Worried about clown sightings? You can blame that on Tim Curry. Do you love Netflix's "Stranger Things"or "American Horror Story"? Thank Tim Curry for that too. As critics pick over the bones of the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" remake, Curry is in vogue. His two iconic roles as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the original and as the clown Pennywise in Stephen King's "It" define Halloween, horror, and high camp. In a recent appearance, the actor showed shocking weight loss, yet proves he's still got "It."
"Sweet Transvestite" Tim Curry
Dr. Frank-N-Furter certainly had it going on in "Rocky Horror Picture Show." His thighs were as legendary as those of Kim Kardashian or Tina Turner.
Folks of all stripes--gay, transgender, straight, bisexual, pan-species--didn't argue that the crossdresser vampire was hot. He was Freddie Mercury, Mick Jagger and Sally Bowles all in one pair of fishnets. Suddenly, everyone wanted to do the "Time Warp." And though the new "Rocky Horror Picture Show" dazzles, Curry is still the reason it became a cult classic.
Scary reason Tim Curry lost weight
Curry played many roles and was known for his lean, predatory urbanity. In later years he began to gain weight but still maintained his devilish, leering good looks. In Agatha Christie's "Appointment with Death" as Lord Boynton, Tim Curry was downright obese. Even obesity couldn't stop the sardonic sangfroid but it did slow him down.
His performance was more wooden. In 2013, Curry appeared thinner--scarily so--and the cause wasn't something to envy. He had suffered a stroke and was confined to a wheelchair but kept quiet about it. Some celebs value their privacy, likeBob Dylan, who hasn't even mentioned his Nobel Prize yet.
Lifetime Achievement Award for Tim Curry
Curry's fiendish characters swung from evil Cardinal Richelieu in "Three Musketeers" to hilarious Long John Silver in "Muppet Treasure Island." His portrayal of Pennywisein the "It" miniseries (Stephen King) created a phobia of clowns. The Cheshire native was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in acting.
His obvious weight loss, frail appearance and wheelchair gave rise to theories that Curry was totally incapacitated by the stroke. But he proved them wrong with his part in "Rocky Horror Picture Show-Let's Do the Time Warp Again" in 2016. Oh and on those clown sightings, Pennywise will be baa-ck in a 2017 remake of "It." Can Bill Skarsgard pull off the evil clown, or does Curry still own that cult role too?