Legendary actor Tim Curry, the unmistakable star behind Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Pennywise the Clown, has died. He was 80.
Curry died late Tuesday night after dealing with serious health problems for more than a decade, TMZ reported Wednesday.
Law enforcement sources told the outlet that no foul play is suspected. A cause of death has not been announced.
The British actor became a cult icon through his flamboyant performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the 1975 musical comedy “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
Curry originated the role in the 1973 London production of “The Rocky Horror Show.” He continued playing the character in Los Angeles and on Broadway before starring in the film adaptation.
Despite the movie’s lasting popularity, Curry rarely discussed it for years because he feared being typecast.
He previously described the opening night of his Broadway debut as “very exciting,” but said the brutal reviews quickly brought him back down.
“I had to go on the Today Show the next day and they read the reviews – which were appalling,” he explained. “That brought me down. It was very cruel.”
Reviews described his performance as “a mixture of Joan Crawford and Burt Lancaster” and “Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Marc Bolan all in one.”
Curry later took on a string of memorable roles across film and television, including the terrifying Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s “It.”
He also played the suspicious Plaza Hotel concierge Mr. Hector in the 1992 Christmas comedy “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”
Although Curry was not one of the movie’s leads, his sneering concierge became one of the sequel’s most memorable characters.
Curry’s life changed dramatically in 2012 when he suffered a major stroke that required brain surgery. He was 66 at the time.
The stroke left him partially paralyzed, affected his speech and forced him to use a wheelchair. Curry subsequently scaled back his acting career, although he continued working on voiceover projects.
Recalling the stroke last year, Curry said he was receiving a massage when it happened.
“I was having a massage at the time and I didn’t even actually notice anything, but the guy who was doing the massage said, ‘I’m worried about you, I want to call an ambulance.’
“And he did, and I said, ‘That’s so silly.’”
Curry also offered a candid update on his condition during a 50th-anniversary screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles.
“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 was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Actors Fund’s Tony Awards viewing party in Los Angeles in 2015.
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