Tim Curry, star of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", has died. Tributes from the world of rock

Tim Curry has died at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 80. The news was confirmed by his manager, who did not disclose the cause of death. A British actor whose career spanned more than half a century, Curry moved between theatre, film and television, establishing himself as one of pop culture's most eccentric and instantly recognisable performers. His name remains linked above all to Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the provocative alien scientist of "The Rocky Horror Show", Richard O'Brien's musical first staged in 1973. Curry reprised the role in the 1975 film adaptation "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", turning it into a cult figure.

His career, however, was far broader than that. After starting out in the London production of "Hair", he appeared in stage plays such as "Travesties", "Amadeus" and "Spamalot". On screen he played the Lord of Darkness in Ridley Scott's "Legend" and appeared, among others, in "Clue", "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York", "Muppet Treasure Island" and "Scary Movie 2". In 1990 he gave a face to Pennywise in the TV miniseries "It", handing the collective imagination one of the most unsettling incarnations of Stephen King's clown.
Curry also worked extensively as a voice actor and television performer, lending his voice to numerous animated series and appearing in productions such as "Poirot", "Psych" and "Criminal Minds". In 2012 he suffered a serious stroke, which left him with mobility and memory problems, though it did not fully remove him from public life. In 2025 he had published his autobiography "Vagabond". "I've had my opportunities, and I'm still here," he said that same year.

Tributes from film and rock

His death has prompted a long string of tributes. Luke Evans, who recently played Dr. Frank-N-Furter on Broadway, described him as "a force, a bright and impetuous flame" and "an inspiration", concluding: "There will only ever be one Tim Curry".
Susan Sarandon, his co-star in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", remembered him as "a funny, sexy original", also highlighting his generosity towards fans after the stroke. Carol Burnett, who had acted alongside him in "Annie", wrote: "No one played lovable villains better than he did". Michael McKean, his co-star in "Clue", instead described his death as a release from suffering, adding: "We were lucky to have had Tim Curry in our lives".

Numerous messages have also come from the world of rock. Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater recalled his teenage obsession with "The Rocky Horror Picture Show": in the early Eighties he went to see it every weekend, knew every line by heart, and sometimes turned up at screenings dressed as Riff Raff. Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers said he had loved Curry since he was a kid and later worked with him for several years on the animated series "The Wild Thornberrys": "He was kind, smart and hilarious. Wishing you wonderful, cosmic travels, Tim". Slash, David Draiman and Yungblud also joined in the tributes, confirming just how deeply Curry's persona, and in particular the irreverent world of "Rocky Horror", left its mark on generations of musicians and fans.
Yungblud also paid tribute to the actor through his Instagram Stories, posting a photo of him captioned "what's happening" alongside a heart emoji.

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