an assistant to Jamie Lee Curtis on films including Freaky Friday (2003), Christmas With the Kranks (2004), and You Again (2010) [1, 2, 3, 4]. She directed documentaries later in life, such as Marby Jets Are Go (2018) and Curling in Stanley (2019) [2, 3, 5, 6].
Jamie Lee Curtis shared that Kelly was proud of their Danish roots and Hungarian Jewish ancestry, often ending messages with the Hungarian phrase "Isten Veled," meaning "God is with you" [1, 3]. She recalled a sometimes competitive childhood relationship that grew close in adulthood, especially after Kelly stayed overnight before Jamie Lee’s 1984 wedding and began working as her assistant [1, 5]. Kelly was affectionately nicknamed "Auntie Cookie" for her annual tradition of baking powdered almond crescent cookies each Christmas [1, 2, 4, 5, 6].
Kelly held a business degree and briefly worked as a stockbroker before focusing on acting [5].
Her family and fans mark the passing of a versatile actress and filmmaker who worked steadily for decades across film and television. Jamie Lee Curtis closed with a farewell, saying, "Isten Veled to my sister of the sun and the moon, my Tai. I’ll see you on down the line" [1].
