Beloved British actor Tim Curry, whose unforgettable roles in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, It and Clue made him a pop-culture icon, has died at age 80.
Curry’s death was reported Wednesday, Aug. 26. TMZ, citing law enforcement sources, reported that no foul play is suspected.
The legendary actor had been dealing with serious health problems for more than a decade after suffering a major stroke in 2012 that left him with lasting physical disabilities.
Curry later revealed that the stroke had left him unable to walk and that he continued to use a wheelchair years afterward. Despite the life-changing setback, he remained active through voice acting and occasional public appearances.
For generations of fans, however, Curry will forever be remembered as the wildly theatrical Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the 1975 cult phenomenon The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The role became his breakthrough and helped transform the initially poorly received movie into one of the most enduring cult films ever made. Midnight screenings, costumes and audience participation eventually turned Rocky Horror into a cultural institution.
But Curry’s career went far beyond one legendary performance.
In 1990, he terrified an entire generation as Pennywise the clown in the television adaptation of Stephen King’s It.
Curry later recalled how much he enjoyed playing the terrifying villain, saying the character understood exactly what frightened his victims and used those fears against them.
His long list of memorable movie roles also included Rooster Hannigan in Annie, the fast-talking butler Wadsworth in Clue, Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island and Mr. Hector, the suspicious hotel concierge, in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
He also appeared in The Hunt for Red October, Addams Family Reunion, Scary Movie 2 and numerous other films and television projects.
Curry was just as successful onstage.
He began his professional acting career in the late 1960s and appeared in the London production of Hair in 1968 before eventually becoming a major theater star.
Over the course of his career, Curry received three Tony Award nominations and two Laurence Olivier Award nominations.
He also built an extensive career as a voice actor, lending his distinctive voice to animated movies, television series and video games.
His voice work earned him a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991.
Even after his 2012 stroke dramatically changed his life, Curry refused to completely disappear from the entertainment world.
He continued working primarily as a voice performer and made a rare on-screen appearance in the 2016 television remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, this time serving as the narrator.
In 2025, Curry released his memoir Vagabond, looking back on his extraordinary career, his childhood, fame and recovery from the near-fatal stroke.
While promoting the book and attending a 50th-anniversary Rocky Horror event, Curry gave fans a candid update on his condition.
“I still can’t walk,” he said in 2025, explaining that the stroke continued to affect his mobility, particularly his left leg.
Still, Curry maintained the sense of humor that fans had loved for decades.
His career ultimately stretched across theater, movies, television, music and voice acting, with his larger-than-life performances making him one of Hollywood’s most distinctive character actors.
Curry never married and did not have children, according to People.
His death comes more than 50 years after he first stepped into the role that made him famous — and decades after characters such as Frank-N-Furter, Pennywise and Wadsworth became permanently embedded in pop culture.
For millions of fans, Curry was the rare performer who could be hilarious, terrifying, flamboyant and menacing — sometimes all in the same scene.
And even after a devastating stroke changed the final chapter of his life, he continued finding ways to perform.