When The Rocky Horror Picture Show reached the big screen in 1975, Curry’s performance was unlike almost anything audiences had seen before.
The movie wasn’t an immediate blockbuster.
Instead, something much more unusual happened.
It slowly became a cultural phenomenon.
Midnight screenings turned into traditions. Fans began dressing as the characters. Lines from the movie became part of popular culture.
And Tim Curry’s Dr. Frank-N-Furter became the face of it all.
But Curry never allowed himself to become trapped inside one role.
He moved from theater to television, from comedy to drama, from musical performances to voice acting.
He appeared in films including Clue, Annie, Legend, Home Alone 2, and Muppet Treasure Island.
Then came another role that introduced him to an entirely different generation.
In 1990, Curry became Pennywise the Clown in the television adaptation of Stephen King’s It.
For many viewers, that performance was genuinely terrifying.
The strange smile.
The voice.
