Jamie Lee Curtis Marks “Halloween”'s 45th Anniversary with Touching Tribute: 'This Movie Gave Me My Career'

"Little did any of us know that 45 years later we would be retelling and retelling that same, simple story of good versus evil," the Oscar winner wrote

Nearly 50 years later, Jamie Lee Curtis is still the quintessential final girl.

The Oscar winner marked the 45th anniversary of Halloween with a heartfelt post on Instagram Wednesday, with the first slide showing her in character as Laurie Strode in the 1978 film that kicked off the decades-spanning popular slasher franchise.

In the second slide, a doctored image shows Curtis, 64, kissing the forehead of an older Laurie, whom she portrayed in the latest trilogy that began with 2018's Halloween and concluded with 2022's Halloween Ends.

"45 years ago today, a 17 day shoot, no budget horror film, Halloween, set in Haddonfield, Illinois, where a young babysitter, Laurie strode, met the man who would terrorize her and her community was released," Curtis began in her tribute to the film, which marked her big-screen debut.

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Related: Jamie Lee Curtis in ‘Halloween’ Through the Years

She went on to give props to director/co-writer John Carpenter, producer/co-writer Debra Hill and the "motley crew of young, independent filmmakers, who slammed together for an intense three weeks in 1978."

"Little did any of us know that 45 years later we would be retelling and retelling that same, simple story of good versus evil, and that it would give birth to a feminist icon, the final girl," Curtis said. "This movie and Laurie strode, gave me my career that I continue to get to have because of her."

Of the second photo in the post, the actress wrote, "This image taken for the 2018 promotion by @aspictures @micheleromeronyc epitomizes the trauma and resilience of victims of unexpected violence and the human instinct to survive."

"Happy Halloween, everyone," Curtis added, concluding with Laurie's famous quote about villain Michael Myers from the end of the film: "It WAS the boogeyman."

Related: Paul Rudd, Michelle Williams and 7 Other Stars You Didn't Know Had Roles in 'Halloween'

Just a young adult herself at the time, Curtis first embodied teenage babysitter Laurie Strode in Halloween in the late '70s, wherein she survives the masked murderer Michael Myers for the first time on All Hallows' Eve.

Curtis likely never imagined her fight with Myers would span seven film sequels, including Halloween II  (1981), Halloween Resurrection (2002) and Halloween Kills (2021) — let alone culminate 44 years later in a showdown between Laurie and Myers in 2022’s Halloween Ends.

“As I play Laurie for the last time, in Halloween Ends, the final installment of the franchise, I am trying to figure out how to say goodbye to Laurie, who has taught me the meaning of the words ‘resilience,’ ‘loyalty,’ ‘perseverance’ and ‘COURAGE,’ ” Curtis wrote in honor of her character in an exclusive essay for PEOPLE in October 2022.

She added, “It's now the end for Laurie and me. I'm weeping as I write this. I'm going to miss her. Movies are make-believe, but this is my real life. Mine has been made better by her.”

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