Prolific British actor Tim Curry has died aged 80, leaving behind a storied legacy that includes iconic roles in productions like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Muppet Treasure Island, Home Alone 2, and many more.
News of Curry’s death was announced on August 26, 2026 by his long-term manager and friend Marcia Hurwitz, who confirmed the star died at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles.
Curry suffered a severe stroke in 2012 that left him wheelchair bound, causing lasting issues in his left leg. The actor opened up about the incident in an interview with CBS in October 2025, revealing that the stroke had even impacted his ability to speak.
“I had to learn how to speak again,” he explained. “That was very weird. I hated not being able to speak because I speak a lot. I have to be told to shut up a lot. I love words, I love to communicate.”
Despite his physical limitations as a result of the stroke, Curry continued to work, notably returning to Rocky Horror for the 2016 televised remake of the musical as the story’s narrator, The Criminologist.
Curry was born on April 19, 1946 in Grappenhall, Cheshire. He graduated from the University of Birmingham with a BA in English and drama in 1968. That same year, he joined the original cast of the musical Hair in London, a project that would lead him to meet actor and playwright Richard O’Brien, who famously penned his role as Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show.
Curry’s performance in the musical, which came to film in 1975, skyrocketed the actor to fame, kicking off the heyday of his career in the 90s and 2000s. Millennials will remember him best as the cagey hotel concierge from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island, and Pennywise the Clown in the 1990 miniseries adaptation of Steven King’s IT.
Curry also boasted a swath of famous voice acting roles, having lent his talents to animated films like FernGully: The Last Rainforest, The Wild Thornberries Movie, and the English dub of Studio Ghibli’s The Cat Returns.
Curry’s last major role in a live-action film was playing Alexander Monro in the 2010 British comedy Burke & Hare. He notably made an appearance at a September 2025 screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show for the film’s 50th anniversary, where he shared more details about his stroke.
“I was having a massage at the time and I didn’t even actually notice anything, but the guy who was doing the massage said, ‘I’m worried about you, I want to call an ambulance.’ And he did, and I said, ‘That’s so silly.’ I still can’t walk, which is why I’m in this silly chair, and that’s very limiting. So I won’t be singing and I won’t be dancing very soon. I still have real problems with my left leg,” the actor shared.
As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, Curry answered that he wasn’t afraid of dying in response to a question during his October 2025 interview with CBS. “No, I’m not. I don’t fear death. I try to avoid it, as I think we all do, but I suspect that in the end I will welcome it,” he said.
The entertainment world is mourning the loss of two legends in just as many days, with country music legend Dolly Parton’s death being announced by her nephew yesterday, August 25.
Image Credits: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Tony Awards Productions via Getty Images
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.
