Tim Curry, ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ Star, Dies at 80

Tim Curry, the actor whose turn as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show made him a counterculture legend, has died at 80. His family confirmed the news, with Variety, CBS News, USA Today and The Hollywood Reporter all reporting his passing.

Curry’s breakthrough came in 1975 when he led the original cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show as the flamboyant scientist. The role became a cultural phenomenon that followed him for the rest of his life, but he refused to be defined by it.

Key facts at a glance

The role that changed everything

Curry played Frank-N-Furter on stage in London and on screen, turning a small cult musical into a global touchstone. People magazine reported that his last public appearance came more than eight months before his death.

A career without limits

Beyond Rocky Horror, Curry’s range was remarkable: the butler in Clue, the voice of Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries It, Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island, and memorable turns in Legend and Spamalot on Broadway, where he earned a Tony nomination.

Watch: Remembering Tim Curry

Coverage of his death focused on how one of a kind he was, both as a performer and as a person.

What the videos show

• Clips of his Rocky Horror performance are being shared widely, with fans calling him “the iconic star of films like” the cult classic.
• In an archived interview featured in coverage, Curry joked that people were “oddly kind of respectful” toward him, unsure why.

Farewell to a one-of-a-kind performer

Curry never chased the spotlight, but the spotlight kept finding him. Decades after Rocky Horror, his work still introduced new generations to a performer who could be terrifying, hilarious and heartbreaking in the same scene.

Sources: TMZ, Variety, CBS News, USA Today, The Hollywood Reporter, People