At that time, Jamie Lee Curtis' grandparents emigrated from Mátészalka to the United States of America. The actress, who is proud of her Hungarian roots, visited the city a year and a half ago, the city manager also told about it.
"We are as proud of her as our daughter," Péter Hanusi, mayor of Mátészalka, responded to Mandiner after actress Jamie Lee Curtis - whose paternal grandparents emigrated from Mátészalka to the United States - won her first Oscar. At the press conference following the award ceremony, Jamie Lee Curtis was also asked about her Hungarian origins, to which she replied: "I love my Hungarian heritage." He also sang a Hungarian children's song. After his statement, the audience did not react, there was silence. (Apparently, in Hollywood founded by Hungarians, it's embarrassing to say that, isn't it colorful, non-LGBTQ, Hungarian? - so how is that? - ed.)
"We are extremely proud that the actress mentioned her Hungarian origin"
Péter Hanusi told Mandiner. The mayor added that the residents of the city are also very proud, "the likes poured in, the love poured in" for the post in which Péter Hanusi congratulates the actress on the Oscar award. The mayor said that the actress' Hungarian father, Tony Curtis, visited the city twice, while his Oscar-winning daughter paid his respects in Mátészalka in 2021. Péter Hanusi recalled that the actress was moved by the warm welcome of the townspeople, she felt as if she had "come home". "I told her, she doesn't feel it for nothing, because if her father is our son, then she is our daughter, and we always welcome her home," he added.
Source: Twitter
Jamie Lee came to Hungary a year and a half ago to shoot the film adaptation of the video game series Borderlands, and visited the town in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county. The mayor proudly recalled that although the actress was given only one hour by her producer to visit Mátészalka, she spent nearly three hours in the city. "It was really important to him," she concluded.
Tony Curtis and his Oscar-winning daughter/source/Wikipedia
During this time, the actress also visited the Tony Curtis cafe decorated with her father's relics. The mayor recalled that the items from the legacy were received from Tony Curtis' widow, who also shared them with the first person in the city, when Tony closed his eyes forever and sang a Hungarian lullaby. According to the mayor, the actress who just received an Oscar had nothing left from her father's inheritance, so it's no wonder that she took hold of every object and caressed it.
The actress then told Péter Hanusi that she was very grateful to Mátészalka for erecting an eternal memorial to her father.
"People come and go in Hollywood, there's always someone younger, prettier, smarter, better. There are people who are still at the top of their profession today, but maybe they won't be in the next moment," the mayor recalled the actress' words. Jamie Lee also visited the city's Kossuth Street synagogue and promised to be the media face of the foundation created by the city to renovate the building.
"I'll be honest, I didn't deal with this moment," answered Péter Hanusi when we asked him what he thought about the silence in the room after the actress testified about her Hungarian status. "My heart was full of pride, memories of his visit to Mátészalka, when he was standing next to me on Kossuth Street, filled me with terror. She is a radiant woman in the best sense of the word," he emphasized.
Source and image: mandiner.hu
