Tim Curry is an Emmy and Grammy award winning actor and singer who has been performing on film, television, and the stage since the 1960s. He is known for multiple iconic roles in musicals, horror, dramas, and comedies beloved by viewers of all-ages. Since Curry just celebrated his 80th birthday, we are looking back at his career in entertainment.

Curry was born on April 19, 1946, in Grappenhall, Cheshire, England, and his family spent most of his early childhood moving around seaside British towns. After his father died of pneumonia, the rest of the family moved to South London where he attended boarding school. It was then that he started singing and acting, and he chose to study English and drama at the University of Birmingham.

Curry’s first lead role was in a London production of Hair in 1968, where he met The Rocky Horror Show writer Richard O’Brien. A few years later in 1973, Curry would star in the musical as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the cheeky mad scientist and self-described “sweet transvestite.” Two years after the play debuted, Curry starred in the film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He continued playing the character on stage in London, Los Angeles, New York, and elsewhere.

While acting on screen, Curry continued to work on stage in productions of Travesties, Amadeus (earning a Tony nomination), The Pirates of Penzance, The Art of Success, A Christmas Carol, Spamalot, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

Curry’s onscreen work started with an episode of Television Theatre From… in 1968 and The Rocky Horror Picture Show marked his film debut. He played the Bard in the William Shakespeare miniseries, he played Bill Sikes in the Oliver Twist TV movie, and was in Annie. In ’85 to ’86, he was Darkness in the dark fantasy Legend, was the fast-talking Wadsworth in Clue, and the Grand Wizard in the family musical The Worst Witch.

He voiced Mr. Curry in the Paddington Bear animated show, was in The Hunt for Red October, starred as Pennywise the murderous clown in the It miniseries, voiced Captain Hook for Peter Pan & the Pirates TV series, and voiced Hexxus in Ferngully: The Last Rainforest. Then Curry played the suspicious concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, voiced Sir Gawain in The Legend of Prince Valiant series, and played Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers.

He was in Congo, played Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island, portrayed Gomez Addams in the Addams Family Reunion TV movie, voiced Sir Nigel Thornberry for The Wild Thornberrys show and movies, and was in the Charlie’s Angels movie. Curry appeared in episodes of Psych, Criminal Minds, voiced Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious in The Clone Wars, and most recently he made a cameo in the film, Stream.

Curry suffered a major stroke in 2012 that required brain surgery. It has given him mobility issues, especially in his left arm and leg, and the actor has been using a wheelchair since. He has done some voice acting and has had a few onscreen roles since. Curry’s memoir, Vagabond, was released in 2025.