How Jamie Lee Curtis landed Nicole Kidman for 'Scarpetta'

Jamie Lee Curtis shared how she managed to get Nicole Kidman on board for Scarpetta, her new Amazon Prime Video series based on Patricia Cornwell’s crime novels.

During a panel at SXSW, the 67-year-old actress and producer shared that when she first told the Oscar winning star about the lead character, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, she immediately asked, “And you’re in it?”

The children's author playfully added, “I wanna write checks. I don’t wanna put on makeup… I really didn’t want to be in an hour drama TV show.”

Even so, the Freakier Friday star had to agree, as she mentioned, “When she looks at you like that, you can’t help but say, ‘Yes, I’m joining!’”

Finding a role for herself proved tricky until she discovered a minor character: Scarpetta’s older sister, Dorothy, a children’s book author. 

“I was like, okay, great, I’ll be her sister,” the Ella McCay actor said, adding with a laugh, “Dorothy is quite a man eater.”

Notably, the drama, Scarpetta, which premiered on March 11, 2026, also stars Simon Baker, Rosy McEwen, Bobby Cannavale, Ariana DeBose, and Jake Cannavale. 

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