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Tim Curry, star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, dies aged 80
26 August 2026, 19:04 | Updated: 26 August 2026, 21:01
The actor, who was best known for playing Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has died at age 80.
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Tim Curry has died at age 80.
The legendary actor - who was best known for portraying the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show - passed away on Tuesday 25th August.
According to TMZ, the news was confirmed by his longtime agent Marcia Hurwitz, to the New York Times.
In recent years, Curry dealt with significant health problems after a major stroke in 2012 left him unable to walk. He continued to work as a voice actor across film, TV and video games until his death.
Timothy James Curry was born on 19th April 1946 in Grappenhall in Warrington, Cheshire. He was the son of school secretary Patricia (née Langmead) and Royal Navy chaplain James Curry.
A star of stage-and-screen, Curry's first acting job after university was in the original London production of the game-changing rock musical Hair in 1968.
In 1973 a fellow Hair cast member Richard O'Brien asked Curry to audition for his new musical, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, casting him the role of the "sweet transvestite" Dr Frank-N-Furter.
After his first outing of the outrageous lingerie-wearing character on stage in the upstairs theatre at London's Royal Court in 1973, the show amassed popularity and culminated in an on-screen adaptation.
The film - which also starred O'Brien alongside Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Patricia Quinn Meat Loaf - gradually became a fan favourite, gaining cult popularity and becoming the longest-running theatrical release in film history.
Curry took on the first iteration of the clown Pennywise in the Tommy Lee Wallace-directed TV miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel IT.
Curry also starred in 1982 film Annie, the 1985 murder mystery Clue, fantasy film Legend alongside Tom Cruise in 1985, and in 1995 gorilla thriller Congo.
The star also had a prolific career in voice acting, starring as Nigel Thornberry in The Wild Thornberrys, Hexxus in FernGully: The Last Rainforest and he won a Daytime Emmy Award for Captain Hook in Peter Pain & the Pirates.
The Tony Award-nominated actor was also a musician, releasing three studio albums in total; Read My Lips (1978), Fearless (1979) and Simplicity (1981), which he toured around North America and Europe.
After suffering a major stroke in 2012 that required invasive brain surgery, Curry suffered from paralysis and loss of speech.
Though the stroke left him using a wheelchair and affected his mobility, he regained his voice and clear speaking ability, giving interview appearances in recent years and attending various conventions, anniversary events and Comic-cons.
Curry never married and mostly kept his personal life private. However, in October 2025, he published a memoir titled Vagabond, which he promoted again just 12 days before his death on Instagram.
He ended the message with the quote: "Well. How nice," in a nod to an iconic line from The Rocky Horror picture show.
In a candid interview with CBS in 2025, Tim Curry discussed his thoughts on mortality. "I don't feel death," he mused. "I try to avoid it, as I think we all do. But I suspect that in the end I will welcome it".
Quizzed as to what he means by the statement, he added: "Well, I think it might be quite comforting to go bye bye and I'd quite like to earn it."
He added: "I think I might embrace it".
Watch the full interview below:
From 2025: Tim Curry
A statement from Curry's representatives following his death said: "Across five decades, he moved fluidly between comedy, horror, drama, and music, delighting himself and his legion of fans with his countless dynamic personas."
It continued: "Few actors can claim to have left as many distinct fingerprints on pop culture - and though he suffered a debilitating stroke in 2012, he continued adding to his achievements as an artist and, most recently, a writer.
"Though widely known for his inimitable, flamboyant characters and colorful stage performances, his greatest legacies to those who knew him were his curious, expansive mind and generous, gentle heart, both of which remained open and filled with anticipation until his final breath."
