Tim Curry, who brought Dr Frank-N-Furter and Pennywise to life, dies at 80
The versatile actor died at his home in Los Angeles, according to media reports.
Tim Curry, the acclaimed screen and stage actor best known for his roles in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Legend and the television adaptation of Stephen King's It, has died at the age of 80, reports The Guardian.
According to the British newspaper, Curry died at his home in Los Angeles.
Curry built a career around a series of memorable, heavily transformed performances that made him almost unrecognisable on screen.
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He first gained widespread recognition as Dr Frank-N-Furter, the flamboyant scientist in The Rocky Horror Show, which premiered on stage in 1973, and in its 1975 film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
In Ridley Scott's fantasy film Legend (1985), Curry played the Lord of Darkness beneath elaborate make-up, horns and scarlet skin.
Five years later, he portrayed the sinister clown Pennywise in the television miniseries It, based on Stephen King's novel.
Alongside these iconic roles, Curry maintained a long career across theatre, film and television.
Born in 1946, he studied drama and English at the University of Birmingham before beginning his stage career. He appeared in the original West End production of the musical Hair in 1968, where he met Richard O'Brien, who later cast him in The Rocky Horror Show.
Curry went on to perform in acclaimed stage productions, including Tom Stoppard's Travesties, Amadeus on Broadway, and the musical Spamalot, in which he played King Arthur.
His film credits included The Shout, The Ploughman's Lunch, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Muppet Treasure Island, Scary Movie 2 and McHale's Navy. He also lent his voice to numerous animated films and television series.
Over more than four decades on television, Curry appeared in productions including Oliver Twist, The Colour of Magic, Psych, Poirot and Criminal Minds, while also voicing characters in animated series such as Duckman, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Mask and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
In a 2025 interview with The Guardian, Curry reflected on his long career, saying: "I've had the opportunities, and I'm still showing up. You know? I think that's what you have to do. You have to keep showing up."
Curry suffered a stroke in 2012 and later underwent brain surgery, which left him with mobility problems and affected his short-term memory, The Guardian reported.
He published his memoir, Vagabond, in 2025.
