His family kept the public in the dark about his stroke. This is the cult actor today, aged 77.
A lot of people really liked Tim Curry after he played Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Rocky Horror Picture Show. As an actor and singer from England, he got his start in Hollywood on the stage. He has been acting for more than forty years now.
When Tim had a stroke in 2012, his life changed in a big way. He was lucky to be alive, but the 77-year-old had to go to physical and speech therapy for years.
What does Tim Curry have planned today? How does he feel now that he’s had the stroke? That’s all you need to know!
He was born on April 19, 1946, in Grappenhall, England. James was his father and worked as a Methodist Royal Navy chaplain. Patricia was his mother and worked as a school secretary.
Early life of Tim Curry
Tim’s family moved to Hong Kong when he was very young. There, tragedy struck: his father had a stroke. That’s why he and his family moved back to England and Torquay. His maternal grandfather lived close by and he spent a lot of time with him. Interestingly, he helped him in a role later in life.
Because his dad worked with the church, Tim showed that he had a lot of potential as a singer. Tim started singing as a soprano in his church when he was six years old. Four years later, he became an actor who plays Shakespeare.
He and his family moved to London after his father died.
At the boarding school Kingswood School in Bath, he seemed destined for a life in show business from a very young age. After high school, Tim went to Birmingham University to study drama. He graduated in 1968 with a degree in both drama and theater studies.
Curry shared a house with actor, screenwriter, and director Patrick Barlow while they were both students in Birmingham. As was already said, Curry was a great singer at the time. But his acting wasn’t really standing out yet.
In fact, Curry was seen as a big star all by himself.
Barlow told The Guardian, “I remember being amazed by his amazing singing voice—it was just perfect, like he was born with it.”
“He would start singing at college parties where we were drinking and doing other things. He had a beautiful bluesy voice.”
Important work in “Hair”
Following their graduation in 1968, Curry, Barlow, and a few other friends were in a car one day on its way to London. Because Tim wasn’t a member of Actors’ Equity, the Birmingham Repertory Theater wouldn’t let him in. He was to try to reach his goal in a different way instead.
The group was going to join a street theater group in Chalk Farm, but no one knew what to expect. As was already said, Tim’s voice became his trademark in the beginning, and he got his first professional job after only 24 hours in London.
“Someone told us about it. Back then, none of us knew how to get into anything.” After we got there, Barlow said, “I was the only one who stayed.”
“The next day, Tim and Judy got a job in Hair.” Of course, all Tim had to do was sing, and all Judy had to do was say “hello, I’m here.”
This was Tim’s first professional role. He was in the original London cast of the rock musical Hair, but he almost missed the chance to be in the popular but controversial show.
Curry was asked at his audition if he had worked as an actor before and if he had an Equity card, which means he was a member of the Actors’ Equity Association. His website says that Tim lied about both of them.
Soon, the producers found out that he didn’t have any professional experience or an Equity card, but they were “sufficiently impressed” by his skills and presence. Because of that, they sponsored him to join the union.
“I wanted to sing the Sodomy, Fellatio song, but as part of the troupe, I just stood in the back and jumped around.” It was a very strange production. People didn’t show up if they were high or thought they would stay home. But I was a real trooper. “I always showed up,” Tim said.
Hair made Tim Curry famous right away. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, though. He really wanted to sing, but he also really wanted to become a paid actor. When he talked to the LA Times, Tim said that he was offered recording contracts and the chance to join music groups. But his real love was for something else.
“I was given things, like recording contracts and the chance to join groups. But as I thought about it, I became irritated. He said, “No, no, no, I chose. I want to be an actor.”
“Hair was like a drama school to me.” You could always write your part again. You made yourself more visible. But because everyone was trying to get their own attention, you quickly learned how to stand out.
Tim decided to follow his dream of becoming an actor and worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Glasgow Civic Repertory Company, and the Royal Court Theatre.
‘The Rocky Horror Show’ by Tim Curry
Curry did a wonderful job as the crazy transvestite scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show musical with the Royal Court Theatre. This move was going to change his life. He got the part of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show when it was made in Hollywood in 1975.
“They asked me to try out for the part, and I sang “Tutti Frutti,” which I thought was a good choice.” I first played Frank-N-Furter as a German, and then I saw the costume. “She was a real diva,” he told Entertainment Weekly.
“One day I heard a woman on the bus ask in a fancy tone, ‘Are you looking at a new house or your place in the country when you retire?’” I thought, “That’s it!” Like the Queen in some ways. It was a hit as soon as it came out. The theater was very small. There were just 60 seats. Then they took it to Los Angeles.”
When Rocky Horror Picture Show came out in 1975, it was a huge hit. Curry was in the movie with Meat Loaf, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, and Patricia Quinn. Even though it didn’t win any major awards, the movie became a cult favorite and made Tim a huge star again.
His film was being shown, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be kicked out. In fact, Curry was kicked out.
“I was hoping it would be a very box office Warhol movie,” he said. “It was strange because I lived in the building behind the Waverly.” (theatre) I did go, but I was kicked out because they thought I wasn’t really me but a fake. They told me straight out, “Get out of here.”
Tim didn’t want to talk about the show for years because he was afraid it would make people think of him in a certain way.
Do some work for Ian McKellen
Curry kept working in movies and theater, and in 1979, the follow up, Rocky Horror Shows His Heels, was set to be shot. But Tim turned down the idea. At that point, he had released albums and gone on tours to improve his singing, and he was regularly performing on Broadway, in TV shows, and in movies.
Curry put out three studio albums with A&M Records between 1978 and 1981. Even though none of them did very well commercially, I Do The Rock was his only minor hit. It made it to No. 53 on the Billboard charts.
During this time, Curry also began working with the famous actor Ian McKellen. They were both in the hit play Mozart. The performances got them both Tony nominations, and Curry said it was one of his proudest moments at work.
After that, he played the scary clown Pennywise in the 1990 movie It. Six years later, he played a professional pirate in Muppet Treasure Island. According to him, the second one was a lot of fun.
“How strange it is that you don’t think of them as Muppets after the first day or two,” he said. “You see them as characters, like other actors.”
Tim played Long John Silver. It was a dream come true for him to work with the Muppets. For the part, he even chose to use his grandfather’s West England accent.
“That was one of the best sets I’ve ever been on.” It’s clear that the Muppets don’t have any ego,” Curry said.
Tim Curry: stroke and health report
At this point, Curry was working so quickly that nothing could stop him. He was in TV shows, movies, and plays. He sang well into his 60s as well. But tragedy struck in 2012 when the well-known entertainer had a stroke. He was lucky to be alive, but what happened had a big effect on his life.
It was said that Curry’s family and friends kept his stroke a secret for a year, but in the end, the Daily Mail learned about it. Because of the stroke, the actor and singer had to go through years of speech and physical therapy. Things would never be the same for Tim again, but he was sure he’d make it through.
Curry found humor to be “vital” as he got better after the stroke.
“I’m fine and excited about it,” the 69-year-old actor told Los Angeles Magazine in 2015. “I’ve done a few fundraisers for the Actors Fund, and I think it’s a great group.” I hope I won’t have to use it.”
“It’s not hard to keep up,” he said. “It’s in my genes.”
Tim is still going to physical and speech therapy, as shown on his website, as he continues to get better.
He had a stroke, but that hasn’t stopped him from working and doing the things he loves. Tim lives in Los Angeles at the moment. His biography says that he has never been married and does not have any children.
A look at Tim Curry’s family and wealth
He likes to read and paint in his free time. Besides that, Curry is also said to be a big fan of gardening. As an interior designer in the Los Angeles area, he’s built properties and homes and made a beautiful garden on his own land.
His biography says, “Since 2016, Tim has been going to conventions to meet his fans and pose for pictures. He also continues to do private autograph signings every month.”
“Tim has gone on many trips across the United States and Canada to be a special guest at big events like Comic Con, MegaCon, GalaxyCon, and Fan eXpo.”
Celebrity Net Worth says that Tim Curry is worth about $14 million after all costs.
We’re so glad to see that Tim Curry is doing well after having a stroke.
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