Celebrity Extra: Jamie Lee Curtis
By Dana Jackson
Q: Is it true that Jamie Lee Curtis almost played Linda Blair's role in "The Exorcist"? How old was she then? -- M.G.
A: Jamie Lee Curtis started her career in Hollywood at the age of 19 with guest-starring roles on shows like "Columbo" and "Quincy, M.E." Curtis recently stated on "The Drew Barrymore Show" that a producer once asked her mom, actress Janet Lee ("Psycho"), if 12-year-old Jamie would like to audition for the role of the little girl who gets possessed by the devil. Janet reportedly replied with a firm "no," and Curtis would have to wait until 1978 to star in her first horror movie -- "Halloween."
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis. Photo Credit: Depositphotos
Linda Blair earned an Oscar nomination at the age of 14 for "The Exorcist," but Curtis went on to win an Oscar in 2023 for her supporting role in "Everything Everywhere All At Once."
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Q: I haven't seen Michael Chiklis in anything for quite a while. I was a big fan of "The Shield." Has he starred in anything since? -- D.K.
A: Michael Chiklis almost lost out on a chance to audition for the role that would win him an Emmy. He had already played a cop in the dramedy "The Commish," but it was a far different role than the brutal and corrupt one that he'd someday play in "The Shield." Casting was hesitant to give him a chance, but the show's creator Shawn Ryan granted him the opportunity.
"The Shield" ended in 2008, and while Chiklis hasn't landed another iconic role, he's hardly been lacking employment. He went on to play The Thing in two of the "Fantastic Four" movies, landed the role of the Stupendous Strongman in one of the "American Horror Story" chapters, and starred in two more series called "Vegas" and "No Ordinary Family."
In 2015, he landed another role that allowed him to showcase his wide range as an actor. In the DC Comics' series "Gotham," he played a military vet who wanted to clean up a crime but was soon infected with a virus that turned him into a vigilante killer. Most recently, Chiklis played legendary Celtics coach Red Auerbach in the HBO series "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty," and then donned a badge again as a DEA agent in the MGM+ series "Hotel Cocaine." Next up for the busy actor is the action movie "Mongoose" with Liam Neeson.
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Q: I was happy to see that the Property Brothers' new show "Celebrity IOU" is coming back. Have they announced which stars will be on this season? -- W.A.
A: It's hard to believe, but there have been 10 seasons of "Celebrity IOU" since the height of the pandemic in 2020. Twins Drew and Jonathan Scott, aka The Property Brothers, just kicked off the 11th season of the popular series on Dec. 28, 2025, with their first guest being John Stamos ("Fuller House"), who surprised his best buddy of 50 years with a home renovation.
Upcoming guests this season include William Shatner ("Star Trek"), Eva Longoria ("Desperate Housewives"), and Ike Barinholtz ("The Studio").
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com.
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