British actor Tim Curry, known to a wide audience for his roles as the clown Pennywise in the first film adaptation of Stephen King's It, as well as the concierge in Home Alone 2, has died at the age of 80, Variety reports. Sources did not disclose the cause of the artist’s death, but it is known that his health deteriorated after a stroke in 2012.
Curry's breakthrough role was Dr. Frank N. Furter, the main antagonist in the musical comedy The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The 1975 film was based on the British musical, where Curry played the same role.
Throughout his career, Curry never stopped playing in musicals, both on the West End and on Broadway in New York, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award several times. He has also released several solo music albums in the rock music genre.
In the 1990s, the artist played two more villains, best known to a wide audience. First, he played a maniacal clown in the two-part television adaptation of It, and then as Kevin McCallister's personal concierge in Home Alone 2.
In 1997, Curry also played the antagonist with the Russian surname Vladakov in the action comedy film McHale's Navy, and in 2008, he played the fictional leader of the USSR Anatoly Cherdenko in the video game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3.
One of the cut scenes (which are played live in the game) eventually became a meme. Cherdenko’s remark about “escape from capitalism into space” collected 10 million views on YouTube.
In 2013, Curry's rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he had suffered a stroke the previous year. Agent Marcia Hurwitz noted that the artist “maintains a sense of humor” and is successfully undergoing therapy. Curry was subsequently seen in public in a wheelchair.
In 50 years on screen, Tim Curry, star of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Clue” and “It,” has played roles campy, comical, and menacingly sinister, yet his most inscrutable role is still Tim Curry.
The actor talks with Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz about his… pic.twitter.com/e3GoXVrThC
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) October 19, 2025
Due to his illness, Curry appeared less often on screen, but continued to work in voice acting, for which he received an Emmy Award in 1991. In June 2026, it was reported that he was to star in the sequel to the Stream horror series, Stream 2: Sudden Death. The Cheshire native died in Los Angeles on August 25.
