Tim Curry, Rocky Horror Picture Show And It Star, Dead At 80

Legendary British actor and comedian Tim Curry has passed away at the age of 80, according to a report from TMZ.

According to the outlet, Curry passed away at his home in Los Angeles late on Tuesday, August 25, with news breaking the following day. Sadly, Curry suffered a number of health setbacks over the past decade or so. Curry suffered a debilitating stroke in 2012 that required intensive neurosurgery, and he remained unable to walk until his passing.

Curry was, of course, known for everything from an adaptation of Stephen King's creepy clown movie "It" (where he played the clown, Pennywise), originating the role of Dr. Frank-n-Furter in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" before it even became a film, leading an incredible ensemble cast in the cult classic "Clue," and even a role in "Monty Python's Spamalot," the acclaimed Broadway adaptation of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Curry was an accomplished stage actor for decades, earning three Tony nominations throughout his lifetime.

No cause of death has been revealed as of this writing.

Tim Curry, who was born in Cheshire, England in 1946, got his start as a stage performer in the original West End cast of "Hair," the boundary-breaking musical that helped him book one of his biggest roles ever. While working on "Hair," Curry met Richard O'Brien, who wrote the role of Dr. Frank-n-Furter, a fabulous cross-dressing pansexual mad scientist who ends up welcoming a young, stranded couple into his dilapidated castle one stormy night. Curry, of course, reprised the role in the film version of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" after creating the role in stage productions in London, Los Angeles, and New York City. The film released in 1975, sharing the character with the world.

"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" was undeniably Curry's most famous role, and he was clearly affectionate about the project's enduring popularity. In 2016, Curry appeared in the small role of the Criminologist in Kenny Ortega's TV revival, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again," which featured Laverne Cox as Dr. Frank-n-Furter, and Curry also celebrated the film's 50th anniversary at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in 2025. Speaking to NPR in 2005, Curry called the movie a "rite of passage," continuing on to say it's "a guaranteed weekend party to which you can go with or without a date and probably find one if you don't have one, and it's also a chance for people to try on a few roles for size, you know? Figure out, help them maybe figure out their own sexuality."

Beyond "Rocky Horror," Curry appeared in everything from "Clue" to "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" to "Muppet Treasure Island." He will be sorely missed by the entertainment industry as a whole.