Tim Curry, a versatile actor renowned for his stage work and flamboyant villain roles in numerous films, has died at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness.,
Foreign news agencies reported on 26 Aug 2026 GMT+7 that Tim Curry, an English actor famed for playing a sweetly effeminate singer in revealing lingerie in the classic 1975 musical film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has died at 80.
So far, no official cause of Curry's death has been announced, though the senior actor had faced health challenges for some time.
With a smile and laughter tinged with menace, Curry often played villains in Hollywood films, sometimes with comic flair, allowing him to showcase his signature over-the-top acting style that made him famous.
"I really enjoyed those roles because they were usually the best-written parts," Curry said in a 2011 interview.
Curry was nominated three times for the Tony Award, Broadway theater's highest honor. He also had extensive voice acting credits in animated films and television shows.
However, his most iconic role was Dr. Frank N. Furter, his first film role, in the cult horror-comedy-musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show, alongside Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick.
In a 1975 television interview, Curry spoke about the risk that his career might be overshadowed by the eccentric character, a worry that later proved true. "When I read the script, I just thought it was really funny and clever," Curry said, though he admitted some initial hesitation.
"I hesitated because if it succeeded, it might be hard to shake the image. But really, I always felt a role wasn't worth it unless you took the risk," Curry added.
His other films include Charlie's Angels (2000), Muppet Treasure Island (1996), The Shadow (1994), The Three Musketeers (1993), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Clue (1985), Legend (1985), and Annie (1982).
Curry admitted that some of his films were mediocre to poor, citing Congo (1995), about a diamond mine and killer gorillas. "I was really bad in that... I won a Razzie Award for one of the worst performances of the year — which, honestly, I deserved."
Curry was born in the village of Grappenhall, Cheshire, England, on 19 Apr 1943. His father was a naval chaplain who died when Curry was 12, and his mother worked as a school secretary. Curry studied drama at the University of Birmingham.
In 1973, Curry played Dr. Frank N. Furter in the original London stage production of The Rocky Horror Show. He performed the play in New York and Los Angeles before it was adapted into the film renamed The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The film was not an immediate hit but gained a cult following through midnight screenings in New York and other cities, where audiences often dressed as characters from Rocky Horror to watch.
Curry withdrew from stage acting in England in 2011 due to health issues, and in 2013 his representatives revealed he had suffered a stroke but was recovering.
Since then, he needed a wheelchair and reduced his workload. However, in 2024, Curry returned to the big screen with a role in the horror film Stream.
He lived in Los Angeles, never married, and had no children. Besides acting, Curry was a songwriter and singer, performing with his own rock band and releasing several albums.
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Source:bbc