I often chuckle at the observation that Tim Curry and Michael Caine's respective roles in the Muppet films were so beloved because Michael Caine acted like all the muppets were real actors, and Tim Curry acted like he was a muppet. He would have an impressive range of serious / comedic roles anyway, but I admire the ability for an actor that successful to be able to put himself be in such a silly role that well too.
> Curry emphatically denied that interpretation. “I saw the Muppets as actors with distinct personalities,” he said. “It’s astonishing how quickly you see them as people.”
There's a video that expands on Tim Curry's time with the muppets: The Muppets Brought Out the Best in Tim Curry https://youtu.be/XzU8f4HaQw0
> In this video, we look at why Tim Curry’s Long John Silver works so well in Muppet Treasure Island, not just because he’s funny, theatrical, and completely larger than life, but because he understood the real magic of acting with the Muppets.
> There’s a popular idea that Michael Caine treated the Muppets like real actors, while Tim Curry treated himself like a fellow Muppet. But according to Curry himself, that isn’t quite right. He didn’t see Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Rizzo, or the rest of the Muppet crew as props or puppets. He treated them as fully formed characters with their own personalities, timing, and emotional lives. That may be the key to why his performance feels so alive.
> This video essay explores Tim Curry’s casting as Long John Silver, his love for the Muppets, his larger-than-life theatrical style, and the behind-the-scenes energy of Muppet Treasure Island. We also look at how the Muppet performers stayed in character, how Curry approached the songs and comedy, why the “A Professional Pirate” number works so well, and how one surprisingly heartfelt scene with Jim Hawkins revealed a more vulnerable side of Curry’s acting.
A family friend had a yellow ~73 Duster. Tim Curry autographed her hood in spray paint. This was back in the early Rocky Horror days - a live performance in NYC, I think. Everyone adored the signature.
ff to mid 80's: She is leaving work. She gets to her parking space and sees that her hood is just yellow; the autograph is gone.
She's staring in shock when the attendant walks up to her and says in a heavy Arabic accent: "I'm so sorry that happened to you. I scrubbed and I scrubbed all morning until I finally got it all off!" and is just beaming at her. Her shock hasn't let up any. She manages to squeak out a "Thank you" and leaves.
I was a fan since university when someone down the corridor would have The Rocky Horror Picture Show playing all the time...
Imagine my delight at seeing him on a packed London Tube one morning on my way to work. He asked to get by and I said something like "Just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right?" waiting for him to burst into song with the whole carriage joining in..
He just scowled and pushed past - still made my day though :)
I and a fellow clerk at a polling station realized that it would be only 15 minutes to the opening and we were the only ones manning it. he began: " it's astounding, time is fleeting" I joined in "madness takes its toll" we continued to the chorus, some seconds before the opening the other people managed to be there and we had our fun, too
My first movie that introduced me to Tim Curry was Home Alone 2. It was maybe first few Hollywood Movies that I watched with parents(non-english speaking).
Now I'm 42yrs old, and when my parents visit me, I watch Home Alone 2 with them. It has somewhat become a family tradition now.
Thank you Tim for such a memorable moments. Great actor!
Oh that's right I almost forgot that this film exists - his astounding pronunciation and boogie woogie tailors are two highlights of this strange stage play adaptation. I have to .. no .. i must watch it again.
My wife and I rewatched Congo recently and he was great in that too even through all the goofiness. My wife's also a big fan of the Three Musketeers (that might be the first movie from my childhood I remember him from, come to think of it)
Oh, yes! Dr. Petrov. That film has so many great actors. Connery, Neill, Jeffrey Jones, Peter Firth… it even has a Baldwin and a Skarsgård in the same film.
I know most folks think of other films, but his performance in Ridley Scott's Legend as the grumble-cackling lust driven red-faced demon is a core memory for me. Grew up watching and admiring that film and especially Mr. Curry's portrayal of that character so many times. Because of him.
I remember when a group of friends went to see Rocky Horror at Clinton Street theater here in Portland, not having any idea what we were getting ourselves into. What a memory. Rest in peace Tim Curry
Yeah, when you realize this decade and the next, pretty much everyone you grew up whose entertainment you consumed in the 60s-80s, who was an adult then, is coming up... it's a sobering thought.
"Baby Boom + Life Expectancy..." I dread at the idea that some startup is probably in stealth mode, ready to "disrupt funerals" by the end of the year.
(Also, I dread the fact that I know a few boomers that I would actually like to stick around for while...)
It's a fun myth but Parton and Curry already come fast on the heels of a few recent celebrity deaths: Sam Neill, Bonnie Tyler, Daveigh Chase, Hayden Panettiere, and Lindsay Graham.
Command and Conquer was almost certainly my first exposure to him. I guess it's time to go replay Red Alert 3 and enjoy those cutscenes all over again.
A regular yearly replay is in order for me, too. Already done with SC2... just SC1/WC3/DoW(2)/RA2(mental/flippedmissions/etc)/RA3(uprising)/HOMM3/etc/etc/etc. Ah well.
My first introduction to the man was Muppet Treasure Island, the video game. I didn't see the movie until I was adult but the game really, really stuck with me. It's not on GOG (yet) but a copy of it sits on archive: https://archive.org/details/MuppetTreasureIslandPC
It ran on W11 without too much trouble up until CD 3 started. There the whole game just seized up and refused to run. Weirdly no amount of uninstalling helped to get even earlier CDs running.
That being said it's a masterpiece, still, 30 years later.
Not to take things too off track but I worked at Egghead Software around that time and the looping recording we had on a TV for that game haunts me to this day.
As a One Piece fan I truly believe Oda took inspirations from Tim Curry's works. I mean I don't think it's a coincidence that he played the Pirate King, a clown, a transvestite and a navy admiral - all of which are prominent roles in One Piece. Rest in paradise.
His voice has a huge impact on so many forms of media from video games, movies, tv shows and radio. I'll miss him. I've been missing him since he couldn't use his distinct voice for many years. Miss him more that he is no longer with us.
RIP. Great actor. I went from knowing him first in Home Alone 2 as a kid and then later in RHPS (always gave me a chuckle to be like "wait...is that the guy from Home Alone?!").
In SF, I was on a "shadow cast" that did Rocky Horror as their main show. The movie would play in the theater, and we'd be in front of the screen acting out the film in "screen accurate" detail, with our own little humorous changes.
I watched Rocky Horror what must have truly been upward of 1000 times :) Picking all the scenes apart, memorizing the movements and the lines.
I played Rocky, Eddie (Meatloaf), Brad, Janet, Dr. Scott. But I never got to play the legendary Frank.
To be honest, I don't think I could ever live up to it. There is a certain goofiness with all the other characters I loved to bring out and exaggerate -- But with Frank you had to embody Tim Curry. You can make it your own but there's still a root of him in all the depictions I've ever seen. The walk, the motions, the atmosphere of a demanding presence. It's all so distinctly Tim Curry :) I always loved seeing people fill the boots (well, the heels. Those heels are gigantic, if you've never looked at them closely!)
RIP Tim Curry. Thank you for everything you've done. All the joy you've brought into this world.
Some shadow cast RHPS memories, in tribute to our legend passing away.
1/ If you're doing a screen accurate show, you can play as Eddie and Dr. Scott :) It's a tight costume change but they're never on the screen at the same time. I always did both characters on those nights.
2/ Apparently the actor for Rocky had no idea what they were signing up for, and was super weirded out while filming. This was like the cast's entire favorite fun fact, and I don't have the heart to verify and ruin it. Because it certainly looks sort of true anyway if you take a closer look at him in the movie ;)
3/ The movie omits a single song from the broadway show. It is, of course, Brad's solo song. Which I have always found hilarious. Of course of all the songs, it's Brad's.
4/ After "Touch Me", Janet and Rocky have to stay hidden on stage almost totally naked in a tight prop space for the next scene to work right. It's a little thrilling seeing what you two can get away with, barely shielded from the audience and the cast :)
5/ Our regular Brad loved to "crowd surf" during the "don't dream it, be it" and... you know, it's very interesting doing that half naked with a boa!
6/ The floor show is the most stressful costume change. There's not enough time to do it yourself. We had people assigned and dedicated to the floor show costume change because it was so difficult to pull off. A full face of makeup, a whole new costume with fishnets, and a custom bedazzled corset!
7/ Dr. Scott's floor show change has it fairly easy in comparison. You can wear the fishnets for all of the show and just take off your pants :)
8/ Our main venue in SF was not set up for what we did. We didn't have a costume changing room; we had the trash room around the side. We laid towels over the trash cans and made our own little workstations, brought our own lighted mirrors, had to constantly whisper since the audience was literally right there at the door.
9/ My favorite all-time memory was caking the makeup on my face for floor show. I had these special spongey wedges I liked to do it with, and it was so meditative. You didn't have time to get it perfect, you had to slather it on and get up there. The feather boa, the cool night air touching my skin, the camaraderie of friends loving something together, laughing quietly and putting on a good show. None of it possible without Mr. Tim Curry.
For me, his best work was Muppet Treasure Island. I'm glad I watched this BTS video with him: I had no idea he had a stroke in 2012 and hasn't acted since.
I will always be grateful for his performance as Gabriel Knight, my favorite game of all time. Not only he was one of the pioneers in the medium, but the performance itself is still one of the greatest of all time.
Finding myself in the audience as a young adult and being inculcated into performance art, underground culture, independent film makers and the wonderful weirdos who surrounded me.. All of us wearing pyjamas or petticoats or garters and yelling towards the screen.. What an excellent way to start adulthood, with these ideas of freedom of expression. I hope the traditions continue, and godspeed to Tim Curry.
This still happens with full shadow-casts and everything. Look around, and look to bigger cities if you're living somewhere out of the way. If there isn't a troupe near you that does this regularly, you may have more luck closer to Halloween.
In the 1970s, a bunch of us would have marathon sessions playing this newfangled game called "Dungeons and Dragons." It was a box set then, AD&D was yet to come. We played in a games club on Yonge Street in Toronto, and just down the street as the kind of sleazy movie theatre that played "Swedish Naturist" movies and any other porn or porn-adjacent films they could get away with.
On Saturdays, we would play until about 11:45, lock the club up, and go to the theatre, where they would show The Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight. It was semi-wild. A few people would be there in costume, and lots of people would shout out the most famous lines.
I enjoyed it, and ended up making a minor contribution to the atmosphere: I started brining a water pistol along, and when there was rain in the movie, I'd fire it upwards, waving it randomly so other patrons would get a little sprinkle.
I spent more Friday and Saturday nights at the Tivoli in St. Louis at RHPS showings in my teen years than I can count. Quite literally, I lost track somewhere around 80 showings. (Not all at the Tivoli, but most.)
The first time I went to see it I was 16, I think, and being able to shout at the screen, throw toast and rice, generally just be loud and roudy as a teen, was fantastic.
Finally took my daughter (she's 20) to see it about some months ago during an anniversary screening... I got shushed by somebody two rows ahead for yelling a few lines. Nobody in the theatre knew about audience participation. Still fairly bummed about that. She'll probably never get the full audience participation experience, and that's sad.
RHPS was not my introduction to Tim Curry, though: Clue was. But I didn't put the two together until seeing Clue again after seeing RHPS a few times.
Some of the modern criticism of it is rather harsh. The complaints about predatory tropes, and lack of consent miss the whole point.
It is an outlandish piece of fiction, mixed with satire. It's just ment to be ridiculous and fun.
It's why people turned the whole midnight showing into an event. You either got what it was, and went to laugh and have a good time or you were just too stiff and didn't get it. The whole scene was great for suburban queer and gay kids who might not have had another outlet or gathering place.
I was lucky to have experienced it in the 80's and 90's in a few states. The relative homogeny of the crowed across states and venues was shocking. It was always a great way to "find your people" when you went somewhere new.
i went to the symphony last year to see the movie Clue. the symphony played the music while the movie played on the big screen above. i’d never seen the movie, he was as amazing as everything else i’d seen him in.
Honestly, even though that's the only thing I've seen Tim Curry in, it's so strong that he has a fond place in my heart just for that performance. Dude knew how ridiculous it was and was having fun, which is a delight. It's hilarious to me watching him try to keep from cracking up in that scene.
This happened to an acquaintance of mine. He had a pain in his neck, and went to a chiropractor. The chiropractor massaged his neck, which released a blot clot that went into his brain and gave him a stroke. His life afterwards was severely degraded. He was only in his 40s.
Hear hear. An alarming amount of people around me have had serious health scares directly caused by manipulation. A friend of a friend was nearly left paraplegic after a sports "straightening" by a well-known local specialist.
A close friend who had an extremely aggressive breast cancer at 35 (and is given to natural cures etc etc) took up acupuncture as a secondary treatment. All well and good until the third session, when the acupuncture people tried to get her to drop out of chemo and radiotherapy to fully commit to their treatments. Alternative medicine as a term should be considered fraud and its more radical practitioners thrown in jail immediately.
"By definition", I begin
"Alternative Medicine", I continue
"Has either not been proved to work,
Or been proved not to work.
You know what they call "alternative medicine"
That’s been proved to work?
Medicine."
Yikes. I've tried accupuncture. It _can_ work wonders for pain. But as a cure-all? Total quackery. Sorry your friend was approached like that in a time of need.
I have tried it a couple of times. For muscle tightness, there is some science behind why it works (and indeed this worked for me). Did it work better than a very painful massage session? No. But it was a lot less painful!
Chiropractors are cranks but a normal muscle massage is really unlikely to cause a stroke AFAIK. The risks from Chiros as I understand it involve the big "adjustments" where they go for big pops, particularly in the neck.
Back when I was running seriously I would occassionally turn my ankle on uneven surfaces. A local chiropractor "tested" my ankle alignment and concluded I needed orthotics to line up my hips. I purchased them but the delivered product weighed 3X the weight of my shoes and never fit properly.
After numerous visits to correct the orthotic problem, he referred me to another chiropractor who "specialized" in these kinds of things. That chiropractor's office smelled of incense and reminded me of a place I might use purchase a bong, four-hose houka, or Discwasher vinyl album cleaner.
He entered the "operatory" wearing a robe and proceeded to test my "neural strength" by having me create a loop with my thumb and index finger. His test involved trying to pull my fingers apart. He told me I was weak on the same side as the turned ankle. His solution was dietary and recommended a jar of yeast wafers. One a day while the ankle healed until finished.
Purchased them too.
In the meantime, I discovered an ancient remedy involving frozen water which I applied to the ankle with great effect. I also purchased a new pair of running shoes for a third of the price of an office visit and was able to continue running comfortably.
I'm dealing with a relatively minor but annoying back and neck issue and the number of people that have come out of the woodwork to tell me to go to a chiropractor is kind of shocking.
I need actual physical therapy from someone with a credible degree in sports medicine. It's a relatively common muscular issue that I'm pretty confident can be handled with stretching and strengthening routines but nobody has suggested doing that so far.
> The chiropractor massaged his neck, which released a blot clot that went into his brain and gave him a stroke. […] I'll never let a chiropractor touch me.
This is not chiropractor specific:
> Arterial dissection is well known as a potential cause of stroke in young patients. Vertebral artery dissection occurs most commonly in the setting of minor trauma but has been seen in cases of cervical manipulation. With advances in at-home therapeutic modalities for neck pain came the advent of handheld massage guns. These massage guns have gained considerable popularity in recent years, but their safety for use in the cervical region has not been well studied.
I was horrified that after his stroke they kept rolling him out in a wheelchair to perform for fandom nerds.
Guy should have been allowed to live the rest of his life in dignity quietly, tending to his garden, not tap dancing for 40+ year old adults still obsessed with "The Time Warp".
Maybe. I don't have enough context, but maybe that's what he wanted to do? Whatever you may think about it, I'm pretty convinced Ozzy wanted to go out with a big concert. Nobody had to push him to do it.
Even if he did... he was in bad shape and it must have been physically taxing.
The thought of him feeling obligated to be on stage in front of a room of wide-eyed adult children is particularly sad. This is more a commentary on his fans than Tim himself.
So your contention is that he would have rather spent the last 14 years of his life alone and quiet, rather than getting out there to have fun and be with people who love him, just because the was left-side paralyzed?
>"Guy should have been allowed to live the rest of his life in dignity quietly, tending to his garden, not tap dancing for 40+ year old adults still obsessed with "The Time Warp"."
You dont become Tim Curry unless you live for the attention. I highly doubt it was against his will. Shatner is still out there doing the theater circuit right now at nearly 100. Those generations in general (Silents and GIs) just had the mindset of "I'll stop working when I'm dead". It was the later Boomers really that latched onto the concept of retirement.
I often chuckle at the observation that Tim Curry and Michael Caine's respective roles in the Muppet films were so beloved because Michael Caine acted like all the muppets were real actors, and Tim Curry acted like he was a muppet. He would have an impressive range of serious / comedic roles anyway, but I admire the ability for an actor that successful to be able to put himself be in such a silly role that well too.
It is a popular story and I love it, but Tim Curry himself has denied it:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/movies/muppet-treasure-is...
> Curry emphatically denied that interpretation. “I saw the Muppets as actors with distinct personalities,” he said. “It’s astonishing how quickly you see them as people.”
There's a video that expands on Tim Curry's time with the muppets: The Muppets Brought Out the Best in Tim Curry https://youtu.be/XzU8f4HaQw0
> In this video, we look at why Tim Curry’s Long John Silver works so well in Muppet Treasure Island, not just because he’s funny, theatrical, and completely larger than life, but because he understood the real magic of acting with the Muppets.
> There’s a popular idea that Michael Caine treated the Muppets like real actors, while Tim Curry treated himself like a fellow Muppet. But according to Curry himself, that isn’t quite right. He didn’t see Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Rizzo, or the rest of the Muppet crew as props or puppets. He treated them as fully formed characters with their own personalities, timing, and emotional lives. That may be the key to why his performance feels so alive.
> This video essay explores Tim Curry’s casting as Long John Silver, his love for the Muppets, his larger-than-life theatrical style, and the behind-the-scenes energy of Muppet Treasure Island. We also look at how the Muppet performers stayed in character, how Curry approached the songs and comedy, why the “A Professional Pirate” number works so well, and how one surprisingly heartfelt scene with Jim Hawkins revealed a more vulnerable side of Curry’s acting.
I have a Tim Curry-adjacent story.
A family friend had a yellow ~73 Duster. Tim Curry autographed her hood in spray paint. This was back in the early Rocky Horror days - a live performance in NYC, I think. Everyone adored the signature.
ff to mid 80's: She is leaving work. She gets to her parking space and sees that her hood is just yellow; the autograph is gone.
She's staring in shock when the attendant walks up to her and says in a heavy Arabic accent: "I'm so sorry that happened to you. I scrubbed and I scrubbed all morning until I finally got it all off!" and is just beaming at her. Her shock hasn't let up any. She manages to squeak out a "Thank you" and leaves.
Perhaps he actually stole hers and replaced it with one from the junk yard.
I was a fan since university when someone down the corridor would have The Rocky Horror Picture Show playing all the time...
Imagine my delight at seeing him on a packed London Tube one morning on my way to work. He asked to get by and I said something like "Just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right?" waiting for him to burst into song with the whole carriage joining in..
He just scowled and pushed past - still made my day though :)
I and a fellow clerk at a polling station realized that it would be only 15 minutes to the opening and we were the only ones manning it. he began: " it's astounding, time is fleeting" I joined in "madness takes its toll" we continued to the chorus, some seconds before the opening the other people managed to be there and we had our fun, too
My first movie that introduced me to Tim Curry was Home Alone 2. It was maybe first few Hollywood Movies that I watched with parents(non-english speaking).
Now I'm 42yrs old, and when my parents visit me, I watch Home Alone 2 with them. It has somewhat become a family tradition now.
Thank you Tim for such a memorable moments. Great actor!
One of the oddities of YouTube comments is the gathering of random people on specific videos for memorable occasions.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) - Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal Scene - https://youtu.be/h_bUcNjmuSk
Annie, Clue, Command & Conquer, Criminal Minds, Legend, Muppets Treasure Island, Rocky Horror Picture Show
He was an icon. It’s said you can tell a lot about a person by from where they recognize him.
Smaller role, but he was brilliant in "Oscar" with Marissa Tomei and some guy who was nominated for an Oscar in 1977 for the screenplay to "Rocky."
Absolutely nobody else could make the word "elocution" sound so luxuriously redolent of desire.
I don't understand the hate about Oscar, even Stallone himself seems to believe it was a bad idea career wise, but I always liked it!
Oh that's right I almost forgot that this film exists - his astounding pronunciation and boogie woogie tailors are two highlights of this strange stage play adaptation. I have to .. no .. i must watch it again.
My wife and I rewatched Congo recently and he was great in that too even through all the goofiness. My wife's also a big fan of the Three Musketeers (that might be the first movie from my childhood I remember him from, come to think of it)
He was brilliant in "Oscar".
(Sorry, just noticed the older sibling comment said the same thing)
Nevertheless, you are still Wright to have your own say, and it is delightful to have commonality, no matter how "trivial."
Hunt for Red October!
Oh, yes! Dr. Petrov. That film has so many great actors. Connery, Neill, Jeffrey Jones, Peter Firth… it even has a Baldwin and a Skarsgård in the same film.
Lexx.
In 1979 Curry had a Billboard Hot 100 song in the U.S. called "I Do The Rock" https://archive.org/details/TimCurryIDoTheRock
time and again they still play it on the radio in my country, it's still somewhat popular
I know most folks think of other films, but his performance in Ridley Scott's Legend as the grumble-cackling lust driven red-faced demon is a core memory for me. Grew up watching and admiring that film and especially Mr. Curry's portrayal of that character so many times. Because of him.
Legend is amazing and his character is still one of the most impactful practical effects I’ve seen.
I was always happy to hear his voice work in shows as well. Mighty Max and Super Samurai Syber Squad being among my favorite.
He’s fantastic in Clue as well.
Curry would turn up in some strange places.
Less beloved was the 90's sci-show "Earth 2" (also featuring Clancy Brown).
His character in Legend is a core childhood memory for me.
Also his voice role as Hexxus in Fern Gully!
Apart from RHPS, his role in Clue was a highlight for me. And him giving Gabriel Knight.
I'm the butler, I like to keep the kitchen tidy.
I’m merely a humble butler. I buttle, sir.
I remember when a group of friends went to see Rocky Horror at Clinton Street theater here in Portland, not having any idea what we were getting ourselves into. What a memory. Rest in peace Tim Curry
Losing Dolly Parton and Tim Curry back to back my heart can't take it
Yeah, when you realize this decade and the next, pretty much everyone you grew up whose entertainment you consumed in the 60s-80s, who was an adult then, is coming up... it's a sobering thought.
Robin Williams broke my perception of a lot of things when he died. I was 27 then, and it's already been a dozen years.
yeah...it's certainly a grounding feeling for me.
"Baby Boom + Life Expectancy..." I dread at the idea that some startup is probably in stealth mode, ready to "disrupt funerals" by the end of the year.
(Also, I dread the fact that I know a few boomers that I would actually like to stick around for while...)
Death comes in threes and they were both 80, could be a party soon
It's a fun myth but Parton and Curry already come fast on the heels of a few recent celebrity deaths: Sam Neill, Bonnie Tyler, Daveigh Chase, Hayden Panettiere, and Lindsay Graham.
Anyone doing wellness checks on Cher? Mel Brooks? William Shatner?
I think parent (and definitely me) is thinking of a very specific 80-year-old.
He'll get Weekend at Bernie's'ed for months.
We're already seeing a test of the playbook with a certain turtle-like man.
This is sad news, he was a very good actor.
One of my favourite roles I've seen him in was as Trymon in the TV version of Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic.
As posted on Mastodon: “If I see Trump start walking around in Tim Curry’s hat or shoes, there will be trouble. Terrible, retributive trouble.”
Great show!
He will always be the Pirate in Muppet Treasure Island to me. Thanks for everything you gave the world
He was easily my favorite part of that movie. The scene where he preaches his way out of getting The Black Spot lives rent-free in my head:
https://clip.cafe/muppet-treasure-island-1996/but-its-not-hi...
(aside: Someone needs to upload a better-quality version of this to YouTube)
I watched that movie so many times as a child I could probably still recite every line.
RIP Long John Silver!
This is my only number!
"Clue" was my favorite Tim Curry performance. Such a great actor, will be missed.
I just love Clue. Understated and the exact opposite in equal measure. Just a great comedic movie, all held together masterfully by Curry.
I rewatch it every few years, still love it.
"No meaning yes!?"
Everyone's got their Tim Curry role that defines him. For me it's from The Three Musketeers. Though Nigel Thornberry is a close second.
You can probably identify the age of every commenter in this thread based on the particular role that sits with them.
Will they send him ... TO SPAAACE?!
Command and Conquer was almost certainly my first exposure to him. I guess it's time to go replay Red Alert 3 and enjoy those cutscenes all over again.
A regular yearly replay is in order for me, too. Already done with SC2... just SC1/WC3/DoW(2)/RA2(mental/flippedmissions/etc)/RA3(uprising)/HOMM3/etc/etc/etc. Ah well.
The full backstory of this clip is a great read:
https://www.vice.com/en/article/an-oral-history-of-tim-curry...
My first introduction to the man was Muppet Treasure Island, the video game. I didn't see the movie until I was adult but the game really, really stuck with me. It's not on GOG (yet) but a copy of it sits on archive: https://archive.org/details/MuppetTreasureIslandPC
It ran on W11 without too much trouble up until CD 3 started. There the whole game just seized up and refused to run. Weirdly no amount of uninstalling helped to get even earlier CDs running.
That being said it's a masterpiece, still, 30 years later.
Not to take things too off track but I worked at Egghead Software around that time and the looping recording we had on a TV for that game haunts me to this day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkmjSSC3r5A something like this?
RIP. I always think of him for his performance in Home Alone 2.
The Clue
Top Movie Peak Performance by the great Tim Curry
He was also very good as Pennywise the clown in the TV version of IT in the nineties...
That performance scarred so many of us growing up. It was a rite of passage to watch that movie.
As a One Piece fan I truly believe Oda took inspirations from Tim Curry's works. I mean I don't think it's a coincidence that he played the Pirate King, a clown, a transvestite and a navy admiral - all of which are prominent roles in One Piece. Rest in paradise.
His voice has a huge impact on so many forms of media from video games, movies, tv shows and radio. I'll miss him. I've been missing him since he couldn't use his distinct voice for many years. Miss him more that he is no longer with us.
RIP. Great actor. I went from knowing him first in Home Alone 2 as a kid and then later in RHPS (always gave me a chuckle to be like "wait...is that the guy from Home Alone?!").
underrated movie and Tim Curry role:
Herkermer Homolka in Congo (1995)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112715/
RIP
Tim Curry as the pirate king in Pirates of Penzance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWzqcele1tY
RIP.
The 'Wilderness Girls' scene in Loaded Weapon 1 will forever be in my heart and laughter; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRN2spEualo
Did you all notice this submission? Super Curry Combat II [1][2]
[1]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49454496
[2]https://curry-combat-2.com/
Fast as AI turnaround indeed?
just a FYI, I am not behind this submission or involved in anyway. I just thought it was curious, and wondered about it.
Here's an obsure one: Tim Curry voiced the main antagonist of Brütal Legend, Doviculus.
In SF, I was on a "shadow cast" that did Rocky Horror as their main show. The movie would play in the theater, and we'd be in front of the screen acting out the film in "screen accurate" detail, with our own little humorous changes.
I watched Rocky Horror what must have truly been upward of 1000 times :) Picking all the scenes apart, memorizing the movements and the lines.
I played Rocky, Eddie (Meatloaf), Brad, Janet, Dr. Scott. But I never got to play the legendary Frank.
To be honest, I don't think I could ever live up to it. There is a certain goofiness with all the other characters I loved to bring out and exaggerate -- But with Frank you had to embody Tim Curry. You can make it your own but there's still a root of him in all the depictions I've ever seen. The walk, the motions, the atmosphere of a demanding presence. It's all so distinctly Tim Curry :) I always loved seeing people fill the boots (well, the heels. Those heels are gigantic, if you've never looked at them closely!)
RIP Tim Curry. Thank you for everything you've done. All the joy you've brought into this world.
Some shadow cast RHPS memories, in tribute to our legend passing away.
1/ If you're doing a screen accurate show, you can play as Eddie and Dr. Scott :) It's a tight costume change but they're never on the screen at the same time. I always did both characters on those nights.
2/ Apparently the actor for Rocky had no idea what they were signing up for, and was super weirded out while filming. This was like the cast's entire favorite fun fact, and I don't have the heart to verify and ruin it. Because it certainly looks sort of true anyway if you take a closer look at him in the movie ;)
3/ The movie omits a single song from the broadway show. It is, of course, Brad's solo song. Which I have always found hilarious. Of course of all the songs, it's Brad's.
4/ After "Touch Me", Janet and Rocky have to stay hidden on stage almost totally naked in a tight prop space for the next scene to work right. It's a little thrilling seeing what you two can get away with, barely shielded from the audience and the cast :)
5/ Our regular Brad loved to "crowd surf" during the "don't dream it, be it" and... you know, it's very interesting doing that half naked with a boa!
6/ The floor show is the most stressful costume change. There's not enough time to do it yourself. We had people assigned and dedicated to the floor show costume change because it was so difficult to pull off. A full face of makeup, a whole new costume with fishnets, and a custom bedazzled corset!
7/ Dr. Scott's floor show change has it fairly easy in comparison. You can wear the fishnets for all of the show and just take off your pants :)
8/ Our main venue in SF was not set up for what we did. We didn't have a costume changing room; we had the trash room around the side. We laid towels over the trash cans and made our own little workstations, brought our own lighted mirrors, had to constantly whisper since the audience was literally right there at the door.
9/ My favorite all-time memory was caking the makeup on my face for floor show. I had these special spongey wedges I liked to do it with, and it was so meditative. You didn't have time to get it perfect, you had to slather it on and get up there. The feather boa, the cool night air touching my skin, the camaraderie of friends loving something together, laughing quietly and putting on a good show. None of it possible without Mr. Tim Curry.
For me, his best work was Muppet Treasure Island. I'm glad I watched this BTS video with him: I had no idea he had a stroke in 2012 and hasn't acted since.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzU8f4HaQw0
I will always be grateful for his performance as Gabriel Knight, my favorite game of all time. Not only he was one of the pioneers in the medium, but the performance itself is still one of the greatest of all time.
Stop eating my sesame cake!
RIP. Poor guy. Slipped on a cuppa tea and broke his neck while hitting the dining room table on his way down.
My wife and I adore "Rocky Horror Picture Show".
RIP absolute legend.
Finding myself in the audience as a young adult and being inculcated into performance art, underground culture, independent film makers and the wonderful weirdos who surrounded me.. All of us wearing pyjamas or petticoats or garters and yelling towards the screen.. What an excellent way to start adulthood, with these ideas of freedom of expression. I hope the traditions continue, and godspeed to Tim Curry.
Tim Curry, Dolly Parton, who is number 3?
Hayden Panettiere was first I guess
Dang, forgot about her. That makes the rule of thumb. Well, until we notice another pattern that isn't there...
Way too young sadly. :(
And don't forget Legend!
RIP, he made some great art and my favorite was Rock Horror Picture Show
Known for his role in Command & Conquer. “…in spaace!”
Discovered him in Earth 2. 'Ello, poppet.
I've read that Rocky Horror screenings were something of an event, though I have not experienced it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rocky_Horror_Picture_Show_...
This still happens with full shadow-casts and everything. Look around, and look to bigger cities if you're living somewhere out of the way. If there isn't a troupe near you that does this regularly, you may have more luck closer to Halloween.
In the 1970s, a bunch of us would have marathon sessions playing this newfangled game called "Dungeons and Dragons." It was a box set then, AD&D was yet to come. We played in a games club on Yonge Street in Toronto, and just down the street as the kind of sleazy movie theatre that played "Swedish Naturist" movies and any other porn or porn-adjacent films they could get away with.
On Saturdays, we would play until about 11:45, lock the club up, and go to the theatre, where they would show The Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight. It was semi-wild. A few people would be there in costume, and lots of people would shout out the most famous lines.
I enjoyed it, and ended up making a minor contribution to the atmosphere: I started brining a water pistol along, and when there was rain in the movie, I'd fire it upwards, waving it randomly so other patrons would get a little sprinkle.
People liked that kind of thing!
I spent more Friday and Saturday nights at the Tivoli in St. Louis at RHPS showings in my teen years than I can count. Quite literally, I lost track somewhere around 80 showings. (Not all at the Tivoli, but most.)
The first time I went to see it I was 16, I think, and being able to shout at the screen, throw toast and rice, generally just be loud and roudy as a teen, was fantastic.
Finally took my daughter (she's 20) to see it about some months ago during an anniversary screening... I got shushed by somebody two rows ahead for yelling a few lines. Nobody in the theatre knew about audience participation. Still fairly bummed about that. She'll probably never get the full audience participation experience, and that's sad.
RHPS was not my introduction to Tim Curry, though: Clue was. But I didn't put the two together until seeing Clue again after seeing RHPS a few times.
They were great.
Some of the modern criticism of it is rather harsh. The complaints about predatory tropes, and lack of consent miss the whole point.
It is an outlandish piece of fiction, mixed with satire. It's just ment to be ridiculous and fun.
It's why people turned the whole midnight showing into an event. You either got what it was, and went to laugh and have a good time or you were just too stiff and didn't get it. The whole scene was great for suburban queer and gay kids who might not have had another outlet or gathering place.
I was lucky to have experienced it in the 80's and 90's in a few states. The relative homogeny of the crowed across states and venues was shocking. It was always a great way to "find your people" when you went somewhere new.
Brilliant artist! I smile when I hear his name.
Oh, no. Not doctor Pool!
One of his best roles was Darkness in Legend, but seems like everyone has Alzheimer and forgot this great movie from Ridley Scott.
It's pretty much the best "devil" character in any movie I've ever seen. Perfectly executed
Sadly space has now been corrupted by capitalism
2016 all over again?
The wrong 80 year olds are dying right now. The grim reaper needs to work on his aim.
I apologize to women named Janet.
Dammit!
He has gone to the one place that hasn't been corrupted by capitalism.. :')
Nigel Thornberry is who I will always think of.
That and Hexxus in FernGully were my first introductions to him. I knew his voice long before his name or face.
This. Awesome voice acting work.
RIP His soul is escaping to the one place that hasn't been corrupted by capitalism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1Sq1Nr58hM
omg that game!!!
i forgot about it.
RIP Tim Curry.
i went to the symphony last year to see the movie Clue. the symphony played the music while the movie played on the big screen above. i’d never seen the movie, he was as amazing as everything else i’d seen him in.
Heaven!
Honestly, even though that's the only thing I've seen Tim Curry in, it's so strong that he has a fond place in my heart just for that performance. Dude knew how ridiculous it was and was having fun, which is a delight. It's hilarious to me watching him try to keep from cracking up in that scene.
Dammit
Had no anticip...ation of that.
Rest in peace
Who is the third since they come in 3s? Can we lose one bad one for the two good? I’ve got someone in mind.
> Curry had a stroke while receiving a massage
This happened to an acquaintance of mine. He had a pain in his neck, and went to a chiropractor. The chiropractor massaged his neck, which released a blot clot that went into his brain and gave him a stroke. His life afterwards was severely degraded. He was only in his 40s.
I'll never let a chiropractor touch me.
Hear hear. An alarming amount of people around me have had serious health scares directly caused by manipulation. A friend of a friend was nearly left paraplegic after a sports "straightening" by a well-known local specialist.
A close friend who had an extremely aggressive breast cancer at 35 (and is given to natural cures etc etc) took up acupuncture as a secondary treatment. All well and good until the third session, when the acupuncture people tried to get her to drop out of chemo and radiotherapy to fully commit to their treatments. Alternative medicine as a term should be considered fraud and its more radical practitioners thrown in jail immediately.
I forget which comedian said it in a bit they did but it's always stuck with me.
Something along the lines of "If alternative medicine worked we would just call it medicine."
"By definition", I begin "Alternative Medicine", I continue "Has either not been proved to work, Or been proved not to work. You know what they call "alternative medicine" That’s been proved to work? Medicine."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Minchin%27s_Law
https://youtu.be/HhGuXCuDb1U?t=178
(The whole thing is worth rewatching)
Tim Minchin
"Alternative medicine was either not proved to work, or proved not to work. Do you know what we call alternative medicine that's been proved to work?
Medicine." —Tim Minchin
Yikes. I've tried accupuncture. It _can_ work wonders for pain. But as a cure-all? Total quackery. Sorry your friend was approached like that in a time of need.
I have tried it a couple of times. For muscle tightness, there is some science behind why it works (and indeed this worked for me). Did it work better than a very painful massage session? No. But it was a lot less painful!
Chiropractors are cranks but a normal muscle massage is really unlikely to cause a stroke AFAIK. The risks from Chiros as I understand it involve the big "adjustments" where they go for big pops, particularly in the neck.
Back when I was running seriously I would occassionally turn my ankle on uneven surfaces. A local chiropractor "tested" my ankle alignment and concluded I needed orthotics to line up my hips. I purchased them but the delivered product weighed 3X the weight of my shoes and never fit properly.
After numerous visits to correct the orthotic problem, he referred me to another chiropractor who "specialized" in these kinds of things. That chiropractor's office smelled of incense and reminded me of a place I might use purchase a bong, four-hose houka, or Discwasher vinyl album cleaner.
He entered the "operatory" wearing a robe and proceeded to test my "neural strength" by having me create a loop with my thumb and index finger. His test involved trying to pull my fingers apart. He told me I was weak on the same side as the turned ankle. His solution was dietary and recommended a jar of yeast wafers. One a day while the ankle healed until finished.
Purchased them too.
In the meantime, I discovered an ancient remedy involving frozen water which I applied to the ankle with great effect. I also purchased a new pair of running shoes for a third of the price of an office visit and was able to continue running comfortably.
I'm dealing with a relatively minor but annoying back and neck issue and the number of people that have come out of the woodwork to tell me to go to a chiropractor is kind of shocking.
I need actual physical therapy from someone with a credible degree in sports medicine. It's a relatively common muscular issue that I'm pretty confident can be handled with stretching and strengthening routines but nobody has suggested doing that so far.
> The chiropractor massaged his neck, which released a blot clot that went into his brain and gave him a stroke. […] I'll never let a chiropractor touch me.
This is not chiropractor specific:
> Arterial dissection is well known as a potential cause of stroke in young patients. Vertebral artery dissection occurs most commonly in the setting of minor trauma but has been seen in cases of cervical manipulation. With advances in at-home therapeutic modalities for neck pain came the advent of handheld massage guns. These massage guns have gained considerable popularity in recent years, but their safety for use in the cervical region has not been well studied.
* https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9197740/
> The chiropractor massaged his neck, which released a blot clot
...or possibly caused the issue: https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-paralyzed-chiropractor...
Yeah. Chiropractors are not doctors, whatever their degree mill happens to say.
edited to remove off topic response
RIP Premier Cherdenko
I was horrified that after his stroke they kept rolling him out in a wheelchair to perform for fandom nerds.
Guy should have been allowed to live the rest of his life in dignity quietly, tending to his garden, not tap dancing for 40+ year old adults still obsessed with "The Time Warp".
This year I saw him roll out on his wheelchair and he had the time of his life. Not sure how others felt.
https://old.reddit.com/r/timcurry/comments/1tzyqt6/sf_clue_q...
Maybe. I don't have enough context, but maybe that's what he wanted to do? Whatever you may think about it, I'm pretty convinced Ozzy wanted to go out with a big concert. Nobody had to push him to do it.
> but maybe that's what he wanted to do
Even if he did... he was in bad shape and it must have been physically taxing.
The thought of him feeling obligated to be on stage in front of a room of wide-eyed adult children is particularly sad. This is more a commentary on his fans than Tim himself.
Obliged means he was doing something he didn’t want to do.
Others here are saying, like Ozzy, he might have been doing what he wanted to do.
To quote the poet, Dylan Thomas,
Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
So your contention is that he would have rather spent the last 14 years of his life alone and quiet, rather than getting out there to have fun and be with people who love him, just because the was left-side paralyzed?
>"Guy should have been allowed to live the rest of his life in dignity quietly, tending to his garden, not tap dancing for 40+ year old adults still obsessed with "The Time Warp"."
You dont become Tim Curry unless you live for the attention. I highly doubt it was against his will. Shatner is still out there doing the theater circuit right now at nearly 100. Those generations in general (Silents and GIs) just had the mindset of "I'll stop working when I'm dead". It was the later Boomers really that latched onto the concept of retirement.
His tacky, over the top performance / role in Sorted ruined that otherwise nice movie.
Why use a throwaway to shit on the memory of someone? This is the epitome of tacky.