From Frank-N-Furter to Pennywise: Remembering Tim Curry, An Inimitable Horror Icon
The English actor left an indelible mark on the genre with his villainous roles in the 1990 adaptation of Stephen King’s It and the enduring cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show
by Alex Kaan 28 August 2026
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Whether a gender-bending mad scientist (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) or a muscular vision of Satan (Legend), Tim Curry was as much of a chameleon as his shapeshifting villain, Pennywise, in It. The British actor consistently graced the horror genre with a blend of gravitas, magnetic screen presence, and impeccable comedic timing that was wholly his own.
Curry made a career out of playing lovable antagonists with devilish grins, a habit that extended beyond the realm of horror. His petty concierge at war with Macaulay Culkin’s 10-year-old protagonist elevated a bit part into a highlight of Christmas classic Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, while his reliably charismatic interpretation of Long John Silver anchored the swashbuckling fun of Muppet Treasure Island (a film that unforgivably cut his improv, “Once you’ve had pork, you never go back!” in reference to a romance with Miss Piggy).
Curry as Pennywise in It (1990) - ABC
What underlined Curry’s contribution to genre cinema was an unwavering commitment to the character and an uncanny ability to disappear into a role, an intriguing quality given that he could have easily built a resume coasting on the natural charm that defined his public persona. Beneath heavy makeup, he was barely recognisable as the hulking red demon The Lord of Darkness in Ridley Scott’s 1985 dark fantasy Legend, or as the terrifying child-eating clown Pennywise in ABC’s 1990 two-part miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s It. His performance of the renowned villain predates Bill Skarsgård’s by 27 years (curiously the same timespan it takes for the clown to emerge from hibernation in the story), and while less ferocious than the Swedish actor’s turn, Curry’s Pennywise has a zany, relaxed energy that makes the character more quietly disturbing.
Despite an eclectic career spanning horror (It), comedy (Clue), and animation (The Wild Thornberrys), Curry’s most famous role in film and TV remains his first. Playing The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a part he originated on the London stage in Richard O’Brien’s 1973 musical The Rocky Horror Show, he is unforgettable as the crazed-scientist-cum-“sweet transvestite” whose version of Frankenstein’s monster is a handsome blonde with bulging muscles.
Curry as The Lord of Darkness in Legend (1985) - Universal
Strutting onto screens in 1975 in a black corset, fishnet stockings, and high heels, many lesser actors of the era would have treated Frank-N-Furter as a joke. But Curry gives equal weight to both the comedy and the tragedy of the character. As he told NPR’s Fresh Air in 2005, the key to playing the lovable villain was to not treat it as a drag performance. “I’ve always said this to anybody who’s ever asked me about playing Frank-N-Furter: to just never think about it as drag because it’s not. It’s just what people wear in Transylvania. It’s just what everybody wears in Transylvania, so just get over it.”
As Frank-N-Furter, Curry was seductive, hilarious, and devastating, ultimately crafting one of the most iconic characters in film history. As the cult phenomenon that is The Rocky Horror Picture Show continues its streak as the longest-running theatrical release of all time, the mad scientist continues to touch new generations of queer audiences, and Curry was well aware of the power of that representation.
Curry as Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) - 20th Century Studios
“Several people have told me that it helped them to understand their sexuality,” Tim Curry said of the film in the 2025 documentary Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror. “I think that’s important. Perhaps it is more relevant now. Gender has become a political football, which is really just a kind of global ignorance.”
Perhaps it is because of the strength of his performances in the more “low-brow” genres of horror and comedy that Curry is not immediately recognised as one of the greats, but it is a title that the late actor readily deserves.