In this image released by AARP, Jamie Lee Curtis is shown on the cover of the May/June 2008 issue of "AARP The Magazine," on sale at newsstands Monday, March 24. (AP Photo/AARP)

Jamie Lee Curtis Shows Skin, Talks About Weight Loss In AARP

March 21, 2008 04:21 PM EST | AP

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NEW YORK — Jamie Lee Curtis went shirtless to pose for AARP The Magazine.

Curtis is shown sporting gray hair and wading in water up to her chest on the cover of the magazine's May/June issue, which will be available Monday.

The star of "True Lies," "A Fish Called Wanda" and other films becomes eligible for membership in AARP, the nonprofit organization for people 50 and over, when she celebrates her birthday Nov. 22.

"I want to be older," she tells the magazine. "I actually think there's an incredible amount of self-knowledge that comes with getting older. I feel way better now than I did when I was 20. I'm stronger, I'm smarter in every way, I'm so much less crazy than I was then."

Curtis, who is married to Christopher Guest and the mother of two children, says she reached a turning point two years ago when a tabloid published a photo of her and gave her weight as 161 pounds.

"I was like, `How dare you _ I'm not 161 pounds!' I was indignant. I got home and I went on a scale and I was 161 pounds. I was in denial about it," she says.

"So I started a really healthy way of eating, just avoiding things that I had been shoving in my mouth. Over the course of a year, I dropped about 20 pounds," Curtis says.

"Now, I get up at (5 a.m.) every day, filled with energy. I play tennis three times a week, and I do yoga."

Curtis says growing older means paring down to an essential version of yourself.

"I've let my hair go gray. I wear only black and white. Every year I buy three or four black dresses that I just keep in rotation. I own one pair of blue jeans. I've given away all my jewelry, because I don't wear it," she says.

What about her life would she do over?

"I've been an inconsistent parent at times, and it's my greatest regret," she says. "When my daughter was small, I worked too much. I was replicating what my own mother (Janet Leigh) did."

___

On the Net:

AARP The Magazine:

http://www.aarpmagazine.org/


 
 

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It is so refreshing to see how the aging process is being redefined as something that is exciting, adventerous and worth the ride. Jamie's gray hair is stunning. If only more of us would embrace the second half of life like her.

www.goinggrayblog.com

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:41 AM on 03/28/2008

In the old days....my grandmother's era.....older women (past 50) actually DID wear only black and white and they always let their hair go gray. No makeup, no colorful or sexy clothing---nothing to enhance their femininity in any way.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:33 PM on 03/24/2008

Hold on people. Her career track has been, shall we say, erratic? At first she was a prudie scream queen. Then she "Traded Places" and did some R-skin flicks. Then she got prudish again, and then she compromised and did "True Lies" where all she showed was her thighs. Then she got on TV and since that time I've seen her shilling for this and that. Her clothing was still a bit tight, so she was willing to hubba-hubba for the camera. And now she graces us with her image on AARP. Considering her parents, I'd say she's benn lucky in the genes department. As far as turning 50, I do that this year and all I can say is where's my damn senior discounts?!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:48 PM on 03/23/2008

JLC is someone who is truly comfortable in her own skin. Apparently, in more ways than one.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:56 PM on 03/23/2008

Ya know, say what you will about her, the lady has cajones, (no pun intended) to do as she has. She told those who get botox to naff off, is aging gracefully, and looks great for her age. I give her a lot of credit for going against the Hollywood pressure to be perfect. Nice to see not all people have sold out.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:29 PM on 03/23/2008

I'm not trying to be mean, but she really does look like a cancer patient!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:54 PM on 03/23/2008

If that's what cancer looks like, I'm going to start smoking and drinking again.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:18 PM on 03/24/2008

Not "trying" to be mean? Well you ARE being mean. And jealous and stupid. She's in great shape for her age, she's not overstressed, not overweight or even too thin. She's doing great.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:13 PM on 03/23/2008

Well, exCUSE me!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:25 PM on 03/23/2008

Thank you Jamie Lee!! As a woman your age, I give you a standing ovation. You are a beautiful woman and always will be. Thank you for NOT supporting the lizard-look, the zipper in the back of the head that too many are resorting to. We are individuals, we will age as individuals.

The advertisers are after my money big time to look 20 again. I don't want to look 20 again. I want to be able to show my face in public and not be a freak show just because I won't spend thousands of dollars to look like everyone else.

My husband is thankful that I am not a slave to looking like everyone else and undergoing expensive cosmetic surgery every 2 years to do so or spending thousands every year on cosmetics, faddish supplements, and anti-aging remedies for my face and body.

Thank you Jamie Lee. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:50 AM on 03/23/2008

She looks like Leonard Nimoy.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:50 AM on 03/23/2008

...under chemotherapy!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:25 PM on 03/23/2008

Have you ever had cancer? How 'bout chemo? You might want to watch it. Karma is not only a bitch, she's a Jamie Lee Curtis fan.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:20 PM on 03/24/2008

IF 60 IS THE NEW 40....

Then 50 is the new 30.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:10 PM on 03/22/2008

And 30 is the new 10? Say what!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:53 PM on 03/23/2008

19 is the new embryo.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:38 PM on 03/23/2008

IT LOOKS LIKE HER WIG BLEW OFF.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:35 PM on 03/22/2008

There is nothing less sexy than a wig.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:21 PM on 03/24/2008

Fewer things are less sexy than a wig.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:48 AM on 03/23/2008

She's rocking that short gray hair! I enjoy Jamie Lee's honesty and intelligence ... read an interview with her mother some years ago and Janet Leigh remarked that there was "no filter" between Jamie Lee's brain and her mouth ... she just opened it and said whatever was on her mind! It's refreshing.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:50 PM on 03/22/2008

This is AARP's idea of a topless photo?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:30 PM on 03/22/2008

THEY'RE TRYING TO SPARE ALL US OLD GUYS...

Cardiac seizures....

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:11 PM on 03/22/2008

I've always thought she was beautiful and there isn't anything that has changed my mind. I once had the pleasure to play golf at Rivera Golf course. She was sitting on the steps of the pro shop taking off her golf shoes after a golf lesson in black slacks and a silky white blouse. She is even prettier in person.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:52 AM on 03/24/2008

My husband is seven years older than me, and a few years ago when he turned 50 I laughed out loud when he started getting the AARP magazine. All I can say is, when it's my turn to get the magazine, I hope I look as good as she does.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:51 PM on 03/22/2008

Give me a break. Fifty is NOTHING to a woman who takes care of herself, has access to good healthcare and maintains her weight. Tennis three times a week...hard life.
Come back with this story when she's sixty-two.
(I am a fan and even liked Freaky Friday.)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:55 PM on 03/22/2008

Jamie Lee will be a hot babe when shes 64.... shes got it!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:52 PM on 03/22/2008

Jamie Lee, you rock!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:06 PM on 03/22/2008

From one to 50+ woman to another - Jamie you are a beautiful woman and I love your honesty. My most favorite Jamie Lee Curtis movie would have to be True Lies with Arnold and I was so wanting a sequille that never happened for some reason (Boris and Doris). Your dance scene still makes me laugh every time I see it. I have forgiven you for Freaky Friday. ;o)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:30 PM on 03/22/2008

Ever gorgeous, ever intelligent, ever cool and someone you can imagine sitting down with and having a beer with.
THAT is sexy and Jamie Lee is all that and more.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:26 PM on 03/22/2008

Please, this isn't the typical older woman. She has testicular feminization, so genetically has a greater muscle to fat ratio. She ages like a man, not a woman.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:45 PM on 03/22/2008

PITHY - As only someone who has seen the movie "True Lies" can say, if that's not all woman, then maybe we need to rethink what is.

Watch this and then you make up your own mind whether it's true or not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LInnwrSGLJU

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:42 PM on 03/22/2008

Interesting comment. Your statement seriously clashes with what I notice on the street. Unlike men Curtis's age, she isn't balding, hunched over, paunchy and soft.

Although she probably does have "good" (not necessarily "male", as you state) genetics on her side, I am sure her diet, lifestyle, and exercise regime have a lot to do with her condition. Curtis does yoga regularly, and there isn't a physical activity out there that has as may benefits for the inside and out.
I see a lot of women her age attending yoga classes, but very few men.....

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:25 PM on 03/22/2008

"Unlike men Curtis's age, she isn't balding, hunched over, paunchy and soft. "

That description does not fit all men of 50 and probably does not even fit most of them.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:52 PM on 03/23/2008

"...Unlike men Curtis's age, she isn't balding, hunched over, paunchy and soft....".
This may be the stereotype for men and women over the age of fifty. However, the situation is not true for all men and women. A lot of "elderly" can swim, hike, climb, bicycle, work heavy labor, and more. By this, I mean intense physical exertion. This is physical exertion where one sweats buckets and loses three or more pounds in one day. As an example consider real mountain climbing or double century cycling. It is possible to identify a lot of these people by their physical attributes. These attributes are their posture, walk, legs, complexion, etc.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:37 PM on 03/22/2008

I don't think that people with that condition are known to have more muscle. They can't respond to androgens (male hormone), this is why they are female, despite being genetically male. They would likely have female muscle type, just like they don't have beards or male genitalia.

I am not specialized in that area, though, so I don't want to say I'm 100% certain. Also, she has never confirmed that she has this diagnosis. If she has this condition, it's sad that she can't talk about it.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:20 PM on 03/22/2008

Actually, I believe she HAS talked about it.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:58 PM on 03/22/2008

Show me a fifty year old man who's aged like that and I'll believe you. At least the rumor has evolved into something a tiny bit more credible than the one that been going around for 30+ years:

http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/jamie.asp

That said, unless you are a family member or a medical professional in breach of patient confidentiality, there's absolutely no way that the syndrome you've cited can be confirmed, so why post it here at all?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:02 PM on 03/22/2008

Firstly, her case has been discussed in the medical literature (alluded to) for decades. Secondly, it is misleading to hold her up as an example of glowing female health as she is not a typical genetic female, however appealing she is phenotypically. But I accept the criticism that my initial comment was disparaging rather than purely informative and apologize. Too many women are influenced by images of celebrities, leading to body dysmorphic disorder and eating dis orders. My sole intention was to point out that her case is not typical. This does not diminish her considerable accomplishments, for which I have the highest regard.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:41 PM on 03/22/2008

I dig the idea that Jamie Lee Curtis is genetically male. I have always thought she was a hot dude.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:00 AM on 03/23/2008

Jamie Lee Curtis is still a gorgeous and vibrant woman. Recently, while traveling, I saw her at a health food store and I was stunned by how beautiful she still is. No, they didn't airbrush the photo -- she has the skin of a 30'something and the body to match....without a trace plastic surgery either. She is positively radiant. Beyond that, she has the simple, elegant, cool style of a woman who knows herself and isn't trying to impress he world. I hope to god I look (and feel!) as good as she does when I reach her age.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:29 PM on 03/22/2008

kardwell, you just might. Take a look at your parents. How are they aging? I'm several years older than JLC yet I have no gray hair and look very young without really trying. People think I'm still in my 30s or early 40s. My mother has very little gray hair and my father didn't go gray until his 70s. He's over 90 now and looks & acts like he's in his 70s. He still climbs ladders, paints houses, etc. There are few things I thank my parents for; looking youthful is a one of them.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:38 PM on 03/23/2008

What a beautiful, inspirational woman!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:07 PM on 03/22/2008

I like her, but beautiful she ain't.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:56 PM on 03/23/2008

That's is simply your opinion but obviously not everyone's.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:15 AM on 03/25/2008<