Tim Curry, ‘Rocky Horror’ and ‘It’ Star, Dies at Age 80

Tim Curry, known for his performances in films such as “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “It,” has died at age 80, his manager told media outlets on Wednesday.

Curry died at his home in Los Angeles, said his longtime manager Marcia Hurwitz to multiple news outlets, including the Hollywood Reporter.

The actor had been dealing with health issues over the past decade or so after having suffered a stroke in 2012, which required him to use a wheelchair. He said in an event in 2025 that he couldn’t walk.

“I still can’t walk, which is why I’m in this silly chair, and that’s very limiting,” he said at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. “So I won’t be singing and I won’t be dancing very soon. I still have real problems with my left leg.”

Alongside Barry Bostwick, Meat Loaf, and Susan Sarandon, Curry’s performance in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in 1975 helped launch the musical to become a cult classic.

In 1990, he starred as the killer clown Pennywise in “It,” a 1990 made-for-television miniseries derived from the Stephen King novels of the same name. Years later, he appeared as Cardinal Richelieu in the 1993 action-adventure film, “The Three Musketeers” with Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen, and Chris O’Donnell.

For his performances on the stage, Curry earned three Tony nominations for “Spamalot,” “My Favorite Year,” and “Amadeus.” He also received a Daytime Emmy award in 1991 and a Primetime Emmy nomination in 1994 for TV roles.

In his 2025 book, “Vagabond,” Curry said that while there were scraps of his nature in his characters, he was none of those characters. “The distinctions between who I really am and who I’ve pretended to be as an actor have proven to be a source of great disappointment to some audiences. It has not caused me much personal distress beyond the periodic necessity to deter stalkers,” he wrote.

The English actor got his start on stage in London, appearing in the original production of “Hair” in 1968, according to his website.

“When asked if he had professional experience and an Equity card, Tim lied about both,” his website reads. “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.”

Other notable films he appeared in include “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” “The Player,” “Addams Family Reunion,” “Charlie’s Angels,” and dozens more. In later years, Curry had a number of voice-acting roles in children’s TV shows, including “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “The Wild Thornberrys,” and “The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius.”

Curry was never married and had no children.

Hurwitz did not immediately respond to an Epoch Times request for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.