Jamie Lee Curtis thought she would be fired after her first day on HALLOWEEN

It’s hard to imagine Halloween (1978) without Jamie Lee Curtis. Her portrayal of Laurie Strode not only launched her career, but helped define the modern horror heroine. But on his very first day of filming, Curtis wasn’t celebrating. She was terrified she might get fired.

When Curtis showed up on the set of Halloweenthere was no easing. “Immediately we were working,” he recalled. “There was no gentle entry.”

Her first scenes as Laurie were shot on day one, the walk-and-talk “speed kills” sequence with her friends, the introduction of little Tommy Doyle and that now-iconic moment where Laurie strolls down the quiet suburban street singing to herself.

It was a whirlwind start for the young actress, who was just starting her film career. “The last thing we shot that day was me walking down the street, away from Tommy Doyle, singing that little song,” Curtis recalled.

“I remember saying to John, very clearly, I remember saying, ‘So, what do you want me to sing?’ He said, “Well, make up a song.” I said, “I don’t sing.” Really don’t sing.” He said, ‘Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s like an internal monologue: he’s not singing a country-western tune.’”

So he made it up on the spot. That sweet, haunting tune, “I wish I had you all alone…”, has become one of Halloween’s most memorable moments. Looking back, Curtis called it “incredibly touching” and gave him credit Debra Hillco-writer and producer of the film, capturing Laurie’s innocence and quiet desire.

But when the cameras stopped rolling, Curtis’ nerves took over. That night she came home to the house she shared with her roommate, the hairdresser. Tina Cassidyand tried to process the day. The phone rang. Cassidy took it, turned to her and said, “Jamie, I’m John Carpenter.”

For Curtis, that was the moment her stomach dropped. “In my day, and I’m sure it still happens now, people were fired after their first day on the job,” she explained. “You know, the director thinks about it and says, ‘Uh, I made a mistake.’ That’s why I remember this slow going to the phone and doing this thing like, ‘Um, hello?'”

Then Carpenter’s Kentucky drawl came from the other end of the line. “Hey, honey, I’m John. I just want to tell you how happy I am and how amazing you were today. I just know it’s going to be amazing.”

As you can imagine, reassurance meant everything. “That just doesn’t happen. And that was all John Carpenter. That’s how it started.”

It’s a story that perfectly captures the spirit of Halloween and the collaboration between Carpenter and Curtis. They were both young and hungry and wanted to take a chance on a low-budget horror film that no one expected would change the industry.

Curtis poured her heart into the role, unsure if she would make it through the week. Carpenter, seeing something special in her, made sure she knew she belonged.

Decades later, Laurie Strode and Michael Myers have become two of the most iconic figures in horror history, returning in sequels, reboots, and landmark films. But it all started with that first day, a nervous young actress walking down a sunny suburban street, singing a song she made up on the spot, thinking it might be her last day on set.

Instead, it became the start of a horror legend.