English actor Tim Curry, best known for his role as Dr Frank-N-Furter in the musical film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has died aged 80 at his home in Los Angeles.
According to the BBC, Curry died peacefully at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, on August 25, his longtime manager and friend Marcia Hurwitz confirmed. Curry had suffered a major stroke in 2012 but continued working in the years that followed.
Rise to fame with Rocky Horror
Born in Warrington in 1946, Curry began his professional acting career in the original London production of the rock musical Hair in 1968.
His defining role came five years later when former castmate Richard O’Brien asked him to audition for a new musical. Curry was cast as the flamboyant Dr Frank-N-Furter and first played the character at London’s Royal Court Theatre in 1973.
The musical’s growing popularity led to the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with Curry reprising the role. The film was not an immediate success in cinemas but gained a devoted following and became a cult classic. It went on to hold the record for the longest-running theatrical release in film history.
Curry later became known to horror audiences as Pennywise the clown in the 1990 television adaptation of Stephen King’s It. He also played Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island and appeared in films including Annie, Clue, The Hunt for Red October and Home Alone 2.
Broadway success and later career
His career extended well beyond film and television. Curry received three Tony Award nominations on Broadway, beginning with his performance as Mozart in Amadeus in 1981.
He was nominated again for My Favourite Year in 1993 and received his third nomination for playing King Arthur in the Monty Python musical Spamalot in 2005.
Curry also found a new generation of fans through video games, with his performance as Soviet Premier Anatoly Cherdenko in the 2008 game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 becoming part of online meme culture.
A major stroke in 2012 left Curry using a wheelchair. He subsequently concentrated on voice acting while continuing to make appearances at film conventions.
Despite his health problems, Curry continued working as an artist and writer. His memoir, Vagabond, was published last year.
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