On Aug. 25, the British actor Tim Curry, celebrated for his roles in Hollywood and on Broadway alike, died at age 80. Curry had suffered a major stroke in 2012 that diminished his health.
Most known for his part in The Rocky Horror Picture Show as the cross-dressing Frank-N-Furter, Curry delighted audiences with the unrivaled eccentricity and goofy charm he brought to his performances. Equal parts mad scientist and queer icon, Dr. Frank-N-Furter and his lecherous antics made Rocky Horror into perhaps the quintessential cult classic. Curry’s character seduces a respectable couple into his castle laboratory, where he is making a beautiful he-monster for his personal enjoyment. Chaos ensues, aliens get involved and fashion has never quite been the same.
While Rocky Horror itself failed to make a profit at first, it has the same cultural significance as the greatest blockbusters of the era. Light years ahead of its time in terms of making androgyny, pansexuality and playing with gender mainstream, Rocky Horror also possesses one of the most devoted fanbases in all of media. In no other film screening would it be acceptable to swear at the screen for an hour en masse or even ignore the movie entirely to do your own rendition. Thanks to Tim Curry’s electric performance, Rocky Horror has captured audiences for decades, and fans never can get enough of doing the Time Warp in front of the screen.
In a 1975 interview, Curry admitted that his role in Rocky Horror would be “a difficult image to shake off.” Though it’s not hard to see why, Curry’s myriad other roles ought to deter you from pigeonholing him as his cross-dressing, murdering, lascivious character in Rocky Horror. Curry was nominated for three Tony awards during his time on Broadway, including playing Mozart in Amadeus (1981) alongside Ian McKellen and King Arthur in the Monty Python-inspired musical Spamalot (2005). His other noteworthy roles include Rooster Hannigan from Annie (1982), a con artist who kidnaps the titular orphan; Wadsworth in Clue (1985), the frenzied butler; the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance (1982) and Pennywise in the mini-series It (1990).
Tim Curry’s legacy lives on through shadow cast portrayals of Rocky Horror, and thanks to the annual production by Cornell’s Risley Theater, that tradition is kept alive on our campus. For 34 years, Risley has performed Rocky Horror, and whoever is lucky enough to be cast as Dr. Frank-N-Furter has had the challenge of portraying the cartoon villain-like character with the energy and talent that Curry did. I was a “Rocky Virgin” when I saw Risley’s production of Rocky Horror last year, and immediately I was enthralled by the audience around me. With the fan-made script on my phone and a red lipstick “V” on my forehead, I shouted obscenities and insulted the characters alongside a hundred others in their Halloween costumes.
Oftentimes, the biggest struggle of creating an engaging performance is getting audiences to suspend their disbelief, their snarky pessimism or their propensity to deride art. Yet somehow, the box office flop Rocky Horror has turned this challenge on its head by captivating audiences with its very kitschiness and cheapness. Rocky Horror doesn’t stoop to ‘so bad, it’s good’ territory either; it transcends the good-bad spectrum, and the only word that can meaningfully describe Rocky Horror is entertaining. This is, of course, in large part Tim Curry’s doing. He is a great actor, but it's not his acting chops that makes Dr. Frank-N-Furter so memorable, but rather Curry’s personality which shines through his character.
This week we’ve seen two beloved figures of pop culture leave us, and now more than ever is the time to appreciate and remember them for what they have given us. The next Risley performance of Rocky Horror may carry a doleful air, but I am convinced that nothing could kill the vibes of a Rocky Horror screening. If anything, the chants will be louder than ever, the visual gags more disturbing and the music more spirited. So thank you, Tim Curry, for what you have given us. May shadow cast Frank-N-Furters everywhere continue to be as outlandish as you were.
Gustavo Ponzoa is a member of the Class of 2029 in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a contributor for the Arts & Culture department and can be reached at gap87@cornell.edu.
