British actor Tim Curry has died in Los Angeles at the age of 80, according to reports by several American news outlets on Tuesday.
The cause of death has not been revealed, but the performer had suffered from extensive health problems following a severe stroke 14 years ago in 2012, which left him using a wheelchair. Entertainment news outlets TMZ and Variety were among those reporting his death.
Curry built a reputation as a versatile performer, leaving behind two distinct roles that stood at opposite ends of the dramatic spectrum. He earned international acclaim for his camp performance as Dr Frank-N-Furter in the musical comedy film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, as well as for playing the frightening clown Pennywise in the television adaptation of Stephen King's horror work IT.
Early theatre career and West End debut
Born to a school secretary mother and a Methodist chaplain in the Royal Navy, Curry received classical theatre training at the University of Birmingham in England.
He made his professional stage debut in London's West End in 1968, appearing in the musical Hair, which followed a group of hippie activists in New York. The controversial production served as an early preview of the bold artistic choices that would define his career.
In an interview with The Guardian last year to mark the publication of his autobiography, Curry said that taking risks was the best way to live, reflecting a principle that guided his work across stage and screen.
Screen stardom and cult villain roles
Curry established his reputation in cinema with the 1975 release of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Hollywood's adaptation of the stage play of the same name. Reprising his stage role, he performed in suspenders as Dr Frank-N-Furter, a whimsical scientist who defied gender boundaries in song.
Legend holds that Princess Margaret, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, and musician David Bowie were both in the audience on the show's opening night in London. The film, which also starred Susan Sarandon, grew into a cultural institution that continues to screen in cinemas worldwide half a century after its release.
Known for his dramatic transformations, Curry portrayed several other memorable villains during his career. He played the demonic character Darkness in director Ridley Scott's 1985 feature film Legend, and later took on the role of Pennywise the clown in the 1990 television adaptation of IT.
Over the decades, Curry appeared alongside major Hollywood stars, sharing the screen with Tom Cruise in Legend, Sean Connery in the thriller The Hunt for Red October, and Donald Trump in the comedy film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
Career breadth and later life
Throughout his long career, Curry worked across cinema, theatre, music, television, and voice acting. His work was altered when he suffered a stroke during a massage, which resulted in short-term memory loss and left his left side paralyzed.
In his autobiography, Curry wrote that he believed in neither heaven nor hell, but noted that he was curious to visit both places.
Reflecting on his career during his interview with The Guardian, Curry said he was fully aware of how lucky he had been. He added that he was amazed to see how ambitious he had been, noting that he had never viewed himself as an ambitious person.
