{"id":750526,"date":"2026-08-26T17:28:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T17:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/750526\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T17:28:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T17:28:15","slug":"tim-curry-star-of-the-rocky-horror-picture-show-and-stephen-kings-it-dies-aged-80-movies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/750526\/","title":{"rendered":"Tim Curry, star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Stephen King\u2019s It, dies aged 80 | Movies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tim Curry, the versatile performer of screen and stage, who made his name as the flamboyant Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, has died aged 80. Reports say<\/a> Curry died at his home in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

The actor\u2019s manager confirmed to Variety that he died peacefully. No cause of death is known as yet.<\/p>\n

Ironically, Curry\u2019s best-known roles all required a considerable physical transformation, to the extent that he was unrecognisable in all of them. Frank-N-Furter, Rocky Horror\u2019s deranged scientist, saw him daubed in garish makeup and wearing stockings and suspenders, for the stage show (which debuted in 1973) and the film adaptation (released in 1975). In the Ridley Scott-directed fantasy Legend (1985), he was equipped with giant horns and scarlet skin as the Lord of Darkness. And in 1990, Curry was transformed with full-face clown pancake to play Pennywise in the TV miniseries It, based on the Stephen King<\/a> novel.<\/p>\n

\u2026 Tim Curry in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Photograph: PR<\/p>\n

Alongside these show-stopping incarnations, Curry enjoyed a successful parallel career in film, TV and theatre. Born in 1946, he earned a degree in drama and English from the University of Birmingham in 1968 and embarked on a stage career. His first significant role was in the original cast for the first West End production of the controversial musical Hair, in 1968 \u2013 where he met Richard O\u2019Brien, who would go on to cast him in his own musical, The Rocky Horror Show<\/a>. Curry went on to play Tristan Tzara in Tom Stoppard\u2019s Travesties (taking over the role from John Hurt and Robert Powell), and Mozart in the Broadway transfer of Amadeus in 1980. Later highlights included King Arthur in the Broadway run of the Monty Python musical Spamalot.<\/p>\n

Curry worked regularly in film, in roles including that of Robert Graves in Jerzy Skolimowski\u2019s sinister The Shout, and later as Jeremy in the Ian McEwan-scripted political drama The Ploughman\u2019s Lunch. Later, Curry found himself working largely in comedies \u2013 including Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Muppet Treasure Island, Scary Movie 2, and McHale\u2019s Navy \u2013 before providing voiceovers for numerous animated films, such as Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties, A Turtle\u2019s Tale: Sammy\u2019s Adventures and Ribbit.<\/p>\n

Pennywise for them \u2026 Tim Curry as the killer clown in It. Photograph: Allstar\/Cinetext\/Lorimar Television<\/p>\n

Curry was also a regular presence on TV for more than four decades, playing William Shakespeare<\/a> in John Mortimer\u2019s six-part biography of the playwright in 1978, Bill Sikes in the 1982 US TV adaptation of Oliver Twist, and the wizard Trymon in the adaptation of Terry Pratchett\u2019s The Colour of Magic in 2008. He voiced a stream of animated series (Duckman, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Mask and Star Wars: The Clone Wars) and was cast in many guest roles in established series, including Psych, Poirot and Criminal Minds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had the opportunities,\u201d he said to the Guardian in 2025<\/a>, \u201cand I\u2019m still showing up. You know? I think that\u2019s what you have to do. You have to keep showing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2012, Curry had a stroke while receiving a massage and received brain surgery. He was left with mobility issues and his short-term memory was also affected. \u201cIt was an odd thing, because my father had a stroke and died very soon afterwards,\u201d he said. \u201cI knew I had to force myself to relax and just take the opportunity to float a little.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2025, he released his memoir Vagabond.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very aware that I\u2019m lucky,\u201d Curry said last year. \u201cI\u2019m astonished actually at how ambitious I\u2019ve been. I didn\u2019t think of myself as ambitious at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luke Evans, who played the role of Dr Frank-N-Furter in the recent Broadway production of The Rocky Horror Show, paid tribute on Instagram<\/a>. The actor called him \u201ca force, a bright fierce flame\u201d and \u201can inspiration\u201d. He added: \u201cThere will only be one Tim Curry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carol Burnett, who starred with Curry in Annie, also paid tribute online<\/a>. \u201cNobody could play lovable villains better than he could,\u201d she wrote. \u201cHe was a dear friend. I was blessed to know him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Curry\u2019s Clue co-star Michael McKean shared<\/a> on X: \u201cMy last conversation with Tim Curry was about life and love and laughter. The grim physical state he found himself in has now ended, a blessing. Our blessing was that we had Tim Curry in our lives. RIP, my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n