Tim Curry, Rocky Horror Picture Show star, dies at 80

Iconic British character actor Tim Curry, celebrated for his legendary performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, died on August 25, 2026, at his home in Los Angeles at age 80. Curry, who used a wheelchair following a 2012 stroke, built a prolific career spanning Broadway triumphs in Amadeus and Spamalot alongside memorable screen roles in Home Alone 2, Clue, and Stephen King's It. He is remembered by colleagues and fans as a master of lovable villains and eccentric characters.

Tim Curry death at 80

• ▪Actor Tim Curry died on the night of Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 80
• ▪Tim Curry, who suffered a stroke in 2012 that required the use of a wheelchair, died with no cause of death disclosed

Rocky Horror Picture Show legacy

• ▪The Rocky Horror Show was revived on Broadway in 2026 with actor Luke Evans playing the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter
• ▪Tim Curry rose to prominence playing the Transylvanian character Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the 1973 stage musical and the 1975 film adaptation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Broadway stage performances

• ▪Tim Curry played Mozart opposite Ian McKellen's Antonio Salieri in the Broadway production of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus
• ▪Tim Curry earned three Tony Award nominations for his stage performances in Spamalot, My Favorite Year, and Amadeus

Film television villain roles

• ▪Tim Curry won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991 for voicing Captain Hook in the animated series Peter Pan and the Pirates
• ▪Tim Curry starred as the monster Pennywise in the 1990 television miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel It
• ▪Tim Curry portrayed the concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and the butler Wadsworth in the film Clue

Childhood in England

• ▪Tim Curry was born in Cheshire, England, as the son of a Methodist Navy chaplain and a school secretary
• ▪Tim Curry was 12 years old when his father died, which prompted his mother to return to work and led Curry to learn to cook

Acting training development

• ▪Tim Curry entered the University of Birmingham in 1965 to study drama before moving to London to secure his first professional role in the West End production of Hair
• ▪Tim Curry attended a liberal school for the sons of Methodist ministers, where he began singing in church at age seven and participating in theater

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