English actor Tim Curry, best known for playing Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has died aged 80. Curry first took the role on stage before it appeared on screen. The film version, released in 1975, later became a cult favourite. From Hair to Dr Frank-N-FurterBorn in Warrington in 1946, Curry began his acting career after university with the original London production of the rock musical Hair in 1968. In 1973, fellow cast member Richard O’Brien asked Curry to audition for O’Brien’s new musical. Curry was cast as Dr Frank-N-Furter, a flamboyant character described in the production as a “sweet transvestite”. Curry first shaped the role at the Royal Court’s upstairs theatre in London in the same year. The show gained wider popularity, leading to a big-screen adaptation that starred Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick and O’Brien alongside Curry. Although the film was not an immediate cinema hit, it developed into a long-running fan favourite and holds the record for the longest-running theatrical release in film history. Screen Roles and Stage SuccessCurry also played Pennywise in the 1990 television adaptation of Stephen King’s It, and appeared as Long John Silver in the 1996 Muppet Treasure Island. His film credits included Annie, The Hunt for Red October, Home Alone 2, Scary Movie 2, Clue, Legend (with Tom Cruise), and Congo. On Broadway, Curry received three Tony Award nominations. He first earned a Tony nomination in 1981 for playing Mozart in the original production of Amadeus. He was later nominated for My Favorite Year in 1993 and again in 2005 for King Arthur in Monty Python musical Spamalot. After a major stroke in 2012, Curry used a wheelchair. He continued with voice work and appeared at film conventions. In 2008, he also became known to a new audience through a line as Soviet Premier Anatoly Cherdenko in the video game Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3. The exchange, including a reference to escaping to a place “that hasn’t been corrupted by capitalism… space!”, spread widely online, with one clip viewed more than 10 million times on YouTube and repeatedly shared on social media. Tributes From Colleagues and PublishersIn a statement after his death, Curry’s representatives said that over five decades he moved “fluidly between comedy, horror, drama, and music”, and credited him with leaving “distinct fingerprints on pop culture”. They added that despite his stroke, he continued to add to his achievements, including as a writer. Welsh actor Luke Evans, who played Frank-N-Furter in a Broadway revival, said Curry was “a force, a bright fierce flame, an exquisite charm”. Evans also described thanking Curry in a letter for being fearless and for creating something “so enduring”, and said being compared to Curry was “one of the greatest compliments” he had received. The Broadway account for The Rocky Horror Picture Show also thanked Curry for “giving the world a little more freedom” and referenced Curry’s famous line, “Don’t dream it, be it”. American comedy icon Carol Burnett posted that “nobody could play lovable villains better than he could”. Rob Schneider, who co-starred with Curry in Home Alone 2, said he was “gutted” and described him as a gifted stage and screen performer. Michael McKean, who appeared with Curry in Clue and stars in Better Call Saul, wrote that his last conversation with Curry had been about “life and love and laughter”. Curry published his memoir, Vagabond, last year. Grand Central Publishing said it was “deeply saddened” by his death and described his career as having left a lasting mark on audiences. Curry’s longtime manager and friend Marcia Hurwitz said he “passed away peacefully at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles on August 25”. The Los Angeles Police Department said BBC News officers had responded to a death investigation for an 80-year-old man at 23:23 local time on Tuesday. Join the discussion? 27 August 2026
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