Tim Curry, the beloved English actor known for a variety of roles in both blockbuster films and cult classics, has died at the age of 80.
The news was first announced by TMZ, who reported that the actor was found dead in his Los Angeles home the night of August 25, with authorities not suspecting any foul play.
The actor had been plagued with health issues for over a decade, primarily due to a massive stroke he'd suffered in July 2012, which rendered him partially paralyzed and left him with mobility issues.
© Getty ImagesSince the stroke, he'd devoted much of his career to voice acting work and appearing at conventions, celebrating The Rocky Horror Picture Show's 50th anniversary with appearances in 2025.
The star's first foray into acting began in his early 20s when he landed a role in the original London cast of the musical Hair, which immediately served as his breakthrough.
Through that, he met Richard O'Brien, who wrote the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the stage production of The Rocky Horror Show for him, a career-defining role and arguably his most notable.
© Getty ImageThe show was a massive success on the West End stage, although was a notorious flop when it transferred to Broadway. He reprised his role in the 1975 film version, which has since become a cult classic and is now considered one of the most profitable films of all time, thanks to consistent midnight showings and its reappearance in theaters every year, especially on Halloween.
His work on stage earned him two Olivier Award nominations and three Tony Award nominations. His best remembered film roles outside of Rocky Horror include Rooster Hannigan in 1982's Annie, Wadsworth in 1985's Clue, the hotel concierge in 1992's Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, plus the 1990 TV miniseries Stephen King's It, in which he played Pennywise the Clown.
© Getty ImagesMore recently, the English actor worked on his own memoir chronicling his life and career in the public eye titled Vagabond, which was released on October 14, 2025. He also provided the voice for the audiobook version. He did reprise his role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in a 2020 table read of Rocky Horror to raise funds for Joe Biden's presidential campaign.
Curry's stroke left him unable to walk for much of his later life. "I was having a massage at the time and I didn't even actually notice anything, but the guy who was doing the massage said, 'I'm worried about you, I want to call an ambulance'," he recalled of the fateful moment last year at a Rocky Horror 50th anniversary celebration, per The Hollywood Reporter.
© Getty Images"And he did, and I said, 'That's so silly,'" he remembered, sharing further insight into how he's functioning now. "I still can't walk, which is why I'm in this silly chair, and that's very limiting. So I won't be singing and I won't be dancing very soon. I still have real problems with my left leg."
