Jamie Lee Curtis recently reflected on her experience filming "My Girl," expressing how "challenging" it was to watch the young actors, Macaulay Culkin and Anna Chlumsky, tackle such mature themes. In a November 25th interview with Entertainment Tonight, Curtis, 67, revisited her career and became emotional while watching old footage from the 1991 film.
"My Girl," a coming-of-age story released on November 27, 1991, stars Chlumsky, now 44, as Vada Sultenfuss, an 11-year-old girl living in Madison, Pennsylvania, during the summer of 1972. Vada is portrayed as a hypochondriac with an obsession with death, a consequence of her upbringing in her father's funeral parlor. "My Girl" marked Chlumsky's first major film role. Culkin, now 45, played Thomas J. Sennett, Vada's best friend, who tragically dies from an allergic reaction to bee stings. Dan Aykroyd played Harry Sultenfuss, Vada's widowed father, and Curtis played Shelly DeVoto, Harry's girlfriend and Vada's future stepmother.
Curtis expressed that she cherishes the time she spent with Culkin and Chlumsky during the making of "My Girl". As she watched the old footage, Curtis remarked, "This is emotional for me because they were so young... I loved 'My Girl'. That was another beautiful, unexpected, beautiful little bit of work and a wonderful character that I got to play". She also humorously recalled trying to curb her swearing on set, saying she instituted a $5 fine for every slip-up.
In the film, Curtis's character, Shelly, is a cosmetician who works at the funeral parlor. A particular scene shows Shelly giving Vada a makeover.
"My Girl" was a significant commercial success, grossing over $120 million against a budget of $17 million. Culkin, who had already gained fame in "Home Alone" (1990), told PEOPLE in 1991 that he appreciated having Chlumsky as a partner in "My Girl". He stated, "She's fun to work with because she's a kid, and kids relate to kids better than they relate to adults".
Chlumsky reflected in 2022 on the film's impact, noting that it took her until her 20s to realize its resonance. She shared that many people told her that the film helped them cope with the loss of a best friend.
Curtis has a long and successful career, with diverse roles in horror, comedy, and action films. Some of her notable works include "Halloween" (1978), "Trading Places" (1983), "True Lies" (1994), "Knives Out" (2019), and "Everything Everywhere All at Once" (2022).
