English actor Tim Curry died peacefully at the age of 80 on Tuesday (25 Aug) at his home in Los Angeles, his manager confirmed to Variety.
Before his passing, Curry was best known for bringing a string of eccentric and larger-than-life characters to the screen.
These included Dr Frank-N-Furter in ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’, Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the 1990 television adaptation of ‘It’, and the quick-witted butler Wadsworth in ‘Clue’.
Source: Tim Curry News on Facebook
According to CNN, the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to an emergency call at about 10.42pm for a man who was later pronounced dead.
Police were subsequently alerted at about 11.20pm to investigate the death.
No cause of death has been made public.
Curry had faced serious health issues in the later years of his life. In 2012, he suffered a severe stroke while receiving a massage and later underwent brain surgery.
The stroke left him with mobility issues and affected his short-term memory, making it more difficult for him to continue some forms of acting.
He later began using a wheelchair and had to pull out of at least one role.
Source: @darlenechanbooks on Instagram
Still, Curry continued working where he could, particularly as a voice actor, and occasionally returned to the public eye.
His appearances were often warmly received, with fans continuing to respond to the humour and personality that had defined much of his career.
Curry was born in Grappenhall, Cheshire, and began his professional stage career in the late 1960s.
His major breakthrough came in 1973, when he originated the role of Dr Frank-N-Furter in the London stage production of ‘The Rocky Horror Show’.
Two years later, he reprised the character in the film adaptation of the same name.
The movie was not an immediate box-office success, but gradually developed a devoted cult following and became one of Curry’s defining works.
Source: Tim Curry News on Facebook
From there, Curry built a wide-ranging career that stretched well beyond ‘Rocky Horror’.
He played Wadsworth in the murder-mystery comedy ‘Clue’, Darkness in ‘Legend’, Rooster Hannigan in ‘Annie’, and Mr Hector in ‘Home Alone 2: Lost in New York’.
In 1990, he took on another of his most recognisable roles as Pennywise in ‘It’.
Source: Tim Curry News on Facebook
That same year, he also appeared as Dr Yevgeniy Petrov in ‘The Hunt for Red October’.
Curry was equally prolific behind the microphone, lending his voice to numerous animated productions, including ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’, ‘The Mask’, and ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’.
His versatility across stage, screen, and voice acting helped make him a familiar presence to several generations of audiences.
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Featured image adapted from Tim Curry News on Facebook and Facebook.