Tim Curry, Clue Star, Dead At 80

English actor Tim Curry, known for his iconic roles in films such as "Clue" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," has died at age 80, according to TMZ. The outlet reported that he passed away in the evening of August 25, 2026. As of writing, the cause of death is unknown, but he had a stroke in 2012 that affected his health. In September 2025 during a 50th anniversary screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," Curry opened up about using a wheelchair because of the stroke, joking to the audience, "So I won't be singing and I won't be dancing very soon" (via People).

Curry started his career on London's West End before his cult classic performance in "Rocky Horror" made him a prolific TV and film actor in the 90s where he appeared in such films as "The Hunt for Red October," "Home Alone 2," and "Muppet's Treasure Island." No stranger to iconic makeup, Curry also starred as Darkness in Ridley Scott's "Legend" alongside a young Tom Cruise, and he terrified millions of TV viewers as Pennywise the Clown in the original ABC adaptation of "It."

In an October 2025 interview with CBS News, Tim Curry looked back on "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and its pop culture legacy. Although, he recalls that the film did not earn him much praise from his mother. "Well, she said to me later that, 'I thought your head was gonna grow too big.' She would have preferred me to operate under the radar!"

Unfortunately for Curry's mother, the film became a cult classic, rocketing her son to movie star fame. It also inspired a wild trend of audience members dressing up and throwing objects at the screen during raucous viewings that still take place to this day. More importantly to Curry, it sent a message to young people about not hiding their identity.

As Curry explained to CBS, his character Dr. Frank-N-Furter "gave a lot of teenagers permission to be different, and I'm very happy that he did have that power."