Tim Curry, Star of ‘Rocky Horror’ and ‘It,’ Dies at 80

The Death

Tim Curry died Tuesday night at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles. He was 80. Police responded to his house at 11:23 p.m. No foul play is suspected. (TMZ) His longtime manager Marcia Hurwitz confirmed the news to Variety. A cause of death was not immediately given. Curry had dealt with serious health issues for more than a decade following a severe stroke in 2012.
In a statement shared by his publicist Sean Katz, Hurwitz said Curry would be remembered for his charismatic and colorful characters and for his generous and open-hearted spirit until his very last breath.

His Career

Curry was born April 19, 1948, in rural Grappenhall, Cheshire, England. (Variety) His father, a Royal Navy chaplain, died when Curry was 12. He graduated from the University of Birmingham with a degree in English and drama. His first professional stage work was as Woof in the musical Hair.
His breakout came in 1973 when he originated the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show on the London stage. The 1975 film version was initially ignored by critics but developed a second life (Variety) as a midnight movie phenomenon and became one of the longest-running theatrical releases in film history. Curry based the character’s accent on a combination of his mother’s voice and Queen Elizabeth II.
He went on to play a wide range of roles across film and television. He played the demonic Lord of Darkness in Ridley Scott’s Legend in 1985. He played Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the 1990 TV miniseries It, a performance that terrified a generation and remains one of the most recognizable villain portrayals in horror history. He played Wadsworth the butler in Clue in 1985, a performance that has only grown in appreciation over the decades.

Beyond horror and cult films, Curry built an extensive career in voice acting, providing characters in animated series including Mighty Max, The Wild Thornberrys, and Fern Gully. He received a Daytime Emmy Award and earned Tony and Olivier Award nominations at various points in his career.
In 2012, Curry suffered a stroke while receiving a massage. He recalled that his masseur grew concerned and called an ambulance over Curry’s objections. The stroke left him unable to walk. (Just Jared) He spent his later years using a wheelchair and continued to work primarily in voice acting and occasional appearances at fan conventions. In 2016, he appeared as the Narrator in the TV remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He was working on a memoir titled Vagabond at the time of his death.

Tributes

Luke Evans, who played Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the Broadway production of Rocky Horror, posted a tribute calling Curry one of a kind and saying everyone who followed could only try to imitate his magic.
Source: Variety, TMZ, Just Jared, CNN, The Wrap