The British actor, celebrated for playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter and a long run of memorable stage, film and voice roles, died Tuesday night at his Los Angeles home, according to his longtime manager.
Tim Curry, the British actor whose commanding performances made him a singular presence in cult films, Broadway productions and animation, has died at 80.
Curry died Tuesday night, Aug. 25, at his home in Los Angeles, according to his longtime manager and friend, Marcia Hurwitz. No cause of death was disclosed.
He became internationally known as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the charismatic host at the center of the stage musical “The Rocky Horror Show” and its 1975 film adaptation, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The movie grew from an initial commercial disappointment into a durable midnight-screening phenomenon, with Curry’s performance at its center.
His career ranged widely beyond “Rocky Horror.” Curry played Wadsworth in “Clue,” Pennywise in the 1990 television adaptation of Stephen King’s “It,” and the concierge at New York’s Plaza Hotel in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.” He also built a substantial voice-acting career, appearing in projects including “The Wild Thornberrys,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius.”
Onstage, Curry earned three Tony Award nominations, for “Amadeus,” “My Favorite Year” and “Spamalot.” He also received an Emmy nomination in 1994.
Born in Cheshire, England, in 1946, Curry began his professional career in London theater, including a role in the West End production of “Hair.” His work often drew on a rich baritone, sharp comic timing and an ability to make flamboyant or villainous characters feel unusually precise.
