Rocky Horror Picture Show star Tim Curry dies aged 80

Tim Curry, the star who made his name as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the Rocky Horror Show, has died aged 80.

His death was confirmed by his longtime agent and manager Marcia Hurwitz, who said he passed in his Los Angeles home. A cause of death was not immediately given.

Curry is well-known for his roles which required him to undergo considerable physical transformation. For both the stage show in 1973 and the film adaptation in 1975, gender-bending Frank-N-Furter saw him dressed in stockings and suspenders and fitted with garish makeup.

In 1985, he wore giant horns and bright red skin as the Lord of Darkness in Ridley-Scott’s Legend. And, in 1990, he was transformed into Pennywise the clown for Stephen King’s TV miniseries, It.

Beyond those roles, Curry performed in several musicals, including the first West End production of Hair in 1968. That role marked the start of his career and was where he met Richard O’Brien, who would go on to cast him in The Rocky Horror Show.

His performance in the film adaptation, Rocky Horror Picture Show, released in 1975, earned him an Emmy Award and nominations for a Grammy Award, two Olivier Awards and three Tony Awards.

He went on to play Tristan Tzara in Tom Stoppard’s Travesties and Mozart in the Broadway transfer of Amadeus in 1980. Later highlights included King Arthur in the Broadway run of the Monty Python musical Spamalot.

Curry also worked regularly in film, including roles as Robert Graves in Jerzy Skolimowski’s 1978 horror film The Shout and later as Jeremy in the Ian McEwan-scripted political drama The Ploughman’s Lunch. He also saw parts in comedies such as Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Muppet Treasure Island, Scary Movie 2 and more.

In 2012, the actor had a stroke while receiving a massage and underwent brain surgery. He was left with mobility issues and his short-term memory was affected.

In 2025, he released his memoir Vagabond.