Actor Tim Curry, whose unmistakable voice and flair for larger-than-life characters made him a favorite across stage, film and television for decades, has died at 80.
TMZ first reported Curry’s death, saying the actor died late Tuesday night. His death comes 14 years after he suffered a major stroke that left him using a wheelchair.
For generations of fans, Curry was most closely associated with two very different roles: the flamboyant Dr. Frank-N-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and the terrifying Pennywise in the 1990 television adaptation of Stephen King’s “It.”
But those performances were only part of a career that stretched from the stages of London and Broadway to Hollywood films, animation and voice acting.
From the West End to ‘Rocky Horror’
Born April 19, 1946, Curry began his professional stage career in the 1968 West End production of “Hair.”
His theater work eventually led to the role that would define much of his career. Curry originated the part of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Show,” later reprising the character in Los Angeles and on Broadway.
“I was 28 when I did Rocky Horror, and I was very young and very naive,” Curry once said.
Curry brought Frank-N-Furter to the big screen in 1975’s “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” While the film was not initially a major success, it developed an enormous cult following and became famous for its late-night screenings and devoted audience participation.
Curry never allowed that one character to define the limits of his work.
His extensive stage career included roles in “Travesties,” “Amadeus,” “The Pirates of Penzance,” “The Rivals,” “Love for Love,” “Dalliance,” “The Threepenny Opera,” “The Art of Success” and “My Favorite Year.”
From Pennywise to ‘Clue’
Curry proved equally comfortable playing comedy and menace on screen.
In 1990, he took on one of his most memorable villainous roles as Pennywise the clown in the television miniseries “It.” His performance helped turn the character into a horror icon long before the Stephen King novel received another screen adaptation decades later.
His film credits also included “Annie,” “Clue,” “Legend,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” and “Muppet Treasure Island.”
“I like playing characters that are very different from me,” Curry said.
That willingness to disappear into wildly different characters became one of the defining features of his career.
A distinctive voice
Curry also built an extensive career as a voice actor, lending his distinctive delivery to animated television shows and films.
His voice credits included projects connected to “The Wild Thornberrys,” “The Powerpuff Girls” and “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” among many others.
The work allowed Curry to continue doing what he had done throughout his career: move easily between comedy, drama, horror, musicals and villainous roles without being confined to a single genre.
Life after his stroke
Curry suffered a major stroke in 2012 that affected his mobility and left him using a wheelchair.
The stroke changed the way he worked, but it did not completely remove him from entertainment. Curry continued voice acting and made public appearances in the years that followed while also advocating for stroke recovery.
“I’m still here, I’m still kicking,” Curry said after the stroke.
