There has been an outpouring of love for Tim Curry — the English actor best known for playing villains in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Annie,” “Clue” and more — since news broke of his death at age 80 on Wednesday.
Carol Burnett shared a clip from “Annie,” in which she starred as Miss Hannigan and Curry played her brother, Rooster. “We had such a wonderful time working together on ‘Annie.’ Nobody could play lovable villains better than he could,” she wrote. “He was a dear friend. I was blessed to know him.”
“My last conversation with Tim Curry was about life and love and laughter. The grim physical state he found himself in has now ended, a blessing,” Curry’s “Clue” costar Michael McKean wrote on X, referring to Curry’s health issues following a stroke he suffered in 2012. “Our blessing was that we had Tim Curry in our lives. RIP, my friend.”
Lesley Ann Warren, another “Clue” star, wrote on Instagram, “My dear companion in crime, the brilliant, hilarious, hysterically funny, magician of artistry has left us. What an unbelievable joy to have shared a sound stage with him and to engage with such a master talent. I adored him. Bless his wild and inspired soul. Love you Tim.”
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Luke Evans, who recently concluded a seven-month run in “The Rocky Horror Show” on Broadway playing the role Curry originated, posted an emotional tribute on Instagram. He called Curry “a force, a bright fierce flame, an exquisite charm,” and shared a letter he wrote to Curry three weeks ago: “I just want to say thank you. For your fearless performance, for creating something so enduring, and for inspiring generations of actors to be a little braver than they thought they could be.”
“And the blows keep coming,” Elaine Hendrix wrote on Instagram under photos of them taken on the set of the film “Lover’s Knot.” “I worked with Tim Curry in the 90s. He was THE kindest man. I adored him up close and from a far since discovering ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ while I was in High School. I was a huge fan of him! What a talent. What a gentleman. What an honor. RIP Tim.”
Kevin McHale, the “Glee” star who will soon join the “Rocky Horror” Broadway cast, posted a simple broken heart emoji on his Instagram story.
The Muppets’ official Instagram account posted a picture of Curry from “Muppet Treasure Island.” “Few humans have earned the title of honorary Muppet more than the legendary Tim Curry,” the caption reads. “As a performer he was unparalleled – witty, charming, unnerving, and deeply funny. We will always consider it one of our greatest treasures to have been part of Long John Silver’s crew. Thank you for everything, Tim.”
“I’m devastated. This is the person who made me want to be an actor,” wrote Jillian Bell, known for “Workaholics” and “22 Jump Street,” in an Instagram caption. “The last ten minutes of ‘Clue,’ it was all on him to deliver the ending and he devoured every frame. It became my favorite movie of all time and still remains in that position. I realized that character actors got to have all the fun. They can be wild and outrageous and do unforgivable things and live deliciously. He gave us so much in his career. He terrified us in ‘It,’ he made us laugh in ‘Clue’ and ‘Home Alone 2,’ he made us sing in ‘Annie’ and ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show.’ And the risks he took in his career were one of a kind. He was beautiful and weird and dark and light all at the same time. And I loved him. I got to meet him once and he was just as sweet and cheeky as I had hoped. I got to tell him what he meant to me. I didn’t know the man, but I feel like each performance gave me a piece of him that I will cherish forever.”
“Rest in peace. Kind and wonderful you,” Selma Blair commented on Curry’s most recent Instagram post.
Josh Gad posted a photo of Curry on his Instagram story, saying, “Another day, another legend. Goodbye Tim. Thank you for your immense gifts. Ugh.”
See more tributes to Curry below.
From Variety US