Tim Curry, the eccentric British actor whose unforgettable turn as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show launched a cult phenomenon and defined a half-century career across stage and screen, died Tuesday night at his home in Los Angeles at age 80.
A cause of death was not immediately available, according to Variety, though the versatile performer had battled serious health challenges for more than a decade. Curry’s health had been precarious since he suffered a major stroke in 2012.
From London Stages to Midnight Screenings as Dr. Frank-N-Furter
Born in Cheshire, England, on April 19, 1946, Timothy James Curry began his professional acting career in a 1968 West End production of Hair after graduating from the U.K.’s University of Birmingham. Together, they transformed the role into the corset-wearing, fishnet-clad, queen-voiced sensation that anchored The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Curry originated the part in a tiny upstairs venue at London’s Royal Court Theatre before bringing it to Los Angeles, Broadway, and eventually the 1975 Fox film adaptation directed by Jim Sharman.
“It’s a chance for people to try on a few roles for size, maybe help them figure out their own sexuality,” Curry said of the film in a 2005 interview with NPR. “I’ve certainly had some very interesting and moving mail from people who’ve said, ‘Thanks for helping me figure out who I was,’ and that’s very nice.”
Tim Curry
A Versatile Career Beyond Cult Stardom
Keen to avoid being permanently typecast, Curry immediately sought diverse projects. He appeared as Rooster Hannigan in the 1982 film adaptation of Annie, played the butler Wadsworth in the board-game adaptation Clue, and endured five hours of heavy makeup daily to portray the arch-villain Darkness in Ridley Scott’s Legend.
In 1990, he terrified a new generation as the demonic clown Pennywise in a two-part ABC adaptation of Stephen King’s It, which drew more than 37 million households.
“My job was to give Tim the stage and not get in his way too much,” director Tommy Lee Wallace told THR in 2017. “He was like Robin Williams in the way he brought a spontaneous improvisation to the part.”
Tommy Lee Wallace, director
His extensive screen resume also featured roles in The Hunt for Red October, Home Alone 2 as hotel concierge Mr. Hector, Muppet Treasure Island as Long John Silver, and Addams Family Reunion as Gomez Addams.
Tony Nominations and Lasting Stage Legacy
On Broadway and the West End, Curry earned widespread critical acclaim, garnering three Tony nominations. He was first nominated in 1981 for originating the role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Amadeus. A second nomination followed in 1993 for playing actor Alan Swann in My Favorite Year, and his third arrived in 2005 for portraying King Arthur in Monty Python’s Spamalot.
Reflecting on his career milestone during a 2015 lifetime achievement award acceptance from the Actors Fund, Curry told Los Angeles magazine that maintaining his sense of humor was absolutely vital
to his recovery.
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