Tim Curry, the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “It” actor, has died at 80.
The British performer passed away Tuesday night after battling serious health issues for more than a decade, according to law enforcement sources. He was 80.
Curry became a cult legend for his breakout role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the 1975 musical film “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” a performance that would define his career and inspire decades of midnight screenings. His portrayal of the sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania, complete with fishnets and a commanding stage presence, turned the low-budget rock musical into a permanent fixture of pop culture.
He later terrified a generation of television viewers as Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the 1990 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s “It.” Curry’s gleefully menacing performance as the shape-shifting entity helped establish the character as one of horror’s most enduring villains, long before Bill Skarsgård’s later film interpretation.
His filmography stretched across genres and decades. He voiced Nigel Thornberry in the animated series “The Wild Thornberrys,” played the villainous Cardinal Richelieu in 1993’s “The Three Musketeers,” and appeared in “Clue,” “Legend,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” and “Muppet Treasure Island.” On stage, he earned Tony nominations for his work in “Amadeus,” “My Favorite Year,” and “Spamalot.”
Health struggles had largely removed Curry from public life in recent years. He suffered a major stroke in 2012 that left him wheelchair-bound and affected his speech, though he continued to do voice work and made occasional convention appearances. The stroke followed years of declining health that had already begun limiting his on-camera roles.
Law enforcement sources said there is no foul play suspected in Curry’s death.
In the viral moment that first brought him fame, Curry originated the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the 1973 London stage production of “The Rocky Horror Show” before reprising it for the film adaptation two years later. The movie initially flopped in wide release but found its audience through midnight screenings, where audiences in costume would shout callbacks at the screen and throw props. Curry’s performance—simultaneously campy, threatening, and oddly vulnerable—made him an instant icon of queer cinema and rock musical theater. The film’s soundtrack, featuring his vocals on “Sweet Transvestite” and “I’m Going Home,” became as beloved as the visual spectacle.
Curry’s reps have not yet issued a public statement on his death.