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Renowned British actor and comedian Tim Curry, aged 80, has died, according to a report from TMZ.
Curry reportedly passed away at his Los Angeles home late on Tuesday, August 25, with the news coming to light the following day. Over the past decade, Curry faced numerous health challenges, including a severe stroke in 2012 that led to intensive neurosurgery and eventually left him unable to walk.
Tim Curry’s illustrious career included playing the terrifying Pennywise in the adaptation of Stephen King’s “It,” and the iconic Dr. Frank-n-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” He dazzled audiences with his performance in the cult classic “Clue” and shone in “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” the Broadway adaptation of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” His theater prowess earned him three nominations for the prestigious Tony Awards over the years.
As of now, the cause of his death remains undisclosed.
Tim Curry was a titan of the stage and screen for nearly six decades
20th Century Fox
Born in Cheshire, England, in 1946, Curry began his illustrious career on the London stage, making a splash in the original West End cast of “Hair.” This experience led him to one of his most iconic roles after meeting Richard O’Brien, the creator of Dr. Frank-n-Furter, a charismatic cross-dressing pansexual scientist featured in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Curry took this celebrated role from stage to screen, captivating audiences in London, Los Angeles, and New York City before the film’s 1975 release.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was undeniably Curry’s most famous role, and he was clearly affectionate about the project’s enduring popularity. In 2016, Curry appeared in the small role of the Criminologist in Kenny Ortega’s TV revival, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again,” which featured Laverne Cox as Dr. Frank-n-Furter, and Curry also celebrated the film’s 50th anniversary at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in 2025. Speaking to NPR in 2005, Curry called the movie a “rite of passage,” continuing on to say it’s “a guaranteed weekend party to which you can go with or without a date and probably find one if you don’t have one, and it’s also a chance for people to try on a few roles for size, you know? Figure out, help them maybe figure out their own sexuality.”
Beyond “Rocky Horror,” Curry appeared in everything from “Clue” to “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” to “Muppet Treasure Island.” He will be sorely missed by the entertainment industry as a whole.