(LOS ANGELES, CA.) — Tim Curry, the British actor whose unmistakable voice, theatrical wit and ability to move between comedy and menace made him a fixture of stage and screen for more than five decades, died Aug. 25 at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles. He was 80.
Curry died peacefully at home, according to a statement provided directly to OpGov.news by publicist Sean Katz on behalf of Curry’s longtime manager and friend, Marcia Hurwitz. A cause of death was not disclosed.
“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,” the statement said.
(Photo courtesy @OfficialTimCurry/Instagram)
For generations of moviegoers, Curry was Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the corset-and-fishnet-wearing scientist at the center of the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. For others, he was the increasingly frantic butler Wadsworth in Clue, the terrifying Pennywise in the 1990 television adaptation of Stephen King’s It, Darkness in Legend, Rooster Hannigan in Annie, the suspicious Plaza
Hotel concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York or the unmistakable voice of Nigel Thornberry in Nickelodeon’s The Wild Thornberrys.
The variety was characteristic of a performer who resisted being defined by his most famous role.
Curry first played Frank-N-Furter onstage in Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show at London’s Royal Court Theatre in 1973. He later brought the character to Los Angeles before reprising the role in the film adaptation, which was shot in 1974 and released the following year.
The movie grew from an initially unsuccessful release into one of cinema’s most enduring cult phenomena, with generations of fans attending interactive midnight screenings. But Curry’s career extended far beyond Rocky Horror.
Born Timothy James Curry on April 19, 1946, in Cheshire, England, Curry studied drama and English at the University of Birmingham before beginning his professional career in the original London production of Hair in 1968. He subsequently worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared in productions at the Royal Court Theatre.
On Broadway, Curry earned Tony Award nominations for playing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart opposite Ian McKellen in Amadeus, washed-up movie star Alan Swann in My Favorite Year and King Arthur in Monty Python’s Spamalot.
His work also encompassed an extensive voice-acting career. Curry voiced Captain Hook in Peter Pan and the Pirates, a performance that earned him a Daytime Emmy Award, and became familiar to a younger generation as Nigel Thornberry in The Wild Thornberrys. His voice credits stretched across television, movies, audiobooks and video games.
Curry suffered a major stroke in July 2012. At the time, Hurwitz publicly confirmed that he was recovering and undergoing physical therapy. The stroke affected Curry’s mobility, but it did not end his career. He continued recording voice performances, making public appearances and meeting fans.
Curry’s death prompted tributes from performers who worked alongside him and artists influenced by his work.
Carol Burnett, who played Miss Hannigan opposite Curry’s Rooster in the 1982 film Annie, remembered him as both a colleague and friend. “We had such a wonderful time working together on ‘Annie,’” Burnett wrote on her verified Instagram account. “Nobody could play lovable villains better than he could. He was a dear friend. I was blessed to know him.”
Lesley Ann Warren, Curry’s Clue co-star, called him her “dear companion in crime” and described working with him as an “unbelievable joy.” “I adored him,” Warren wrote. “Bless his wild and inspired soul. Love you Tim.”
Michael McKean, another of Curry’s Clue co-stars, said his final conversation with Curry centered on “life and love and laughter.” “Our blessing was that we had Tim Curry in our lives,” McKean wrote. “RIP, my friend.”
Eryk Casemiro, a longtime producer on The Wild Thornberrys, remembered the actor behind one of the animated series’ most recognizable voices. “He was one of a kind,” Casemiro wrote on Curry’s official Instagram page. “So honored to have known Tim for years as our Nigel Thornberry. Fly with angels, friend.”
Actor and comedian Rob Schneider, who also paid tribute to Curry, wrote that watching him perform was a rare gift. “I am grateful to have the rare gift of watching him work,” Schneider wrote in another tribute. “He made you better just standing near him.”
Original Saturday Night Live cast member Laraine Newman called Curry “a true original and a gift,” while filmmaker Guillermo del Toro offered a characteristically brief farewell: “Goodnight Sweet Myth...”
Patton Oswalt reached back to Rocky Horror for his tribute, posting simply: “It’s not easy having a good time.”
The official Tim Curry Instagram account also memorialized the actor Wednesday, using Curry’s own words about mortality: “But if death comes for me peacefully and I fade gently from light into dark oblivion, why would I be afraid of it? Sometimes, I rather think it would be a comfort.”
The message concluded: “Thank you for everything, Tim ❤️.” Curry’s official website identifies @OfficialTimCurry as one of the social media accounts maintained by his team.
Other colleagues also remembered Curry Wednesday. Rocky Horror co-star Susan Sarandon described him as a “funny, sexy, original” and praised his generosity toward fans, while Barry Bostwick, who played Brad Majors, offered a farewell drawn from the movie they made together. Hank Azaria remembered working alongside Curry in Spamalot as an “honor and joy,” and Eric Idle called him “a fine man, singer, actor, host and gardener.”
Curry never married and had no children. According to the statement provided by Katz, he is survived by members of his extended family, including his nieces Kate Lewis and Julia Bullman, great-nieces Josephine and Georgina, and nephew Mark Lewis. The statement also names Patrick Bullman but does not specify his relationship to Curry.
For Hurwitz and those closest to Curry, however, the legacy extended beyond the collection of villains, eccentrics and larger-than-life characters that made him famous.
His “curious, expansive mind and generous, gentle heart,” the statement said, remained “open and filled with anticipation until his final breath.”
Actor Tim Curry, remembered for iconic roles in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue and It, in a photo shared by his official Instagram account following his death at age 80. (Photo courtesy @OfficialTimCurry/Instagram)
If you’d like to add or correct anything in this report, feel free to reach out to me or leave a comment below. Submit tips and story ideas to Sarah Denos at sarahkdenos@gmail.com.
0
0
Comments