British actor, singer and voice artist Tim Curry, known for his iconic roles in “The Rocky Horror Show“, “It“, “Annie“ and “Clue“, has died at the age of 80. His longtime manager Marcia Hurwitz confirmed that Curry passed away peacefully on August 25, 2026, at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles. The cause of death has not been announced.
For the past 14 years, Tim Curry has been living with the effects of a severe stroke he suffered in 2012. He has been left with limited mobility and uses a wheelchair, but he has continued to work primarily as a voice actor and meet with fans. In his memoir “Vagabond“ from 2025, the actor said that his condition at the time required emergency brain surgery and prolonged rehabilitation.
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Tim Curry was born April 19, 1946 in Cheshire, England. After graduating with a degree in English and Drama from the University of Birmingham, he began his professional career in the London production of the musical “Hair“ in 1968.
His big break came with the role of the eccentric Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the stage musical “The Rocky Horror Show“ in 1973. Two years later, Tim Curry brought the character to the big screen in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show“. The film initially failed at the box office, but it has since become one of the most recognizable cult films in film history.
The actor himself has acknowledged that the film's legacy is particularly meaningful to him because of the way it encourages people to embrace their own individuality. In 2025, when “The Rocky Horror Show“ celebrated its 50th anniversary, Tim Curry reunited with some of the cast and spoke about the film's enduring connection with LGBTQ audiences.
His career, however, is far from over with Frank-N-Furter. In 1982, he played Rooster Hannigan in the musical “Annie“, and among his most memorable films are “Clue“, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York“, “The Three Musketeers“ and “Muppet Treasure Island“. In 1990, Tim Curry created one of the most famous images of Pennywise in the television adaptation of the novel “It“ by Stephen King.
Curiously, Curry was actually afraid of clowns. In his memoirs, he admits that it was his discomfort with the Pennywise character that made him accept the role as a creative challenge.
Tim Curry also has a significant theater career. He received three Tony Award nominations, including for “Amadeus“, “My Favorite Year“ and “Spamalot“. In addition to acting, Curry is also a singer, releasing three rock albums between 1978 and 1981. He also received a “Grammy“ nomination for his work as a narrator for the audiobook of the series “A Series of Unfortunate Events“.
After the stroke, the actor gradually limited his appearances on camera, but in 2016 he returned to the world of “Rocky Horror“ as the narrator in a television adaptation. He later starred in the horror film “Stream“, and director Michael Levy confirmed after his death that Curry had completed his work on “Stream 2: Sudden Death“, which will be his last acting role.
After the news of his death, a number of actors and colleagues paid tribute to Tim Curry. Carol Burnett described him as a dear friend and an actor who could transform villains into unusually charismatic characters, and Michael McKean, his partner in “Clue“, remembered their last conversation as a conversation about life, love and laughter.
Tim Curry never married and has no children. When asked in 2025 how he would like to be remembered, he simply replied that he wanted to be remembered as an actor, not a movie star. For him, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show“'s most important legacy is the message that people have the right to be themselves.