Tim Curry, Star of ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ Other Iconic Films, Dies at 80

• Tim Curry, star of “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” has died at 80 at his home in Los Angeles on August 25.
• His death follows a near-fatal stroke he’d experienced in 2012 that left him paralyzed. 
• The English actor and singer’s distinguished career in show business included Tony nominations, a Daytime Emmy, and a lifetime achievement award from the Actors Fund Tony Awards Viewing Party. 

Tim Curry, who rose to fame during the 1970s for his role in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has died. He was 80.

The death of the legendary English actor and singer comes 14 years after a major stroke that left him paralyzed. 

Best-known as the flamboyant, gender-bending Dr. Frank-N-Furter in “Rocky Horror,” Curry was a beloved queer cultural icon.

Curry’s decorated career included other notable roles like Pennywise in the TV miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s “It” and Wadsworth the Butler in the cult classic film, “Clue.”

He was nominated three times for a Best Actor Tony Award, and awarded a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991 for his voice-over work on “Peter Pan and the Pirates.” In 2015, Curry received a lifetime achievement award at the Actors Fund Tony Awards Viewing Party. 

The actor passed away peacefully in his home in Los Angeles on August 25, TMZ reported. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to his home at 11:23 p.m. and reported that no foul play is suspected. 

His manager, Marcia Hurwitz, confirmed his death to Variety and said that he died peacefully. A cause of death has not yet been released, but Curry experienced several health issues since his stroke in 2012.

Curry experienced near-fatal stroke in 2012

In 2012, while getting a massage, Curry suffered a near-fatal stroke. His massage therapist noticed something was off and called an ambulance. 

Curry underwent brain surgery for two blood clots that had formed on his brain and spent a month in the hospital.  His stroke didn’t become public knowledge until around a year later. 

In 2025, he gave an update on his health while attending a special screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” to celebrate the film’s 50th anniversary. 

“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,” Curry told reporters at the time. 

Following his stroke, Curry continued to work. He penned a memoir, Vagabond, which was released in 2025. He also pivoted more toward voice acting, lending his iconic voice to animated projects like “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and the movie “Ribbit.”

Curry never married and had no children, but his memory will live on in the minds of his fans and in the annual screenings of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” held worldwide.