Curtis is Laurie Strode or Laurie Strode is Jamie Lee, after 40 years playing the same role on Halloween night facing the brutal murderer, Michael Myers. If in 1978 Halloween became a classic, in 2021 we continue to consume that fantasy with current technology. This new chapter in the saga shows Strode facing his demons with his daughter and granddaughter in a generational handover that invites more chapters of the franchise.

Laurie's bravery is the trigger for a narrative full of life, bullets, horror, but, at the same time, it is one of the best deliveries. In Los Angeles, we sat down to chat with the actress who made women fashionable in horror movies and turned to be a children’s author with books translated to Spanish

Q: Does Laurie know who the father of her daughter is?

A: Laurie has always been a liberal woman who has moved around the world like a ball in the air without even knowing who the father of her daughter is.

Q: I thought your Halloween legacy was going to be so long

A: The last thing I thought a few years ago was that I was going to shoot another Halloween movie, much less a trilogy. I was perfectly happy doing the work I do in the mountains where I live when the phone rang and it was Jake Gyllenhaal, my godson, telling me that his friend David wanted to talk to me about a new Halloween installment. I loved his take on the material, honestly that's the truth. Doing a trilogy on female trauma seemed very powerful and appropriate in this composition that he has done.

Q: You are an author, why did you decide to write children’s books?

R: I was inspired to write the first book when attending an outdoor birthday party with my then 4-year-old son, Tom. A storm rolled in, and everyone rushed to find shelter in a gazebo. But one of the young guests untied all the birthday balloons, which then floated into the sky. As everyone watched the balloons disappear into the sky, my child turned to me and asked, -Where do balloons go? That got me thinking and, after the party, I rushed home and immediately wrote out a first draft of the book.

Q: Your books are translated into Spanish?

A: Yes. I love to check the translations of my books and I do talk with the translators even though I’m not familiar with the language.

Q: Do you speak Spanish?

A: I do, but I can’t edit my books.

Q: Do you think Halloween adapts to the culture war that the world lives in now?

A: Yes, I agree with that idea. It is interesting how David (the director) understood 5 years ago that female trauma was going to become an important issue within society. Intuitively. They knew how to understand the collateral damage that street violence can have in a city, was going to become a reality. I feel that life imitates art and art imitates life. I truly believe that when in the future someone studies this trilogy and I'm not an expert on film theory, but I promise you that 20 years from now, when a class studies what David has done and they see what happens in the world by the same time, it will be a social testament of who we are at this moment in our life, even if we are talking about a horror movie.

Q: This new episode of Halloween is closely tied to the #MeToo movement. He thinks his mother would have complained about Hitchcock.

A: No way. I don't think Janet would have recognized bad behavior from a director or colleague, I don't want to speak for her, but she was a bit naive about the industry. The move would have upset him because, knowing her, any revelation of his industry would understand it as a betrayal. Women are brave. If in fiction we show what we are capable of, I believe that in reality we must also face it.

Q: Your consistency with this genre and this franchise is really shocking.

A: The first thing I want to say is that I am glad that women who have crossed the 50 barriers can find work in this day and age, and we see it more and more. Watch Eternals with Salma Hayek leading a cartel of superheroes. I want to talk about my film, the depth of the character, and its complexity. Laurie Strode is the best role an actor can find in his career. I won the lottery when I was twenty.

Q: Why did you decide to play Laurie again?

A: I've been playing the character for 40 years and I feel like this team is part of my family. When David Green offered to return to the Halloween saga, I did not hesitate. I love that this film talks about the family, the trauma of women, the black and white confrontation that exists in society.

Q: Is the Michael Myers mask reinvented?

A: For me, Myers represents an enigma. The question we ask ourselves about what the devil really is, is evident in the representation of the mask. By making it white, I think John and Debra created the idea that in the mask lies each other's personal vision of the devil. Not being able to see his expression invites us to invent his face. All the directors involved in the franchise have wanted to reinvent the mask in each chapter of the saga. It is something the studios have spent huge amounts of money on because they know it dehumanizes the character of Myers. It is a terrifying symbol that David uses from a new perspective.

Q: Are women leading the box office even in the pandemic?

A: Of course. Laurie Strode has triumphed at the box office and will continue to do so because she is one of those women. Even in times of pandemic, this pioneer has managed to get the public to return to theaters.

María Estévez

Correspondent writer