Tim Curry, Star of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ Dies at 80
Categoria: Musica
The acclaimed British actor, author, comedian and singer was best known for playing cross-dressing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the iconic late night movie classic.
Por Billboard | 26/08/2026
Tim Curry, the classically trained British actor and singer best known for playing the flamboyant Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the legendary midnight movie classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show has died at 80. According to TMZ , the Emmy-winning star of stage and screen (who suffered a major stroke in 2012) died on Tuesday night (Aug. 25) at his Los Angeles home, with no known cause of death at press time. Curry’s passing was confirmed to Billboard by Grand Central Publishing, which published his memoir, Vagabond: A Memoir , in 2025. Related It’s Astounding, Time Is Fleeting: 50 Years of ‘Rocky Horror’ Coverage In Our Back Pages Jay-Z 30 Pop-Up Experience to Open In London Ahead of Historic Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Shows Camilo's 'Vida de Rico' Enters YouTube's Billion Views Club After gaining notice as part of the original cast of the British production of the musical Hair in 1968, Curry rose to international stardom in the role that would come to define his half-century career as the lascivious, lingerie-wearing Frank-N-Furter in the original stage production of The Rocky Horror Show , a b-movie send-up that chronicles the misadventures of a naive couple who take refuge from a storm in the home of mad scientist Furter. Billboard ‘s April, 13, 1974 review of The Rocky Horror Show stage production touted the show for its “outrageously decadent humor” and recognized Tim Curry as “a major talent discovery” for his campy portrayal of the gender-bending mad scientist: “How many male performers could go through an entire play costumed in a Marlene Dietrich chorus girl outfit and still come across with Mick Jagger macho?,” the review asked. Though he would go on to perform in dozens of other plays and movies, it was his role in Rocky Horror that made Curry an international star. He famously reprised the role in the musical film adaptation in 1975, with that movie becoming a staple of interactive midnight screenings in which fans dressed up as his character (and others), and came armed with props mimicking the action on screen. Timothy James Curry was born on April 19, 1946 in Grappenhall, Cheshire England and showed musical talent early on, graduating with a degree in English and drama from the University of Birmingham in 1968. Following his breakout role in the Rocky Horror stage musical, Curry appeared in a string of stage plays and TV projects, including a lauded performance as William Shakespeare in the six-part 1978 British Will Shakespeare mini-series. HIs film career also took off, landing him roles in another cult classic, Times Square , as well as a scene-stealing turn as “Rooster” in the 1982 film adaptation of Annie . He scored another classic role in 1985 in the Ridley Scott fantasy film Legend as the Lord of Darkness, and another that year as Wadsworth the butler in the film adaptation of the board game Clue . Curry scored a Best Lead Actor Tony nomination in 1980 for his titular role in Ama