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Rocky Horror legend Tim Curry dies aged 80

Wednesday, 26 August 2026 17:03

By Chris Blackmore

Tim Curry, the actor who became a queer icon as Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has died at his Los Angeles home. He was 80.

Tim Curry, the legendary actor best known for playing Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has died at his Los Angeles home. Police responded to his house at 11.23pm on Tuesday night, with no foul play suspected.

The English actor had suffered from several health issues since having a severe stroke in 2012. No cause of death has been given.

Tributes poured in online after the news broke, with many fans mourning Curry's passing on the same day as country music legend Dolly Parton. "Dolly and Tim Curry back to back is so cruel," one person wrote on social media.

Curry's career was defined by his role as Dr Frank N Furter, the "sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania", who he originated on stage in London before taking the role to the 1975 film. While initially ignored by critics, the film developed a second life as a cultural event in the "midnight movie" space.

The genre-bending, queer fringe film phenomenon immortalised Curry as a countercultural icon, with the beloved indie remaining the longest-running midnight movie of all time. In a 2005 interview, Curry said Rocky Horror was "a chance for people to try on a few roles for size, maybe help them figure out their own sexuality."

Beyond Rocky Horror, Curry portrayed the concierge Mr Hector in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. He also terrified audiences as Pennywise the clown in the 1990 adaptation of Stephen King's It.

In a poignant 2016 appearance, Curry appeared as the narrator in the TV movie remake The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again, in which Frank N Furter was portrayed by trans actress Laverne Cox. He never married and had no children.