Jamie Lee Curtis starred in John Carpenter's Halloween.
Halloween is a 1978 American independent slasher film directed and scored by John Carpenter , co-written with producer Debra Hill , and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut . Jamie Lee Curtis . She made her film debut in 1978 by starring as Laurie Strode in John Carpenter 's Halloween ( 1978 ) . A big hit , the film established her as a notable actress in horror , and she subsequently starred in Halloween II ( 1981 ) , The Fog ( 1980 ) , Prom Night ( 1980 ) , Terror Train ( 1980 ) , and Roadgames ( 1981 ) , gaining the status of `` scream queen '' to mainstream audiences .