Tim Curry: A life on the screen
For a long time, Tim Curry was among the most ubiquitous faces in cinema, establishing himself as one of the finest movie villains in history. Learning his trade on the stage before segueing into Hollywood, Curry added a tangible dose of dramatic mastery into his performances, crafting some of the most memorable antagonists the film world has ever seen.
However, these days, the actor is rarely seen, with many wondering just what happened to Tim Curry? Before we answer that burning question, though, a trip down memory lane is in order.
The actor was born Timothy James Curry on April 19th, 1946, in Grappenhall Chesire, the son of a Royal Navy chaplain, James, and his wife, school secretary, Patricia. Tragically, James passed away from pneumonia when Tim was 12 years old in 1958. Spending most of his childhood in Plymouth, after James’ death, the Curry’s moved to South London before he was sent to boarding school in Bath, Somerset. There, he developed into a gifted junior soprano. It became his way into acting, which he decided to pursue as a career, graduating from the University of Birmingham with a BA in English and Drama in 1968.
Curry secured his first full-time position in the theatre as part of the original London cast of the hit countercultural musical Hair in 1968. Here, he met Richard O’Brien, who would write the actor’s next full-time role as Dr Frank-N-Furter in 1973’s The Rocky Horror Show. A tremendous hit, the movie adaptation arrived in 1975, with the crazed villain arguably Curry’s most iconic. Curry became a household name after The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s success. This kicked off a stellar career in cinema.
What are Tim Curry’s best movies?
Notably, Curry continued to enjoy a revered career on the stage, running concurrently with his foray into cinema. However, his work in movies and TV is what would see him rise to become a genuine icon, building on the triumph of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. His subsequent handful of roles arrived in supporting actor slots, and over the next few years, they allowed him to showcase the broad scope of his dramatic aptitude.
After The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Curry appeared as Robert Graves in the strange British horror film, The Shout in 1978. Two years later, he played DJ Johnny LaGuardia in the American drama Times Square. Then, moving into the 1980s, his supporting roles saw him increase his prominence even more. In 1982, Curry featured as con artist Daniel ‘Rooster’ Hannigan in John Huston’s hit adaptation of the Broadway musical Annie. The following year, he played Jeremy Hancock in Ian McEwan’s underrated political drama, The Ploughman’s Lunch.
In 1985, Curry became a bonafide star when he portrayed the demonic antagonist, The Lord of Darkness, in Ridley Scott’s dark fantasy, Legend. Starring alongside Tom Cruise, Mia Sara and David Bennent, the movie is one of the definitive cult classics of the era. Crucially, Scott cast Curry after the director watched him in Rocky Horror, leading him to the conclusion that he was perfect for Darkness.
In December that year, Curry played Wadsworth, the enigmatic butler in the mystery comedy Clue, a genius take on the boardgame Cluedo, and another cult title in Curry’s oeuvre. After this, the actor’s stock kept on rising. He starred as Dr Thornton Poole in Oscar, Mr Hector in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Jigsaw in Loaded Weapon 1 and Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island. By the time the latter arrived in 1996, he had long been one of the most respected actors in Hollywood. Movies that came before this classic included the likes of The Hunt for Red October and The Three Musketeers.
Since then, Curry has featured as Roger Corwin in 2000’s explosive action-comedy Charlie’s Angels and Professor Oldman in 2001’s hit parody Scary Movie 2. His last feature film in an on-screen role was John Landis’ comedy Burke & Hare.
What happened to Tim Curry?
Tim Curry has not died or entered into a monkish life of solitude as some scurrilous reports have suggested. Unfortunately, his absence is attributed to health reasons. He has been using a wheelchair since suffering a major stroke in July 2012. As a result, he has been nowhere near as prominent as he was in cinema, becoming mostly a voice actor. In May 2013, his agent Marcia Hurwitz revealed to the Daily Mail that the actor – who is famed for his privacy anyway – was “doing great”.
She announced: “He absolutely can speak and is recovering at this time and in great humour. He has been going to physical therapy doing very well and still has his great sense of humour.”
Despite being largely unable to act as he once did, Curry has made a handful of public appearances over the years, including at a movie premiere and a convention. Brilliantly, he also played The Criminologist in Fox’s TV film remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
What other on-screen roles has Tim Curry done?
His most notable work outside of feature-length films has to be as the terrifying Pennywise the Clown in the 1990 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s It. As a testament to Curry’s performance, it has been the source of nightmares for many.
Elsewhere, Curry voiced Nigel Thornberry in the animated flicks The Wild Thornberrys Movie and The Rugrats Movie for Nickelodeon and the wicked Darth Sidious in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He has also featured as an actor in Terry Pratchett’s The Colour of Magic, Will & Grace and Criminal Minds. His role as the serial killer and sexual deviant Billy Flynn in the latter is noted by some fans as one of the most terrifying performances he’s ever delivered.
