It’s another sad day for cult movie fans. Just weeks after the death of Phantasm star Reggie Bannister, our beloved “sweet transvestite” has left us. Tim Curry, best known to genre fans for his iconic roles as the outrageous Dr. Frank-N-Furter in 1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the 1990 TV adaptation of Stephen King’s IT, died Tuesday at his Los Angeles home. The news was confirmed to the press by his longtime manager, Marcia Hurwitz.
Curry, 80, had been in declining health following a devastating stroke in 2012 that left him using a wheelchair. Making fewer public appearances in recent years, he focused on voiceover work in animated projects such as Over the Garden Wall and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. However, he made a final onscreen appearance in the 2024 slasher Stream.
In a 2025 interview with CBS News, Curry reflected on his mortality, stating, “I don’t fear death. I try to avoid it, as I think we all do. But I suspect that in the end, I will welcome it. I think it may be very comforting to go bye-bye, and I want to earn it.”
Rest in peace, Tim Curry.
