Tim Curry has died at the age of 80.
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The news of the actor's death was reported by PEOPLE. While no official cause of death has been revealed, the Clue actor suffered a major stroke in 2012, which led to the use of a wheelchair.
Every Generation Has a Tim Curry Movie They Love
Curry was born in the United Kingdom on April 19, 1946. His acting career began in 1968 with the original London production of Hair. His website says he was lucky to make it to the stage.
"When asked if he had professional experience and an Equity card, Tim lied about both," it read. "By the time the producers found out the truth, they were sufficiently impressed with his talent and presence to sponsor him for his union membership."
His onscreen breakthrough came in 1975. That's when Curry played Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the "sweet transvestite from Transexual Transylvania," for the film version of the musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
When the movie came out, it was a critical and commercial flop. Curry thought its failure would end his career. A year later, midnight screenings turned it into a cult success, with fans arriving in costume and shouting lines at the screen.
The show's co-writer, Richard O'Brien, told Smithsonian magazine that Rocky Horror's success was due in large part to what Curry brought to the production.
"I've often wondered, if it was any other performer, would we have had the same success?" he said. "He really did step up. He just had this presence, this aura. I remember the women would be looking at him in his German Expressionist makeup and his ripped fishnet stockings, and they'd be saying he was attractive, and the men sitting next to them would surprise themselves by agreeing."
Curry Also Released Three Albums
In 1979, Curry released his second album, Fearless. It reached No. 53 on the Billboard 200 chart and featured the hit song "I Do the Rock." His debut, Read My Lips, came out a year before. His third album, Simplicity, came out in 1981.
Curry's fame rose in the 1980s and 1990s with a series of iconic roles. He went toe to toe with Carol Burnett and Bernadette Peters in the film version of the musical Annie.
"Rooster was a hustler, and people love that kind of character," said Curry in 2020. "He was a lot of fun. I approached it very much in my way, but the three of us were very close. We were like The Three Musketeers. Carol is, of course, a legend and probably the funniest woman alive."
He then played the butler Wadsworth in 1985's Clue. But Curry traumatized an entire generation of children with his performance as the demonic clown Pennywise in the 1990 television adaptation of Stephen King's novel It. He later redeemed himself to those he scarred with his role as a concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and his hilarious take on Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island.
He returned to the stage in 2004 to play King Arthur in Spamalot, the Broadway version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. After his 2012 stroke, Curry focused on voice work. He had no children and never married.
