Tim Curry has died — goodbye to The Rocky Horror Picture Show and It star

There are a handful of actors who can genuinely claim cult status, and Tim Curry was right at the top of that shortlist. If you’ve ever been to a midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show or spent a traumatic evening with the 1990 version of It, his face is probably seared into your memory. Sadly, as confirmed overnight, the legendary English actor has passed away at the age of 80.

Tim Curry died on 25 August 2026 at his Los Angeles home, after more than a decade of major health struggles.

Later Years and Health Battles

Curry’s death came after a long run of serious health troubles. He’d suffered a massive stroke back in July 2012, which left him with ongoing complications. Since then, he’s largely kept out of the public eye, occasionally popping up for voice work and conventions. Police reportedly responded to a call at his house just after 11pm on Tuesday; authorities have said there are no suspicious circumstances. It’s been a tough stretch for fans, watching one of the most energetic stage and screen presences forced to slow right down.

The Roles That Made Him Immortal

If you’ve heard a room full of people yell ‘Let’s do the Time Warp again!’, you already know that Curry’s turn as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the stuff of legend. What fewer fans realise is he didn’t just originate the role on film. He’d first donned the corset, fishnets, and all those outrageous platform heels back in the original 1973 London stage production—arguably inventing a certain brand of camp iconography in the process.

Then you’ve got his take on Pennywise the Clown in the two-part TV miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s It from 1990. Forget the CGI of modern reboots—Curry’s Pennywise traumatised an entire generation on sheer charisma and unhealthy teeth alone. The director, Tommy Lee Wallace, reflected years later to The Hollywood Reporter that his main job was mostly to give Curry space to do his thing:

‘He was like Robin Williams in the way he brought spontaneous improvisation to the part.’

Beyond the Monsters

• Rooster Hannigan in Annie (1982)
• Darkness (yes, an actual demon) in Legend (1985)
• Wadsworth the butler in Clue (1985)—a personal favourite for anyone who likes their murder mysteries deeply silly
• Gomez Addams in Addams Family Reunion
• Memorable appearances in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, The Three Musketeers, The Hunt for Red October, The Worst Witch, Scary Movie 2, Congo, and Charlie’s Angels

It’s frankly a staggering range—villains, goofballs, tortured souls, full-on pantomime terrors. Curry was always the sort of performer who looked like he was having more fun than anyone else in the room, and dragged the audience along for the ride whether they liked it or not.

Curry set a very high bar for what it means to be a true original in film and TV. An unmistakable voice, a stare that could curdle milk, and enough style to make a sequinned cape look like sensible work attire.