In a week that already saw the passing of Dolly Parton, the world has lost another superstar. Tim Curry—forever associated with his first film role as the cheeky Dr. Frank-N-Furter in 1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show, though he embodied many memorable characters across 50 years on the stage and screen—has died at the age of 80.
Curry’s credits are frankly astonishing when you look back at all he accomplished. In movies, after his breakout in Rocky Horror, he starred in an array of crowd-pleasers and cult-beloved titles, always making an impression even in supporting roles. Just a few favorites: the opportunistic DJ in Times Square, the sleazy Rooster in Annie, the terrifying Lord of Darkness in Legend, the butler Wadsworth in Clue, the theatrically accented treasure hunter in Congo, the not-so-secret pirate Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island, and the villainous Professor Oldman in Scary Movie 2.
On the small screen, among an extensive resume horror fans will always treasure his performance as Pennywise in the 1990 It miniseries—though the Stephen King character has since been taken over by Bill Skarsgård, Curry’s take on the sewer-dwelling, child-hunting clown set the nightmare standard for multiple generations.
His turn as the Grand Wizard in the made-for-TV adaptation of The Worst Witch is also an indelible memory for many.
Curry also had a lengthy list of voice-over credits in movies, TV shows (including Star Wars: The Clone Wars), video games, and audiobooks—and he had an award-winning stage career on top of everything else. He starred in the original cast of The Rocky Horror Show and was equally successful in interpreting classics (Shakespeare, A Christmas Carol) and new works—including playing King Arthur in Monty Python’s Tony Award-winning hit Spamalot.
Tim Curry was a true original, a risk-taker, and a charismatic talent we’re lucky to have gotten to see shine across so many projects. He will be greatly missed.
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