Becoming famous thanks to the crazy musical comedy released in 1975, the Briton often played villain roles. He died at the age of 80.
Tim Curry, the British actor who rose to fame starring in the cult 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Showdied at the age of 80, reported the specialized site Variety and other media. The cause of death has not been communicated, but the actor had been in poor health for several years.
His filmography also includes Charlie and his funny ladies (2000) or Mom, I missed the plane again! (1992). On the television side, viewers shuddered when they saw him in He came back (1990). He lent his face to the murderous clown invented by Stephen King.
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A pastiche that has become cult
His best-known role remains that of Doctor Frank N. Furter, in his first film: the exuberant musical comedy The Rocky Horror Picture Showwith Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick. A pastiche of 1950s B-movies. “I’m just a sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania”he sings during a scene, dressed in black stockings and a suspender belt.
In 1973, Tim Curry had already obtained the role of Doctor Frank N. Furter in the original London version of The Rocky Horror Show. A play performed in New York and Los Angeles before its adaptation for the cinema. In a 1975 television interview, Tim Curry spoke of the risk of having his career defined by such an extravagant role.
“When I read the text, I just found it very, very witty and funny”he declared then, while admitting to having hesitated at first. “But, I always thought that a role wasn’t worth playing if you didn’t take a risk”he added about the film which was not an immediate success. It gained its cult status during midnight sessions in New York.
Mozart et Monty Python
With his disturbing smile and his menacing laugh, Tom Curry has often inherited villain roles in Hollywood, sometimes with a comic dimension. “I love these roles: they are always the best written”he estimated, in 2011. Which did not prevent him from recognizing having played in minor productions, citing Congo (1995), a story of diamond mines and killer gorillas. “I won a Razzie Award for one of the worst performances of the year – and I totally deserved it. »
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Tim Curry has spent much of his career on stage. Nominated several times for the Tony Awards, he interpreted Mozart in Amadeus or King Arthur in the delirious Spamalot by Monty Python. His rich baritone voice also earned him a career in voice acting.
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In 2013, his agent reported that he had suffered a stroke and was recovering “with a lot of humor”. He then used a wheelchair and reduced his workload. However, he returned to film in 2024, appearing in the horror film Stream.