Tim Curry, Beloved Star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Clue, Dies at 80
By Alexus Mosley
Photo Credit: Alan Light
Tim Curry, the British actor whose unforgettable performances in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue and It made him a pop culture favorite across generations, has died at 80.
His longtime manager confirmed he died at his home in Los Angeles.
Over a career spanning more than five decades, Curry became known for characters that were theatrical, strange, sinister, hilarious and often impossible to forget.
His defining role came as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, which he originated onstage before bringing the character to the big screen in 1975.
The film initially struggled at the box office before finding new life through midnight screenings, where fans dressed as the characters, shouted along with the movie, and danced the “Time Warp.” What began as a cult curiosity eventually became one of the most enduring audience-participation films in pop culture.
Curry, meanwhile, refused to stay in one lane.
He played Rooster in Annie, the wonderfully frantic butler Wadsworth in Clue and terrified a generation as Pennywise in the 1990 television adaptation of Stephen King’s It. He also brought his unmistakable presence to Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Muppet Treasure Island, Legend and countless other projects. Curry also appeared on Broadway in productions including Amadeus and Spamalot, released three studio albums and became a prolific voice actor across animation and television.
In 2012, Curry suffered a severe stroke that left him partially paralyzed and using a wheelchair. He later spoke about having to relearn how to speak, but continued performing through voice work and public appearances.
For someone who played some of entertainment’s loudest personalities, Curry remained notably private about his own life, something he continued to protect even in his 2025 memoir Vagabond.
What he left behind, however, was anything but quiet.