Tim Curry, the smooth-voiced English actor known for his big roles, bigger smile and thoughtful demeanor, has died at the age of 80.
Forever associated with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Curry brought that all-in exuberance to every role he played—even if Curry himself was a bit more reserved. But the cheeky humor we loved in roles from Clue to Broadway’s Spamalot was there all along, even as he suffered health setbacks in the last decade or so of his life: “The day before I had the stroke, I smoked three packs of Marlboro Reds,” he told the Guardian just last year. “I won’t be doing that again!”
I’ve been a Tim Curry fan since I was in middle school (Clue, again), but it was the audience-participation recordings of Rocky Horror that sealed the deal. I discovered them when I was a high school exchange student half a world from home, and something about the inclusive party atmosphere, and Curry’s enigmatic, winking portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, kept me from feeling lonely. I listened to them so often that when I pulled them out this summer for a road trip, I still knew every word.
Curry was a huge part of those memories, and he somehow inhabited a timeless space in my mind, so the news of his death was a shock. He also showed up everywhere, playing villains (Charlie’s Angels) and bumbling British cretins (Home Alone 2) and doing so much voice work that it’s amazing he still had a voice left. It’s hard to pick his top five roles, but let’s try, shall we? Read on as we count down to our No. 1 pick.
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5. Legend (1985)
Curry is often celebrated for his comedy, but let’s start with a drama—he’s just that versatile. In this Ridley Scott dark fantasy film starring Tom Cruise, Curry gets to flex his villain chops as the Lord of Darkness, a cloven-hoofed demon who wants to, well, plunge the world into darkness.
Curry reportedly spent five-and-a-half hours in makeup every day getting transformed into the unicorn-hating antagonist. And even though the movie was a box-office disappointment, it surely wasn’t due to Curry’s performance, which audiences loved. The movie also went on to be nominated for multiple awards for makeup and music.
4. Annie (1982)
Any time you can get Tim Curry, Bernadette Peters and Carol Burnett in the same room together, you know they’re going to deliver a showstopper. And that’s just what they did in 1982’s Annie. Curry plays Rooster, the smarmy brother to Burnett’s Miss Hannigan, and he oozes sleaze from every pore as he and his dimwit girlfriend, Lily (Peters), scheme to kidnap little orphan Annie.
Curry is outstanding in this big-budget movie version of the Broadway megahit, which was based on the long-running comic strip set during the Depression. Even surrounded by Broadway titans like Ann Reinking and Albert Finney, Curry runs away with this film. And when the nefarious trio of kidnappers, led by Curry, belts out “Easy Street,” dreaming of the day they can cash in on the reward offered by Daddy Warbucks, you know you’re in the presence of greatness.
3. Clue (1985)
I will never forget seeing this one in the movie theater—perhaps because I went back the very next day to see it again—and I have since watched it dozens of times. Based on the popular board game of the same name, Curry plays Wadsworth, the butler at a stodgy English estate who must wrangle an unruly group of guests who are all suspected of murder.
Filled with memorable one-liners (“flames on the side of my face,” anyone?), Clue was released with three different endings, mirroring the board game’s possible outcomes, and mixed reviews. It has since become a major cult favorite, and Curry’s bemused, rat-a-tat-tat delivery is one reason why. When asked what a butler does, he quips, “I buttle.” After he launches into a long explanation of the crime, he says, “And to make a long story short …,” to which the entire cast retorts, “Too late.”
2. It (1990)
I can barely write about this one. Curry plays Pennywise, an ancient evil being that takes the form of a demented killer clown who lives in the sewers. The 1990 television miniseries was adapted from Stephen King’s novel, and more than 37 million people watched this primetime show, which was on regular television, not cable or streaming, for two whole frightening nights.
Curry was so good in the role that in his memoir, he said people often came up to him to tell him how traumatized they were, even decades later. “But I’ve never really known how to respond to that,” he wrote in his characteristically dry and thoughtful manner. “It’s not the most charming conversation starter, and invariably leads to a less-than-delightful discussion to navigate.”
1. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Talk about a cult favorite! This low-budget monster-movie spoof stars Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a cross-dressing mad scientist whose home Brad and Janet (Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon) seek shelter in when their car breaks down. Things get absolutely wonderful from there, as the naive couple realizes they’ve stumbled into a party filled with characters not found at the junior chamber of commerce.
As the music (and antici … pation) builds, a caped Curry in full makeup drops into the scene in a caged elevator. Janet faints, and he introduces himself with a booming baritone: “How’d you do, I … see you’ve met my … faithful handy-man” and launches into “Sweet Transvestite,” a song about accepting people for who they are. It’s just one of Curry’s many iconic moments in this tiny movie (and before that, a London stage play) that became a sensation with audiences, if not critics.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show can still be seen in theaters more than 50 years after it was released, often around Halloween. Curry also lent his voice to a Fox television remake, and Dr. Frank-N-Furter has become so heavily associated with Curry that he was often asked about his legacy as the fishnet-wearing doc. In his characteristically understated way, he told the Los Angeles Times: “There’s not a lot I can do about it really.”
That’s how we feel about losing you, Mr. Curry.
Sources:
- The Guardian: “The Big Interview: Tim Curry”
- Fresh Air: “Tim Curry remembers his first film role in ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show'”
- Los Angeles Times: “Tim Curry does the time warp again in Fox’s new ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’”
The post We’ll Miss You, Tim Curry! Remembering the Late Actor with His 5 Best Roles, Ranked appeared first on Reader's Digest.
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