Tim Curry, the British actor whose career ranged from landmark stage musicals to cult films, television drama and animation voice work, died aged 80, according to reports on the date of 2026-08-26.
The Guardian reported that Curry died at his home in Los Angeles, citing Variety’s confirmation from the actor’s manager that he died peacefully. No cause of death was known at the time of the report.
Curry was most closely identified with Dr Frank-N-Furter, the theatrical, transgressive scientist at the centre of *The Rocky Horror Show*. He created the role on stage after the musical debuted in 1973 and returned to it for the 1975 film adaptation, *The Rocky Horror Picture Show*. The part became the defining association of a long career, even as Curry continued to move between stage, screen and television for decades.
His best-known performances often involved striking physical transformations. In Ridley Scott’s 1985 fantasy *Legend*, Curry appeared as the Lord of Darkness, a role built around elaborate makeup and costuming. In 1990, he played Pennywise in the television miniseries *It*, adapted from Stephen King’s novel, appearing in full clown makeup for one of his most widely remembered screen roles.
Born in 1946, Curry studied drama and English at the University of Birmingham, graduating in 1968. That year, he joined the original cast of the first West End production of *Hair*, where he met Richard O’Brien, who later cast him in *The Rocky Horror Show*. Curry’s theatre work also included Tristan Tzara in Tom Stoppard’s *Travesties*, Mozart in the Broadway transfer of *Amadeus* in 1980, and King Arthur in the Broadway production of the Monty Python musical *Spamalot*.
His film career included roles in Jerzy Skolimowski’s *The Shout* and the political drama *The Ploughman’s Lunch*, written by Ian McEwan. He later appeared in comedies including *Home Alone 2: Lost in New York*, *Muppet Treasure Island*, *Scary Movie 2* and *McHale’s Navy*. Curry also supplied voices for animated films including *Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties*, *A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures* and *Ribbit*.
On television, Curry played William Shakespeare in John Mortimer’s 1978 six-part biography, Bill Sikes in a 1982 US adaptation of *Oliver Twist*, and Trymon in the 2008 adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s *The Colour of Magic*. His voice credits included animated series such as *Duckman*, *Sonic the Hedgehog*, *The Mask* and *Star Wars: The Clone Wars*, alongside guest appearances in series including *Psych*, *Poirot* and *Criminal Minds*.
Curry had a stroke in 2012 while receiving a massage and underwent brain surgery. The stroke left him with mobility issues and affected his short-term memory, but he continued to make public appearances. In a 2025 Guardian interview, he reflected that he had kept working by “showing up.”
Tributes cited in the report came from performers including Luke Evans, Susan Sarandon, Carol Burnett and Michael McKean. Evans described Curry as an inspiration, while Sarandon, his *Rocky Horror Picture Show* co-star, remembered him as an original presence who remained generous to fans.
