Halloween ends star Jamie Lee Curtis reveals a “secret backstory” between her character and Will Patton’s character, Frank Hawkins. Curtis first played Laurie Strode in the 1978 John Carpenter film Halloween, and went on to play that part again seven times Halloween franchise movies, a few of which aren’t considered canon in the latest trilogy’s timeline. Curtis reprized her role as Laurie four decades later in David Gordon Green’s 2018 film Halloweenlaunching a trilogy that will end with Halloween ends, which is reportedly Curtis’ last appearance as Laurie.
The recent Halloween trilogy focuses on the family Laurie has built since iconic franchise villain Michael Myers was incarcerated. Centered on three generations of women — Laurie, her daughter Karen (Judy Greer), and her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) — the films haven’t revealed much about Laurie’s daughter’s parentage. In halloween kills, Karen died tragically at the hands of Myers, leaving Laurie’s mission in Halloween ends even more urgent. With the grief Laurie will face in Halloween ends, viewers have wondered who she could lean on for support, and some believe that Haddonfield deputy Frank Hawkins could be an effective confidant for the character after their interactions in Halloween kills. Now Curtis has provided more insight into her character’s relationship with Frank.
During an exclusive interview with screen rant, Curtis reveals a history she’s imagined between Frank and Laurie since her first scene with Patton. The actor says that in her eyes Frank was the father of Laurie’s daughter, Karen, unbeknownst to the two characters. Curtis also teases that the two characters’ special bond will extend into the final film in the trilogy. Watch what she says below:
“[Will Patton] is a great scene partner. I’m going to tell you a secret. Nobody knows this. There’s a reason Laurie and Frank had this dance. You see it a bit in Kills. There’s a scene about the night in the bar when they came into contact…
The day I met Will, we were shooting the 2018 movie and we were outside with Sartain. He was in the seat, and we have the line from the trailer, where I say, ‘I waited for him to escape,’ and he says, ‘Why would you do that?’ “So I can kill him.” That series was the first day I worked with Will. I remember walking to the set, doing that scene and having an incredible feeling with Will. We didn’t know each other. I literally went, ‘Hi, I’m Jamie,’ boom, let’s do the scene.
But then I went to David Gordon Green and I said, ‘I think he’s Judy Greer’s father.’ Because I think Laurie Strode was drunk a lot in a bar. I think she got into a sexual encounter with a bunch of people. I think when she got pregnant she didn’t know who the biological father of that child was. And I said to David, “I think it was Frank.”
So suddenly, two years later, I read the script [for Halloween Kills] and there’s a scene where Frank is rolled into the hospital, and now there’s a scene about it: ‘Do you remember the night at the bar?’ And I thought we’d have a moment where I’d say, “I think you’re Karen’s dad!” But he says, ‘I wanted more. We kissed, I wanted more, but we didn’t.’
And now, in the final film, Frank is the person she’s getting a little hopeful contact with. All of this is built up organically when two actors meet. You get a feeling, and then David writes the relationship. I don’t think that was the intent of the three movies, that Laurie and Frank would have this thing! And it came from that first moment with him.”
How A Laurie & Frank Romance Could Have Changed The Halloween Trilogy
Curtis’ comments about her on-screen connection with Patton reveal the ways in which the chemistry between actors can influence their character’s stories. Because Laurie is often forced into life-or-death situations when chased by Michael Myers, Halloween viewers don’t get many opportunities to witness the character in different, emotionally vulnerable or romantic circumstances. Envisioning the Laurie Curtis describes meeting sexual partners in bars brings a new layer to the fan-favorite character, offering her another side that exists beyond her lifelong battle with Myers. So if Laurie and Frank got together when she got pregnant or after, the… Halloween trilogy would have been made even more tragic, adding another person whose life was ruined by Myers.
It’s not likely that a romantic relationship with Frank would have changed many of Laurie’s decisions in the trilogy, given her long-established independent nature and lifelong mission, but it would have given her family more support. However, the romantic storyline may have derived from Laurie’s well-deserved spot as the franchise’s iconic “last girl.” The deeper level of the relationship between Laurie and Frank still exists for Halloween fans to enjoy together in the subtext of their scenes, and based on Curtis’ comments, they will share another tender moment in Halloween ends.
