Star of the stage and screen, Tim Curry has died at the age of 80.
TMZ was first to report the news, with law enforcement telling the gossip site that police responded to his home at 11:23 p.m. Tuesday. No foul play is suspected.
Curry’s manager confirmed his death to CBS News. Variety also confirmed the news that he died in Los Angeles.
Best known for his roles in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “It” among countless others, Curry had suffered a massive stroke in 2012. In his memoir, “Vagabond,” released last year, he said he was still unable to walk, TMZ reported.
Curry was born in Cheshire, England, in 1946, the son of a school secretary and a Methodist chaplain for the Royal Navy, The Independent reported.
He lost his father to pneumonia in 1958 when the future actor was 12.
A decade later, Curry got bitten by the acting bug while watching Judi Dench as Sally Bowles in “Cabaret.”
The actor got his start after graduating, starring in the original West End Production of “Hair” in 1968, People magazine reported.
According to Curry’s website, he embellished his experience to get cast in “Hair.”
“When asked if he had professional experience and an Equity card, Tim lied about both. By the time the producers found out the truth, they were sufficiently impressed with his talent and presence to sponsor him for his union membership.”
It was 1973 when he was invited by Richard O’Brien to audition for his experimental musical “The Rocky Horror Show.”
From the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, the show moved to Los Angeles, with Curry playing Frank-N-Furter at The Roxy on the Sunset Strip, produced by Lou Adler, who would go on to produce the cult classic film “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in 1974.
" The film remains a cult phenomenon over forty five years later and has helped cement Tim’s status as a pop icon to generations of fan," Curry’s website states.
After the film, Curry went to the East Coast, where “The Rocky Horror Show” debuted on Broadway, but was panned and closed after 45 shows.
He said it was a turning point as an artist. “I think that was really one of the most formative things that has ever happened to me. I just went home and took out a bottle of vodka for about a month, actually. I sent out for submarine sandwiches and drank and got hugely patched, and then started work again. And I think once you’ve had a really serious failure, nothing can ever be as bad as that again. So you might as well just go for it, because they can’t make you feel any worse than they did before.”
Curry found his niche; he appeared on the stage in several productions and in television and film.
In 1976, he played William Shakespeare in a six-part television series following the writer from young man through his death.
He also appeared in the play “Amadeus” on Broadway as the titular composer, opposite none other than Ian McKellen, who beat Curry for the Tony Award. Other notable Broadway roles include King Arthur in “Monty Python’s Spamalot” and “My Favorite Year,” according to IBDB.com.
At the same time, he was producing music, including his third album, and the musical adaptation of “Annie.”
He spoke about his role as Rooster, Miss Hannigan’s brother. Miss Hannigan was played by Carol Burnett.
“Rooster was a hustler, and people love that kind of character,” Curry told Forbes in 2020. “He was a lot of fun. I approached it very much in my way, but the three of us were very close. We were like The Three Musketeers. Carol is, of course, a legend and probably the funniest woman alive.”
Other iconic roles included films such as “Clue,” “Muppet Treasure Island,” where Curry played Long John Silver opposite Kermit and the gang and “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”
While he was cast in a variety of fun films, he also tried his hand at horror as Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s “It.”
He also lent his voice to countless shows and animated movies, including “Peter Pan and the Pirates,” where he won a Daytime Emmy for playing Captain Hook. He also voiced Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious in 10 episodes of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and 90 episodes as Nigel Thornberry in “The Wild Thornberries.”
Curry never married and had no children, People magazine reported.
Check back for more on this developing story.
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