Jamie Lee Curtis reveals her iconic striptease scene in True Lies was completely improvised: 'There was no rehearsal'

Jamie Lee Curtis says her iconic striptease in the 1994 action-comedy flick True Lies was completely improvised.

During Thursday's episode of the People In The 90's podcast, the 62-year-old actress opened up about the famous scene.

'The thing that nobody knows: There was no rehearsal, there is no choreographer. Jim James said to me, "What do you want to dance to?"'

Looking back: Jamie Lee Curtis recently opened up about her famous striptease scene in 1994's True Lies during an appearance on a podcast; she is pictured in 2020

The actress said she asked for the John Hiatt song Alone in the Dark and she spent the next three days on set dancing like 'nobody around'. 

'We were doing it over and over and over, and it got quieter and quieter,' Curtis said of filming the scene.

The Knives Out actress also pointed out that the fall in the middle of the performance was also unscripted and was the result of a suggestion by Cameron. 

She recalled: 'We were doing it over and over and over, and it got quieter and quieter, and at one point, Jim walked up and whispered in my ear: "If I get a pad, will you let go of the pole?" And I said, "sure."'

Curtis added that the scene was a major hit with audiences upon the feature's release and expressed that it 'will be forever the single biggest laugh I will ever get in my life.' 

Special role: 'The thing that nobody knows: There was no rehearsal, there is no choreographer. Jim James said to me, "What do you want to dance to?"'

Good times: The actress also noted that, as she knew that the script was meant for her, she experienced 'the most freedom that I've ever felt as a performer' while working on the feature

The actress noted that Cameron, 66, made the last-minute suggestion as a way of making the scene less serious and more accessible to a wider audience. 

'It's because Jim knew that the dance was too sexy, it was too real...he knew he needed to break the spell of what the husband had put his wife through. I think we did two takes where I let go of the pole,' she said. 

The Halloween star revealed that Cameron had written the script with her in mind, which she particularly appreciated. 

Doing it herself: The actress said she asked for the John Hiatt song Alone in the Dark and she spent the next three days on set dancing like 'nobody around'

'The reason why that was spectacular for me was because Jim wrote it for me...when that happens, there's a reason somebody writes it for you. They hear you in their head,' she said. 

Curtis went on to note that, as she was the project's intended leading actress, she was given the impression that Cameron was willing to let her experiment with the role and truly make it her own.

Specifically, she expressed that, while working on both True Lies and A Fish Called Wanda, she was grateful for 'the most freedom that I've ever felt as a performer.'

The Freaky Friday star also revealed that she was informed about the role months prior to being officially cast which 'meant by the end of August, I was going to be dancing around in my nether beings, in my little undies.

Heat of the moment: The actress went on to remark that her fall in the middle of the striptease was a last-minute addition by Cameron; he is seen in 2014

True Lies was originally released in July of 1994 and was a remake of the 1991 French film La Totale!

The feature was centered around a government agent, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is conflicted about balancing his professional career with his personal life.

The film also starred Bill Paxton, Eliza Dushku and Charlton Heston, among other performers, in various supporting roles.

Storyline: True Lies was based on the 1991 French film La Totale! and was centered around a government agent who had trouble balancing his personal and professional lives

True Lies was met with a generally positive critical reception upon its initial release and grossed nearly $380 million at the box office on a budget of over $100 million.

Development on a sequel began shortly after the film's debut, and a script was written for the project, although it was eventually canceled following the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks.

A television series based on the original flick is currently being planned, and a pilot is expected to be filmed later this year, with Cameron remaining involved as an executive producer.

Keeping it going: A pilot based on True Lies is expected to be filmed later this year, and Cameron will serve as one of its executive producers