Tim Curry, star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and It, dies aged 80

Tim Curry, the British actor whose corseted, fishnet-clad performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show made him a cult icon, has died at the age of 80. His longtime manager and friend Marcia Hurwitz confirmed the death to media outlets, saying Curry died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles' Toluca Lake neighborhood. No cause of death was disclosed.

Curry's breakthrough came in Richard O'Brien's musical spoof, which premiered on the London stage at the Royal Court Theatre in 1973 before its 1975 film adaptation. As the pansexual, trans scientist from "Transsexual, Transylvania," Curry delivered the film's defining number, "Sweet Transvestite," in a role that Pitchfork noted resonated with queer communities for its exploration of gender and sexuality. The film initially "bombed rather spectacularly," Curry wrote in his 2025 memoir Vagabond, but became a midnight-movie phenomenon and the longest-running theatrical release in movie history.

Beyond Rocky Horror, Curry built a career defined by flamboyant villains and distinctive voice work. He played the child-killing Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's It, the scheming concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and the butler Wadsworth in the 1985 comedy Clue. On Broadway, he earned three Tony Award nominations, for Amadeus, My Favorite Year, and Spamalot. His baritone also made him a sought-after voice actor, with credits including Captain Hook in Peter Pan & the Pirates, for which he won a Daytime Emmy in 1991.

Curry suffered a major stroke in 2012 that left him partially paralyzed and wheelchair-bound, but he continued to work and make public appearances. In 2024, he returned to the screen in the horror film Stream. Last year, he published his memoir Vagabond, reflecting on a career built on risk. "I did think it was risky and indeed it was. But I like risky. I would choose risky over anything," he told the Guardian in a 2025 interview, referring to taking on Frank-N-Furter.

Tributes from co-stars and fans

“He was a force, a bright fierce flame, an exquisite charm and that rich vocal tone.”

: Luke Evans, who played Frank-N-Furter in the 2026 Broadway revival, on Instagram

Susan Sarandon, who co-starred as Janet Weiss, called Curry a "funny sexy original" in an online post, adding, "Even wheelchair bound he continued to be so sweet and generous with his fans." Carol Burnett, who appeared with him in Annie, wrote, "Nobody could play lovable villains better than he could. He was a dear friend. I was blessed to know him." Curry's Clue co-star Michael McKean shared on X that his last conversation with Curry was "about life and love and laughter," adding, "Our blessing was that we had Tim Curry in our lives."

Curry was born in Grappenhall, Cheshire, England, on April 19, 1946, the son of a Royal Navy chaplain and a school secretary. He earned a degree in drama and English from the University of Birmingham in 1968 and made his West End debut that same year in the original London production of Hair, where he met O'Brien. He never married and had no children.

In later years, Curry spoke with bemused tolerance about the role that defined him. "It's neither a blessing nor a curse. I was lucky to get it," he told LA Magazine in 2015. To the Guardian in 2025, he said, "I've had the opportunities, and I'm still showing up. You know? I think that's what you have to do. You have to keep showing up."