Actor Tim Curry Passes Away

Courtesy Broadway Buzz

by Jonah de Forest, Aug 26, 2026

Tim Curry passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles, California, on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80. His representative and his longtime manager, Marcia Hurwitz, confirmed his passing. No foul play is suspected.

While a specific immediate cause of death was not disclosed, Curry had struggled with major mobility and health challenges since surviving a severe stroke in July 2012, which left him using a wheelchair.

Over a stage career spanning more than four decades, Curry moved from London’s experimental theater scene to Broadway, earning three Tony nominations and creating one of musical theater’s most enduring characters. Hollywood and fans globally paid heavy tribute to the iconic British performer. Co-stars and peers, such as actor Luke Evans, praised him for his “fearless performance” and for inspiring generations of actors.

He leaves behind an immense legacy across stage, film, and voice acting, most famously remembered for Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show; Pennywise the Clown in the 1990 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s It Wadsworth the Butler; in the comedy classic Clue; The Concierge (Mr. Hector) in Home Alone 2 and Lost in New York, Lord of Darkness in Legend.

Curry earned three Tony nominations for Amadeus, My Favorite Year and Spamalot, and made memorable screen appearances in Annie, Clue and It. Alongside his theater work, Curry built a prolific screen career. He starred opposite Carol Burnett and Bernadette Peters as Rooster in the 1982 film adaptation of Annie and delivered memorable performances in Clue and Legend. His other notable roles included Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Muppet Treasure Island and the 1990 miniseries It, in which he played Pennywise the Clown.

Curry also released three rock albums and developed an extensive career as a voice actor. After a 2012 stroke left affected his mobility, he largely retreated from the public eye, later returning to Rocky Horror for Fox’s 2015 remake and publishing his memoir, Vagabond, in 2025.

Curry was born on April 19, 1946 in Grappenhall, Cheshire. His family moved to South London when Curry was 12 after his father died of pneumonia. After graduating from the University of Birmingham in 1968, Curry was cast as Woof in the original London cast of Hair. That production also featured Richard O’Brien, who went on to pen The Rocky Horror Show and originated the role of Frank’s steward, Riff Raff. In 1973, Curry ran into his Hair castmate outside a Westminster gym near his apartment, where O’Brien was scouting for body builders to play Rocky. O’Brien shared a draft of the script with Curry, who auditioned for the production and ultimately landed the role that would define his early career.

In creating Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the libidinal “Sweet Transvesite” who goes to extreme lengths to create his ideal companion, Curry initially planned to use a German accent. He changed course after overhearing a posh English woman on the train say, “Do you have a house in town or a house in the country?” Curry transformed Frank into a decadent English aristocrat citing Queen Elizabeth II and his own mother as inspirations for the character.