English actor and singer, Tim Curry has died at the age of 80.
Timothy James Curry rose to prominence for his portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London and 1974 Los Angeles musical stage productions of The Rocky Horror Show.
Curry’s manager confirmed the news of the actor’s death to CBS, the BBC’s US news partner.
Curry has used a wheelchair since suffering a major stroke in July 2012. This shifted his work mostly to voice acting, although he has continued to perform as a singer and made countless appearances at fan conventions during this period.
Curry’s first full-time role was as part of the original London cast of the musical Hair in 1968, where he met Richard O’Brien, who went on to write Curry’s next full-time role, that of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show (1973).Curry recalled his first encounter with the project:
“I’d heard about the play because I lived on Paddington Street, off Baker Street, and there was an old gym a few doors away. I saw Richard O’Brien in the street, and he said he’d just been to the gym to see if he could find a muscleman who could sing. I said, “Why do you need him to sing?” And he told me that his musical was going to be done, and I should talk to Jim Sharman. He gave me the script, and I thought, “Boy, if this works, it’s going to be a smash.”
After The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Curry began to appear in many films, acting in supporting roles.
Curry received further acclaim for his film and television roles, including Rooster Hannigan in the film adaptation of Annie (1982), Darkness in Legend (1985), Wadsworth in Clue (1985), Pennywise in the miniseries IT (1990), the Concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers (1993), and Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island (1996).
He has also gained acclaim for his voice acting roles, including his Daytime Emmy Award-winning performance as Captain Hook on Peter Pan & the Pirates (1990–1991), Hexxus in FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992), Sir Nigel Thornberry on The Wild Thornberrys (1998–2004), and Palpatine on Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2012–2014).
In 2016, Curry played The Criminologist in the television film remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Curry’s other stage work includes various roles in the original West End production of Hair, Tristan Tzara in the 1975 West End and Broadway productions of Travesties, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the 1980 Broadway production of Amadeus, Alan Swann in the Broadway production of My Favourite Year, and King Arthur in Broadway and West End productions of Spamalot from 2005 to 2007. His theatre accolades include three Tony Award nominations and two Laurence Olivier Award nominations.
As a singer, Curry has released three rock-focused studio albums: Read My Lips (1978), Fearless (1979), and Simplicity (1981).
‘Rocky Horror’ creator Richard O’Brien shared this tribute.
Celebrity Fans and cast mates have began sharing tributes on social media:
REVIEW: ‘Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror’ documentary (2025)
Indie Mac User 