NEW YORK (AP) — Jamie Lee Curtis recently reflected on a career spanning decades and wildly different projects, from action blockbusters to a new television role that surprised even her. The actress recalled a particularly daring stunt from 1994’s “True Lies” – dangling beneath a helicopter over the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys – and contrasted it with her current work on a new TV series.
“I guarantee you when I was … literally hanging under a helicopter above the Seven Mile Bridge in Florida, I did not imagine I’d be sitting in New York City that many years later with Nicole Kidman,” Curtis said. “Not only being co-bosses on a show, but then also playing her slutty sister. I was not imagining that as my future.”
Curtis and Kidman co-executive produce and star in “Scarpetta,” a new mystery crime series debuting on Prime Video on March 11. The show is based on the popular novels by Patricia Cornwell. Curtis credited Kidman with helping to elevate the perception of television roles through prestige series like “Considerable Little Lies” and “Nine Perfect Strangers.” This shift has opened doors for established film actors to embrace long-form storytelling.
Kidman, 58, plays Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist investigating complex murders. To prepare for the role, she spent time with a medical examiner in Tennessee, learning techniques like holding a scalpel and dissecting organs.
“My sister and my mother were obsessed with the novels, so I would read them,” Kidman said. When she learned Curtis was leading the charge on “Scarpetta,” she knew she wanted in.
A timely adaptation
Rights to Cornwell’s novels had been optioned for years, with actors like Demi Moore, Angelina Jolie and even Kidman herself previously attached to projects that never materialized.
Kidman approached Curtis at the 2021 Oscars, initiating a conversation that led to her involvement in the series. Months later, she learned Curtis was spearheading the “Scarpetta” adaptation and immediately expressed her interest.
“I have a philosophy where characters reach to you at the right time,” Kidman explained. “Here she is, and I’m ready now.”
Curtis also takes on a role in the series, playing Scarpetta’s sister, Dorothy. Initially hesitant to act in the show, she agreed at Kidman’s request. The eight-episode season is led by showrunner Liz Sarnoff, known for her work on “Lost” and “Barry,” and a longtime fan of the books.
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