Actor Tim Curry, famed for "Rocky Horror" and "It," dies at 80

Tim Curry died on Wednesday at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, at the age of 80, his longtime manager Marcia Hurwitz announced. The actor had suffered a major stroke in 2012 that left him using a wheelchair.

Curry first gained worldwide recognition for originating the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the stage production of The Rocky Horror Show, later reprising the part in the 1975 film adaptation alongside Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick. He later recalled that the film helped some audience members explore their own identities, saying, "It’s a chance for people to try on a few roles for size, maybe help them figure out their own sexuality."

Beyond Rocky Horror, Curry built a diverse career. He played the villain Rooster Hannigan in the 1982 film Annie, and in 1990 portrayed the clown Pennywise in the two-part ABC miniseries It, which attracted more than 37 million viewers. Director Tommy Lee Wallace said of Curry’s performance, "My job was to give Tim the stage and not get in his way too much. He was like Robin Williams in the way he brought a spontaneous improvisation to the part."

Curry earned three Tony nominations: for his stage debut as Mozart in Amadeus (1981), for Alan Swann in My Favorite Year (1993), and for King Arthur in Monty Python’s Spamalot (2005). He also appeared in films such as Clue (1985), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Home Alone 2 (1992), and Muppet Treasure Island (1996), and voiced characters in animated series, winning a Daytime Emmy for Captain Hook in Peter Pan and the Pirates (1990).

In recent years he returned to the horror genre with the film Stream, released in August 2024, and served as narrator for the 2016 television remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Curry never married and had no children. He spoke publicly about his stroke and his outlook on mortality, stating, "I don’t fear death. I try to avoid it, as I think we all do, but I suspect that in the end I will welcome it."