August 27, 2026 — 3:29pmWhen Tim Curry first pulled on his fishnets and uttered the word “antici … pation” through bold cherry-red lips, cult cinema was forever transformed. The British actor, who died at the age of 80 on Wednesday, brought a whole new meaning to camp and eccentricity as Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show film.But the lingerie-clad Transylvanian doctor was only one of many faces Curry wore. Throughout his decades-long career, the actor took on scheming 1930s villains, nosy hotel concierges and murderous clowns. He dabbled in voice work, and even won awards for his time on stage. Here are nine of Curry’s most memorable roles.With his resonant voice and devilish smile, Tim Curry was an unstoppable force on both stage and screen.AP Photo/Peter KramerThe Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)Curry didn’t just stroll onto the film scene; he burst onto it in sky-high platform heels and a sparkly black corset. His debut film performance as the “sweet transvestite” Dr Frank-N-Furter is arguably his least forgettable role, still enticing massive audiences at dress-up midnight screenings around the world.Tim Curry famously commanded attention as the mad scientist Dr Frank N. Furter in cult classic oddball musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show.20th Century Based on The Rocky Horror Show stage musical, the film adaptation follows lost, virginal couple Brad and Janet as they become tangled in a kinky, feverish “mind flip” run by inhabitants of the planet Transsexual. As Frank-N-Furter, Curry plays host – one who constantly wants to get into the couple’s pants – and mad scientist, who attempts to bring the “perfect plaything” to life.“I can’t imagine a better role to enable me to embrace my contradictions and see them through,” Curry wrote of the role in his 2025 memoir Vagabond. “I learned not to limit myself – artistically, professionally, sexually or mentally.”Annie (1982)Curry cemented his turn as the villain in Annie, the film adaptation of the classic stage musical. Playing “Rooster” Hannigan, a slimy con who pairs up with his girlfriend to pose as an orphan’s parents to filch a massive cash reward, the actor takes on a slick New York brogue, and an even slicker hair-do.Once again, he pulls out the tunes, singing Easy Street alongside Carol Burnett and Bernadette Peters. Here he proved his dance moves were just as strong as his vocal cords, tapping his way upstairs and swinging Peters around as if she weighed nothing. It’s a role that arguably positioned him well for future comedic-skewing (and more age-appropriate) villains.Clue (1985)Never trust the butler. Curry proved a worthy suspect as the butler Wadsworth in Clue, a film version of the murder mystery board game. Six strangers are invited to a New England mansion, only to end up embroiled in a whodunit spectacle after their host Mr Boddy inexplicably shows up dead.As the butler, Curry aced a particularly physical comedic performance, with many of his exaggerated facial expressions stealing the show. It confirmed his face was truly like putty that he could contort to his heart’s desire.Tim Curry taught us to never trust the butler in the 1986 film Clue.Legend (1985)Despite being directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Cruise, Curry is by far the best thing about this fantasy-adventure film. He plays the Lord of Darkness, a demon of the night who wishes to kidnap a princess and extinguish the world’s light. It’s up to Jack (played by Cruise) to stop him.Despite having to sit in the make-up and prosthetics chair for over five hours each day – his entire body and face were red and exaggerated – Curry still clearly relished the role, delivering a cool, calm evil and a laugh as devilish as Satan himself.It (1990)Andy Muschietti’s film adaptations of Stephen King’s seminal horror novel It may have stolen attention recently, especially with the release of the prequel television series earlier last year, but it was Curry who truly defined Pennywise the Clown.In his memoir, Curry said his turn as the evil alien clown who terrorises the children of Derry certainly wasn’t his favourite role. In fact, the actor never liked clowns. However, he noted that he still held great respect for King as an author and felt the two-part miniseries was a “strong” adaptation.Were the visual effects groundbreaking? Not by a long shot. But Curry’s Pennywise was so twisted, combining sick humour with genuine malevolence in every scene. Introduce razor-sharp teeth and a piercing, vacant stare, and you have yourself one of the scariest screen villains of the 20th century.It’s thanks to Tim Curry’s Pennywise that most adults today are afraid of clowns.Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)These days, most people remember Home Alone 2 as the film in which US President Donald Trump randomly cameos, but Curry should really be the standout. As the nosy, snobbish hotel concierge, he attempts to catch Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) in his lies and boot him from the Plaza Hotel. His efforts are in vain, of course, for he’s up against the master of pranks and booby traps.Few can pull off an obnoxious false sense of authority quite like Curry. And his wicked Grinch-esque smile? Exquisite.FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)As much as we may know Curry for his facial expressions, we also know him for his voice. That deep baritone won him many voice-over roles throughout his career, especially across family films, television shows and video games.It all began with FernGully, an animation that cast Curry as Hexxus, the spirit of destruction who wishes to destroy the last remaining rainforest. His tone, pitch and cadence combined to deliver an impeccably eerie, yet at times humorous, performance. It’s one that millennials around the world still cherish to this day.Muppet Treasure Island (1995)Earlier this year, Curry told The New York Times that Muppet Treasure Island was his favourite film. That is quite the statement for someone with as diverse a career as Curry’s, but it speaks to how much fun he had on-set with the felt puppets and pirate shenanigans.In the movie, Curry plays Long John Silver, a sneaky pirate who leads a mutiny to try to steal the treasure on-board. In an interview with the Guardian, the actor said he improvised a line that was ultimately cut for being too racy for family audiences. The line referred to a plot point in which Long John Silver and Miss Piggy were said to have had a past affair. The line? “Once you’ve had pork, you never go back.”Monty Python’s Spamalot (2004)Curry was perhaps most critically renowned for his time on stage. The British actor won a Tony for his role as King Arthur in the musical Monty Python’s Spamalot. He played this character for three years straight across various cities in the US, and also in London.Tim Curry, centre, appeared in the Broadway production of Spamalot.AP Photo/Tina FinebergBefore Spamalot, Curry won two other Tonys – one for his turn as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Amadeus (1981), and another for his performance as washed-up alcoholic Alan Swann in the 1993 musical My Favourite Year. His resonant voice paired with his larger-than-life mannerisms and fierce energy made for an unstoppable theatrical force.Nell Geraets is a Culture reporter at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners