Tim Curry’s Most Cherished Role: A Pirate Among Puppets

Tim Curry’s reputation as a master of flamboyant villainy is well established, yet his performances are always laced with a sly sense of humour. For many, the first encounter with The Rocky Horror Picture Show is unforgettable—whether it left you feeling oddly understood or simply bemused, its impact is undeniable. Picture, if you will, any other leading man of the 1970s—Harrison Ford, Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson—attempting to fill Dr Frank-N-Furter’s high-heeled shoes, striding onto the screen in a dramatic cape, sparkling lingerie, and full make-up, belting out ‘Sweet Transvestite’. It’s hard to imagine anyone but Curry pulling it off with such panache. The role was so singular, so audacious, that it cemented his place in cinematic history.

Despite this, Curry was never destined to be typecast as a conventional leading man. His range was simply too broad, his talent too unruly to be confined. Over the years, he’s delighted audiences with scene-stealing turns in everything from Annie and Home Alone 2 to The Hunt for Red October and Clue. Yet, when asked to name his personal favourite, Curry’s answer is rather unexpected.

Fond Memories with Felt and Fur

In a 2025 interview, Curry confessed a particular fondness for his time spent with the Muppets.

“I would love to work with the Muppets again,”

he remarked, recalling the unique atmosphere on the set of Muppet Treasure Island in 1996. What stood out most for him was the dedication of the puppeteers, who remained in character whenever the Muppets were in hand.

“I love that,”

he added, singling out Miss Piggy as his favourite among the cast of characters.

In this loose, musical retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure, Curry took on the role of Long John Silver—a pirate as smooth-talking as he was untrustworthy. True to form, he managed to blend menace with charm, a quality that threads through his entire body of work, no matter how varied the roles.

A Versatile Star in a Colourful Cast

It’s something of a mystery that Curry hasn’t returned to the Muppet universe since the 1990s. The franchise, after all, has welcomed a dazzling array of guest stars over the years—Usher, Toby Jones, Lady Gaga, Michael Caine, to name a few. Yet, Curry’s ability to vanish into a character is second to none. He could easily reappear in a new guise, so thoroughly transformed that audiences might not even recognise him from his previous outing.

There’s a certain frustration in knowing that such a versatile performer hasn’t been handed a puppet of his own to voice. Given his evident affection for the Muppets and his knack for bringing even the most outlandish characters to life, it seems only fitting that he should be invited back into their world—perhaps this time, not just as a guest, but as one of the gang.