Jamie Lee Curtis addresses societal neglect of the elderly in new Susan Powter documentary

Jamie Lee Curtis reflects on aging and producing career, calling her new documentary a critique of societal neglect.

Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis, 65, recently discussed her motivations as a producer in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, revealing that her awareness of mortality has fueled her drive to tell powerful stories. 

Curtis explained that turning 60 marked a significant turning point, saying, “I realized all of the things I’d been holding in my head, heart, mind, soul, spirit, and life force were going to die with me if I didn’t bring it out into the universe.” This realization led her to establish her own production company, Comet Pictures, with support from Jason Blum, founder of Blumhouse Productions.

Curtis is now working as a producer on an upcoming documentary about ‘90s fitness icon Susan Powter, directed by Zeberiah Newman. The film explores Powter’s rise to fame, her financial struggles, and her eventual shift to driving for Uber Eats in 2024. Describing the project as “an indictment of how we discard human beings as they get older in this country,” Curtis emphasized that the documentary highlights societal neglect of older individuals. She stressed, “It’s an exploration of the incredible cruelty that we inflict on older people and the lack of dignity offered these human beings.”

Powter, who became famous for her “Stop the Insanity!” infomercial and her short-lived talk show, recently opened up about losing her wealth due to poor business deals and lawsuits. She described feeling constrained by those around her, saying, “They started to produce the ‘me’ out of me.” Curtis hopes the documentary will shed light on these issues, urging audiences to consider how society treats the elderly.