Tim Curry Dies at 80. Here Are the Movies and TV Shows That Made Him Unforgettable

British actor and singer Tim Curry performing live in Canada in 1979. —Peter Noble—Redferns/Getty Tim Curry, a multitalented star of the stage and screen, died Tuesday at his home at the age of 80.

The three-time Tony Award-nominated icon was best known for his eccentric characters, his musical background, and his comedic chops, leading to a varied and successful career in cult classics and box office hits.

Curry “passed away peacefully at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles,” according to a statement from his longtime manager Marcia Hurwitz.

The cause of death has not been made public, but Curry had suffered from several health issues since having a severe stroke in 2012.

Though he was best-known for donning fishnets and a corset as Dr.

Frank-N-Furter in 1975’s “ Rocky Horror Picture Show ,” Curry had left his mark with a wide-ranging career spanning albums, voice work, and more.

Here are a few of the roles that allow his unmistakable artistry to live on.

Tim Curry poses as Dr.

Frank-N-Furter on a lobby card from the 1975 musical comedy "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," produced by 20th Century Fox. —Movie Poster Image Art/Getty Images The Rocky Horror Picture Show Curry rose to cult status after taking on the role of Dr.

Frank-N-Furter, the “sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania,” in the stage version of The Rocky Horror Show in London in 1973.

His fan base crossed the Atlantic when he came to the United States to reprise the role in Los Angeles in 1974, before transferring to Broadway, paving the way to the now-famous screen adaptation from 1975, The Rocky Horror Picture Show .

Reviews from New York were mixed—the TIME review said of the initial Broadway run that it was “not easy to see why this campy trash was a long-running hit in London and a smash success in Los Angeles.” But by 1985, TIME’s film reviewer recognized the movie as a “cross-generational phenomenon.” Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert said that Curry was “the best thing in the movie, maybe because he seems to be having the most fun.” Now, Rocky Horror is an interactive midnight movie phenomenon, with fans showing up to screenings nationwide in costume, shouting lines back at the screen, and singing along.

The stage version was revived on Broadway in 2026.

Curry’s breakout role in musical theater helped launch his music career in the 1970s and 1980s.