English actor Tim Curry, best known as the flamboyant Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has died at 80.
According to the BBC, Curry died peacefully at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, on 25 August. His longtime manager and friend Marcia Hurwitz confirmed his death. The Los Angeles Police Department also said officers responded to a death investigation involving an 80-year-old man at 23:23 local time on Tuesday.
Curry first played Frank-N-Furter on stage before reprising the role in the 1975 film adaptation. The production initially struggled at the box office but later became a cult favourite. It now holds the record for the longest-running theatrical release in film history.
Born in Cheshire in 1946, Curry began his acting career after university in the original London production of Hair in 1968. In 1973, fellow cast member Richard O’Brien invited him to audition for his new musical. Curry landed the role of the lingerie-clad scientist Frank-N-Furter.
The show’s growing popularity led to the film, which also starred Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick and O’Brien. Curry’s performance became one of the most recognisable in film history.
His career stretched across film, television, theatre, music and voice acting. He played Pennywise in the 1990 television adaptation of Stephen King’s It and Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island (1996). His other films included Annie (1982), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Home Alone 2 (1992), Clue (1985), Legend (1985) and Congo (1995).
Curry earned three Tony nominations. His first came for playing Mozart in the original Broadway production of Amadeus in 1981. He later received nominations for My Favorite Year in 1993 and Spamalot in 2005, in which he played King Arthur. He also performed as Arthur in the West End.
A new generation discovered Curry through the 2008 video game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. His performance as Soviet Premier Anatoly Cherdenko became an internet sensation, particularly his line about escaping to “space”. One clip of the scene has attracted more than 10 million YouTube views.
Curry suffered a major stroke in 2012 and subsequently used a wheelchair. He focused on voice acting and continued attending film conventions. He also remained active as a writer, publishing his memoir Vagabond last year.
His representatives described him as an artist who moved effortlessly between comedy, horror, drama and music over five decades. They said his greatest legacy to those close to him was his “curious, expansive mind” and “generous, gentle heart”.
Grand Central Publishing called Curry “a singular talent” whose career left an indelible mark on generations of audiences.
From Frank-N-Furter and Pennywise to King Arthur and countless voice roles, Curry built a career defined by characters that were impossible to forget.
