There’s a good handful of famous cinematic dinosaurs that have made a big impact in Hollywood over the years. But, the prehistoric creatures’ stronghold in cultural landscapes have extended well beyond our screens. Sinclair Gas Station, a predominately western chain, has long sported a signature green brontosaurus as its symbol, and recently, a four foot version of the titan was stolen from Brentwood, California’s location. The saga got big enough it sparked Jamie Lee Curtis to enter the chat.
The series of events began near the end of September for the northern California Sinclair station when Claire, their beloved four-foot dino, went missing. Reportedly, she’s been a longtime neighborhood favorite–people take selfies with her, decorate her during the holidays and just a friendly face for all. So, when the store’s security cameras revealed that the mascot was abducted in the middle of the night, by way of a white pickup truck, everyone was shocked.
The surprising story not only affected the customers and owner, John Fawcett, but many online who saw the coverage. That’s where the actor, who slated to portray Murder, She Wrote's Jessica Fletcher, Jamie Lee Curtis, comes in. She was a part of the original discourse, before news of Claire’s return, having taken to Instagram after seeing the footage of the perpetrators nabbing the local icon. And in true JLC fashion, she scolded the devious duo by saying:
REALLY! Hey, you with your fancy truck, really? You need to steal the dinosaur from in front of the Sinclair gas station? Really? Not cool dude. Not cool! #thetimestheyareachanging
She’s truly one of the best stars in Hollywood today and doesn’t shy away from sharing her thoughts on any topic that interests her. I can only imagine the pair who took Claire were increasingly on edge after the scream queen jumped in. Maybe she helped sway the offenders into returning the beloved large-scale figurine?
This occasion is nothing new for Curtis. She does take to socials with some regularity, including her first and second Instagram post regarding the beloved dino. Everything from shading Emily Blunt and her TDWP2 outfit to her AI beef with Mark Zuckerberg have been fair game.
But, as mentioned, after the dinosaur’s kidnapping gained enough traction from the community and beyond (including the Halloween star) Claire was returned. Fox’s story coverage via YouTube shows how she was returned and how pleased everyone is to have her back. Alongside the celebrations, comes a new curfew. She’ll remain behind locked doors during the night until the brontosaurus can be bolted into the ground, here she is getting stowed away for the evening:
Again, I just can’t express how much of a JLC ride or die fan I am and Claire’s saga obviously adds fuel to my fandom’s flames. But, a lot of, including celebrating Freakier Friday fans after the sequel hit number one to sharing her experience watching Sinners in IMAX, has been so easy and fun to enjoy. This new venture in helping seek justice for the people of Brentwood is next level cool, though.
With the gas station’s open and closed case of Claire the dinosaur getting stolen, I’m looking forward to JLC’s scheduled engagements. Her third and final 2025 movie release, Ella McCay, comes out December 12 and promises another stellar film involving Curtis.
