Tim Curry, the British actor best known for his iconic role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has died aged 80.
Curry died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, according to TMZ, which first reported the news. He suffered a major stroke in 2012.
The actor became a cult icon after starring as the seductive, cross-dressing scientist in the 1975 film adaptation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
@primemovies Tim Curry’s insane theatrical movie debut. #TheRockyHorrorPictureShow ♬ original sound - Prime Movies
Curry had already played the role in the original stage production at London’s Royal Court Theatre before following the show as it moved to larger venues in London and eventually Broadway.
The film, which also starred Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick, initially underperformed after being made on a budget of just $1.2 million.
It went on to become one of the most enduring cult movies of all time, with audiences famously dressing as their favourite characters, singing along and throwing props during screenings.
Curry’s performance of Sweet Transvestite became one of the defining moments of the film.
Speaking to NPR in 2005, Curry reflected on the impact the movie had on audiences, saying: “It’s a chance for people to try on a few roles for size, maybe help them figure out their own sexuality.”
He added that he had received messages from people who said the film had helped them understand who they were.
@nsnicket I’ve seen several posts debating which version of Annie is the best, and I have to stick with the eighties copy. We have Carol Burnett, Tim Curry, and Bernadette Peters. The vocals and choreography are amazing. I’m pretty sure this was one of my awakenings to a lifelong love of comedic theatre, as well as being pan. How can you not fall in love with both Curry and Peters here? #anniemusical #annie1982 #timcurry #carolburnett #bernadettepeters #musical #musicals #musicaltheatre ♬ original sound - NSnicket
Curry went on to have a hugely varied career, deliberately moving away from the eccentric character that had made him famous.
He played the villainous Rooster Hannigan in the 1982 musical Annie, before taking on one of his most terrifying roles as Pennywise the Clown in the 1990 television adaptation of Stephen King’s It.
More than 37 million households watched the two-part ABC adaptation, with Curry giving Pennywise a distinctive low, raspy voice and New York accent.
Tommy Lee Wallace, who directed It, previously told The Hollywood Reporter that Curry brought spontaneous improvisation to the role.
Curry also appeared in a number of major films, including Clue, The Hunt for Red October, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, The Three Musketeers, Muppet Treasure Island and Charlie’s Angels.
He was also a successful stage performer and received three Tony Award nominations.
His first came for playing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Amadeus in 1981. He was later nominated for My Favorite Year in 1993 and for his performance as King Arthur in Monty Python’s Spamalot in 2005.
Curry joined Spamalot when it opened in Chicago in 2004 and also performed in the London production.
Born Timothy James Curry on April 19, 1946, in Cheshire, England, he began his professional acting career in the 1968 West End production of Hair after graduating from the University of Birmingham.
It was during Hair that he met Richard O’Brien, the writer of The Rocky Horror Show.
Curry helped O’Brien develop the character that would become Frank-N-Furter, with the role evolving from the original idea of a German scientist in a lab coat to the outrageous character audiences came to know.
Curry moved to Los Angeles to pursue his film career and continued working across film, television and theatre for decades.
He received an Emmy nomination in 1994 for playing multiple members of a murderous family in Tales From the Crypt and also appeared in the 2002 television reboot of Family Affair.
His final film role came in the horror movie Stream, which was released in cinemas in 2024.
Despite a career spanning more than five decades, Curry remained relatively private about his personal life.
He leaves behind a legacy defined by one of cinema’s most unforgettable characters, as well as a career that saw him move effortlessly between comedy, horror, drama, musicals and television.
