Tim Curry, star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and It, dies in Los Angeles at 80

Passing in Los Angeles

British actor Tim Curry, who gained international recognition as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the sinister clown Pennywise in the 1990 television adaptation of It, died at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 80. His longtime manager and friend Marcia Hurwitz confirmed his death on Wednesday. While an immediate cause of death was not disclosed, Curry had experienced ongoing medical difficulties after suffering a severe stroke in 2012 that required him to use a wheelchair. Following that health crisis, he largely withdrew from public appearances and focused his professional efforts on voice acting.

The creation of Frank-N-Furter

Born in Cheshire in 1946 to a Royal Navy chaplain and a school secretary, Curry studied English and drama at Birmingham University before securing his first professional role in the 1968 London staging of the musical Hair. During that production, he met castmate Richard O'Brien, who invited him in 1973 to audition for a new project at the Royal Court Theatre. Curry originated the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter on the theatre's upper floor before an audience of fewer than 100 people. He reprised the character alongside Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick in the 1975 film adaptation The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Although the movie initially struggled at the box office, midnight screenings turned it into a fixture of audience participation and the longest-running theatrical release in cinema history.

In a 1975 television interview, Curry addressed the artistic hazards of taking on such an eccentric character.

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 it wasn't worth doing unless you took a risk.

Stage acclaim and screen villainy

Curry built on that visibility by performing in high-profile theatrical and film productions. He earned three Tony Award nominations on Broadway, first in 1981 for portraying Mozart in Peter Shaffer's Amadeus, followed by nods for My Favorite Year in 1993 and King Arthur in Monty Python's Spamalot in 2005. On screen, he established a steady reputation for playing memorable antagonists across multiple genres. His film credits included the 1982 musical Annie as Rooster Hannigan, the 1985 mystery Clue, Ridley Scott's 1985 fantasy Legend, The Hunt for Red October in 1990, and a suspicious hotel concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York in 1992. In 1996, he took on the role of Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island.

Reflecting on his time working alongside the puppet cast, Curry expressed deep appreciation for the puppeteers.

You come to see them as characters and not as puppets, which is down to the brilliance of the Muppeteers. I loved Miss Piggy. We got on great.

Voice acting and final years

Beyond live-action screen and stage work, Curry made extensive contributions to animation and audio projects. His rich baritone earned him a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991 for his voice performance in Peter Pan & the Pirates. He returned to the Rocky Horror franchise in 2016 to serve as the narrator in a television remake. Despite mobility limitations after his 2012 stroke, he continued to participate in film conventions and published his memoir, Vagabundo, in 2025.