Tim Curry became really famous after playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Rocky Horror Picture Show. He’s from England and started acting on stage before making it to Hollywood. He’s been acting for more than forty years now.
But in 2012, his life changed a lot when he had a stroke. Luckily, he survived, but he had to go to therapy for both his body and his speech for many years.
So what’s Tim Curry up to now? And how is he doing after the stroke? Here’s everything you need to know!
Tim Curry was born in Grappenhall, England, on April 19, 1946. His dad, James, was a chaplain in the Royal Navy for the Methodist Church, and his mom, Patricia, worked as a school secretary.
Tim Curry – early life
When Tim was just a baby, his family moved to Hong Kong. But sadly, his dad had a stroke there, so they went back to England, settling in Plymouth. Tim spent a lot of time with his grandpa, who lived nearby. Interestingly, his grandpa later helped him in a role in his life.
Because his dad worked for the church, Tim got into singing. At six, he sang in his church, and when he was ten, he started acting in Shakespeare plays.
After his dad died, Curry’s family moved to London. He went to boarding school at Kingswood School in Bath, and it seemed like he was meant for a career in show business from a young age. After finishing school, Tim studied drama at Birmingham University. In 1968, he graduated with a degree in drama and theatre studies.
While he was in Birmingham, Curry lived with actor, screenwriter, and director Patrick Barlow. Tim was known for being a great singer back then, but he hadn’t really become famous for his acting yet.
In fact, Curry was pretty much seen as a major solo star.
“I was always blown away by how amazing his singing voice was. It was just flawless, like he was born with it, like it came naturally,” Barlow told The Guardian.
“We’d go to parties at university and he’d start singing out of the blue, and his voice was just incredible, with this wonderful bluesy tone.”
After graduating in 1968, Curry, Barlow, and some friends were driving to London one day. Tim couldn’t join the Birmingham Repertory Theater because he wasn’t a member of Actors’ Equity. So, he had to find another way to chase his dream.
They planned to join a street theater group in Chalk Farm, but they didn’t know what to expect. Tim’s voice was famous, and after just one day in London, he landed his first professional job.
“Someone told us about it, but we didn’t really know how to get into anything back then. We went there, but I was the only one who stayed,” Barlow remembered.
“Tim and Judy got a job in Hair the next day. All Tim had to do was just sing, of course, and Judy just had to say, hello, I’m here.”
Tim’s first job was in the original London cast of the rock musical Hair. But he almost didn’t get to be in the beloved, but controversial, musical.
During his audition, Curry was asked if he had any experience in acting professionally and if he had an Equity card, which means he was part of the Actors’ Equity Association. According to his website, Tim lied about both things.
Even though producers found out that he didn’t have any professional experience or an Equity card, they thought he was talented and impressive enough. So, they helped him become a member of the union.
“I wanted to sing the Sodomy, Fellatio… song, but I ended up just jumping around at the back with the group. It was a weird show. Sometimes people didn’t show up if they were high or just felt like staying home. But I always came,” Tim said.
Hair made Tim Curry famous right away. But he still wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He loved singing, but he also wanted to be a professional actor. In an interview with the LA Times, Tim said he was offered recording contracts and chances to join bands, but his real passion was somewhere else.
“I was offered stuff like recording contracts and joining bands. But as I thought about it, I got kinda snobby about it. I said, ‘No, no, no, I want to be an actor,'” he said.
“I treated Hair like going to drama school. You could always change your part. You worked on being noticeable. And because everyone was trying to get noticed, you learned pretty fast how to stand out.”
So Tim decided to follow his love for acting. He worked at places like the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Glasgow Civic Repertory Company, and the Royal Court Theatre.
With the Royal Court Theatre, Curry gave an amazing performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show musical. This changed his life. In 1975, he got the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter when The Rocky Horror Show became a Hollywood production.
“They asked me to try out, and I sang ‘Tutti Frutti,’ which was fitting. At first, I played Frank-N-Furter as a German, but then I saw the costume. It was really glamorous,” he told Entertainment Weekly.
“One day on the bus, I heard a posh lady saying, ‘Are you looking at a new house for retirement or a place in the countryside?’ and I thought, ‘That’s it!’ It was like the Queen. Well, it was a hit from the start. The theater was small, only 60 seats. Then they moved it to Los Angeles.”
The movie Rocky Horror Picture Show, released in 1975, was a big hit. Curry acted in it with Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Patricia Quinn, and Meat Loaf. Even though the movie didn’t win any big awards, it became really popular among fans and made Tim even more famous.
But that doesn’t mean Tim couldn’t get kicked out of a showing of his own movie, which actually happened.
“I thought it was going to be a really popular Warhol movie,” he said. “It was strange because I actually lived in the building behind the Waverly cinema. I went to see it, but they kicked me out because they thought I was pretending to be myself. ‘Get out of here’ is exactly what they said.”
For years, Tim was reluctant to talk about the show, because he was worried that it would typecast him.
Work with Ian McKellen
Curry kept acting in both movies and theater. In 1979, they were planning to make a sequel called Rocky Horror Shows His Heels, but Tim didn’t want to do it. By then, he had gotten better at singing, putting out albums and going on tours. He was also acting on Broadway, in TV shows, and in movies.
From 1978 to 1981, Curry made three albums with A&M Records. Even though they didn’t sell a lot, one of his songs, “I Do The Rock,” did pretty well, reaching No. 53 on the Billboard charts.
During this time, Curry worked with the famous actor Ian McKellen. They both acted in a theater show called Mozart, which was a huge success. Both of them got nominated for Tony awards for their acting in it. Curry said it was one of the things he was most proud of.
Then, he played the scary clown Pennywise in It (1990), and six years later, he played a pirate in Muppet Treasure Island. He said he really enjoyed working on the Muppet movie.
“It’s amazing because after the first couple of days, you stop seeing them as Muppets,” he said. “You see them as characters — like other actors.”
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – DECEMBER 04: Actor Tim Curry poses for a photo during Emerald City Comic Con at the Sheraton Grand Hotel on December 04, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images)
Tim starred as Long John Silver. For him, working with the Muppets was a dream come true. He even decided to borrow his grandfather’s West England accent for the role.
“It was one of the happiest sets I’ve ever been on. There’s a conspicuous lack of ego among the Muppets,” Curry added.
Tim Curry – stroke & health status
At this point, nothing could slow Tim Curry down. He kept acting in TV shows, movies, and theater. He also kept singing even into his 60s. But in 2012, something bad happened — he had a stroke. Thankfully, he survived, but it really changed his life.
His family and friends didn’t tell anyone about his stroke for a whole year. But eventually, it got out to the Daily Mail. Tim had to go through a lot of therapy for his body and speech because of the stroke. But he was sure he’d get through it.
For Tim, humor was really important as he got better.
“I’m doing well and I’m looking forward to it,” he told Los Angeles Magazine in 2015. “I’ve done some events for the Actors Fund, and I think it’s a great organization. I hope I won’t need it myself.”
“It’s not tough to maintain,” he added. “It is just part of my DNA.”
To this day, Tim continues to attend physical and speech therapy as he continues his recovery, according to his website.
Even though he had a stroke, Tim hasn’t let it keep him from doing what he loves. He lives in Los Angeles now. As far as we know from his biography, he’s never been married and doesn’t have any kids.
Tim Curry – family, net worth
When he’s not busy, Tim enjoys reading, painting, and gardening. He’s made a lovely garden at his place and even designs homes around Los Angeles.
“Since 2016, Tim has been going to Conventions to meet fans, take photos, and sign autographs,” his biography says. “He travels a lot in the USA and Canada for big events like Comic Con, MegaCon, GalaxyCon, and Fan eXpo.”
