In 1949, Rosetta Jacobs signed a contract with Universal Studios, and changed her screen name to Piper Laurie, which she has used since then. Among the actors she met at Universal were James Best, Julie Adams, Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson. Her breakout role was in "Louisa", with Ronald Reagan, whom she dated a few times before his marriage to Nancy Davis. In her autobiography, she claimed that she lost her virginity to him ("Learning to Live Out Loud," page 77). Several other roles followed: "Francis Goes to the Races" (1951, co-starring Donald O'Connor); "Son of Ali Baba" (1951, co-starring Tony Curtis); and "Ain't Misbehavin'" (1955, co-starring Rory Calhoun).