Drew Barrymore Tells Jamie Lee Curtis Getting High and Watching ‘Halloween’ Sent Her “Straight to the Hospital”

What do Jamie Lee Curtis and Drew Barrymore have in common? They are both, respectively, part of an iconic and super gory franchise. In 1978, Curtis originated the role of Laurie Strode in the 1978 slasher flick Halloween (which launched her career) and now-TV host Barrymore had an unforgettable 12-minutes in 1996’s Scream. These two big names took to the New York Comic Con stage tonight for the panel “Jamie Lee Curtis: Tribute to 45 Years of Halloween and Laurie Strode,” moderated by Barrymore, to discuss Curtis’ journey from the first Halloween movie to the latest installment, Halloween Ends, which premieres in theaters and on Peacock October 14, 2022… And the entire time, Drew Barrymore could not sit still.

Now, as we know, Barrymore isn’t a regular host – she’s a cool host. She loves to get on the same level as her guests, randomly gravitating to the floor during her talk show and kicking off her pumps to get comfortable. While neither happened at the Comic Con event, Barrymore couldn’t stay still. The moderator hopped out of her chair twice during the panel, addressing it the second time with “sorry, I’m old,” saying that earlier, she was “leaning over like a crazy person.”

In the truest Barrymore fashion, she also inserted a few personal anecdotes during her questions. At one point, she admitted that she once watched Halloween while high, which “sent [her] straight to the hospital.”

Within minutes of the panel starting, Curtis was teary-eyed. “Endings are a bitch, but so is Laurie Strode,” the actor said when asked about the popular franchise coming to an end. “I’m ready to end it, but I’m gonna miss you so much.” Throughout the panel, Curtis continued to talk about making her “surreal” film debut in Halloween and the duality of her character.

The OG scream queen credits Halloween with originating the “audience participation” part of movie-going that audiences are now familiar with (in the age of Marvel films). At a late-night Hollywood screening of the first film, she recounted hearing an audience member scream, “Don’t go in there, there’s a killer in the house!” which gave way to loud interactions from the rest of the theater. “The audience participation that we now know a horror movie,” shared the actor.

The panel took a rather morbid turn when Curtis was asked about her personal connection with Laurie. While saying that she and Laurie are “one,” the actor said, “I’m 64, do the math. [Life’s] not in my favor. Sooner rather than later, it’s going to say three words: Halloween actress dies.” But Curtis added that playing Laurie is a “permanent ink” of her life.

Now if Drew Barrymore could only find a place to permanently sit…

Halloween Ends premieres in theaters and on Peacock October 14, 2022.