Jamie Lee Curtis reveals racist prejudices

"That first day, I was like, 'Oh, what are your dreams?' "

Actresses Ana de Armas (L) and Jamie Lee Curtis speak during Lionsgate presentation during CinemaCon at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

"That first day, I was like, 'Oh, what are your dreams?' "

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis is facing allegations she revealed her racist attitudes when she made comments about former co-star Ana De Armas in a recent interview.

Curtis told US Elle Magazine she thought her Cuban-born costar, now 34, was an "unsophisticated young woman" when they first met. 

"I assumed — and I say this with real embarrassment — because she had come from Cuba, that she had just arrived. I made an assumption that she was an inexperienced, unsophisticated young woman," Curtis said.

"That first day, I was like, 'Oh, what are your dreams?' "

The veteran Golden Globe winning actress starred alongside De Armas in the 2019 mystery-crime film Knives Out who had appeared in other blockbuster films including Blade Runner 2049 and War Dogs by the time she landed a leading role in Knives Out.

Armas, who was born in Cuba, moved to Madrid at 18 before relocating to Los Angeles in 2014 to further her Hollywood career. 

Curtis quickly became impressed by de Armas on set and told Elle that she offered to introduce her co-star to Steven Spielberg and to her godchildren, Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal and was “surprised (De Amas) already knew Jake.”

Curtis’ comments were met with a mix of shock and backlash online for her racism.

Reactions

anna de armas: hello jamie lee curtis
jamie lee curtis: hello housekeeping

— ❤️‍🔥 (@dunwaIl) July 13, 2022

Jamie Lee Curtis really said “I assumed — I say this with embarrassment — because Ana De Armas had come from Cuba, that she just arrived. I was like, ‘Oh, what are your dreams?'”

Yet she wasn't too embarrassed to openly tell the story for the world to see/read about

— 🎨 🖌🖍ArtsySneakerGeek (@BamaIntrovert) July 13, 2022

The casual racism of Jamie Lee Curtis re; Ana De Armas is... both infuriating and totally expected. It's cringy as hell, and also exactly in line with how Americans are told and taught to think about both Cuba specifically and Hispanic people generally.

— Luciano, But They Are Quite Proud (@Lucianowrites) July 13, 2022

That Jamie Lee Curtis story is a GREAT reminder that there are some deeply embarassing expeirences that you should keep to yourself.

— Darth Talon headpiece (@Pawel_Luki) July 13, 2022