Tim Curry, star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, dies at age 80

Tim Curry, the British actor best known for his star turn as Dr Frank-N-Furter in the cult classic musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has died at age 80.

Curry, who had struggled with his health for more than a decade after a debilitating stroke, died peacefully at his home in Los Angeles, California, according to a statement released by his longtime manager, Marcia Hurwitz, on Wednesday. No cause of death was disclosed.

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The actor appeared in numerous movies, often as a hammy villain. He was nominated at the annual Tony Awards three times for Broadway roles and performed voice work in several animated films and television shows.

But his most iconic role was as Frank-N-Furter, a cross-dressing scientist in the rock musical The Rocky Horror Show, which premiered in 1973 at the Royal Court Theatre in London.

He took the show-stopping role to Broadway and then reprised his turn as Frank-N-Furter in the 1975 film adaptation, alongside Barry Bostwick, Meat Loaf and Susan Sarandon.

“I’m not much of a man by the light of day. But by night, I’m one hell of a lover. I’m just a sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania,” Curry sang in one scene, dressed in garish eye shadow, black corsetry and stockings topped with a garter belt.

In a 1975 television interview, Curry noted the risk of having his career defined by the role.

“When I read it, I just thought it was very, very witty and funny,” Curry said of the script, although he confessed to some initial reluctance to star in the role.

“I mean, I was hesitant in that, if it worked, it might be a difficult thing to shake off. But, really, I’ve always thought that [a part] wasn’t worth doing unless you took a risk.”

He later starred as the child-killing monster in the 1990 miniseries It, an adaptation of Stephen King’s horror novel.

That same year, he performed as a Soviet medical officer in the film The Hunt for Red October, based on the Cold War-era novel by Tom Clancy.

Later, he lent sneering gravitas to the role of the double-dealing Cardinal Richelieu in the 1993 adventure movie The Three Musketeers, with Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen and Chris O’Donnell.

“Tim Curry was someone I cared deeply about, he was someone I loved working with and I am so lucky to have these memories,” Sutherland said in a statement on Wednesday.

Born in the English village of Grappenhall, Cheshire, Curry studied drama at Birmingham University.

Critics argue he did much of his best work on stage. His first Tony nomination came in 1981 for his performance in the title role of Amadeus, a play fictionalising the great composer Mozart’s interactions with his rival, Antonio Salieri.

A second Tony nod came in 1993 for his leading role in the musical My Favorite Year. In 2005, he scooped up a third nomination for his portrayal of King Arthur in the zany musical Monty Python’s Spamalot.

Having a rich baritone voice, he was also in demand as a voice actor for animated films and television shows. He won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991 for his voice work on the animated series Peter Pan and the Pirates.

Curry withdrew from a British stage production in 2011 due to ill health. In 2013, his agent said that he had suffered a stroke but was recovering “in great humor”.

From then on, he used a wheelchair and reduced his workload. In 2024, however, he returned to the big screen, appearing in the horror film Stream.

Curry, who lived in Los Angeles, never married and had no children. A composer and a singer, Curry also performed with his own rock band and released a handful of albums.

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