Jamie Lee Curtis Reflects on the ‘Big Loss’ of Stepfather Robert Brand

Jamie Lee Curtis is honouring the memory of her stepfather, Robert Brandt. In a heartfelt Instagram post, the Oscar winner reminisced about Brandt, who was married to her mother, Janet Leigh, from 1962 until she died in 2004. (Brandt passed away in 2009.)

In the birthday tribute, Curtis shared a black-and-white photo of her family smiling and holding hands by a pool. Leigh was previously married to Tony Curtis, Jamie Lee Curtis’s father, for 12 years. Despite this, Jamie Lee Curtis considers herself and her sister Kelly as being raised by Brandt, a stockbroker.

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“Today is the anniversary of the birth of Robert Brandt, my ‘step’ father. The truth is, he raised me from three years old,” Curtis, 65, began. “He was a young businessman, an ex-Marine, who fell in love with a movie star with two very young daughters.”

Curtis described Brandt as tall, handsome, smart, and “incredibly athletic.” She noted that he wasn’t initially interested in having children but “stepped up to that task.” “So much of my professional demeanour is from him, and he taught me that ‘your handshake is your signature’ and to look people in the eye when you meet them,” she continued.

“He also taught me manners and introduced me to the appreciation of nature, the outdoors, exercise, and recreation. He was a good man, and I miss him today.” ‘The Knives Out’ actress noted that Brandt and Leigh were born a day apart and always celebrated their birthdays together. “I’m always reminded of this big loss in my life every year around this time.”

Curtis frequently shares throwback photos of her famous family on Instagram. She previously paid tribute to Brandt in 2020 with another classic picture. In June, she honoured both her father and stepfather on social media for Father’s Day. When she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2023, she mentioned her parents in her acceptance speech.

“My mother and my father were both nominated for Oscars in different categories,” she said at the time, adding, “I just won an Oscar.”

She also humorously acknowledged Leigh and Curtis in her 2023 SAG Award acceptance speech. “I’m wearing the wedding ring that my father gave my mother. They hated each other, by the way, by the end of it,” she joked.

“But my sister Kelly and I were born from love. My father was from Hungary, and my mother was from Denmark. They had nothing and became these monstrous stars in this industry.”

–Farheen Ali