Updated January 30, 2023 28.6k votes 4.1k voters 135.5k views
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Vote up Tim Curry's most impressive performances.
Whether it be striking pure terror with a single glance, nailing his signature vocals and notable laugh, or simply owning it in a pair of fishnet stockings, it’s fair to say Tim Curry is a man of great versatility. Given his talent, it's no surprise that Tim Curry's roles expand over a diverse range of TV shows and cinema, maybe more than fans realize. His career has stemmed across theater, film, television, and he even released a few rock albums.
Tim Curry's devil in Legend is ranked as one of the top five satanic performances of all time. He nailed his role as Wadsworth in Clue, but Curry has also done plenty of voice acting. Of Tim Curry's TV shows, films, and more, which are the most impressive?
In the role that is now synonymous with his name, Curry nailed his performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Frank-N-Furter is a mad scientist and, of course, a Sweet Transvestite, from the planet Transylvania. Bringing a great deal of gravitas to such a manically comedic character, Curry's tremendous bellow of a singing voice made him the right man for the job. Curry originally played Frank-N-Furter in the theater incarnation of The Rocky Horror Show; at the time it was made, there weren’t many male actors who could own a corset and stockings with such confidence.
Having gained enough popularity in the UK, the show toured for about a year in America. Unfortunately, due to travel regulations at the time, Curry was the only cast member brought over from England, and he left after six months to star in the film.
Back in 1990, one of Stephen King’s most popular books was adapted into a TV miniseries. Looking back now, Tim Curry’s performance as the infamous eater of worlds (and children), Pennywise the clown, is one thing that stands out.
Not having the same access to special effects technology as its successor in 2017 takes nothing away from Curry’s twisted performance. His portrayal of Pennywise is the perfect balance of cartoonish and sinister, which is evidenced the first time we see his face in clown makeup.
In issue #99 of Fangoria, Curry says, "I personally think that what is the most horrifying is the moment of decision behind somebody's eyes when they decide to kill somebody, rather than a pint of blood and a pound-and-a-half of latex," perfectly encapsulating his version of Pennywise.
Darkness, AKA The Devil, has been personified in many different forms over the years. Ridley Scott’s Legend is very Shakespearean and operatic, making it the perfect environment for Curry's version of darkness. In fact, Scott himself was reminded of Tim Curry's over the top dramatics in The Rocky Horror Picture Show when thinking of who to cast for the Darkness.
Curry endured hours of painful prosthetics to become Scott's version of the Devil, but when he caught a glimpse of his 13-foot reflection in the mirror, he realized he embodied the characterizations of one the darkest incarnations in human history perfectly.
A satirical comedy based on the board game of the same name, Clue is a dark comedy cult classic "Who done it?" picture. Curry worked alongside a number of comedic actors, including Eileen Brenna, who he referred to as "one of the funniest people in the world."
Fortunately, Curry was still able to stand out in a part which he dubbed "about as big as the Bible." He balanced buffoonery and sophistication perfectly as Wadsworth, the hilarious British butler.
In 1993’s The Three Musketeers, Tim Curry’s Cardinal Richelieu attempts to form an alliance between France and Great Britain via less-than-honest methods. Cardinal Richelieu is an evil royal advisor who emphasizes intimidation through his pettiness. Curry also adds a level of humor to the role, however, by sarcastically asking prisoners, "Do you object to losing your head?"
Though the film itself was not well received, Curry's performance was lauded by critics. One in particular described him saying, "Good old Tim Curry chews up the scenery perfectly with his big eyes, red flowing attire and devilish goatee doing his best to try and beat Alan Rickman's dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham."
If there is anything procedural dramas are known for, it's hiring big-shot actors to guest star as a one-off character. In the Season 6 episode of Criminal Minds, "The Longest Night," Curry plays Billy Flynn, a prolific serial killer-turned-spree killer, and as an actor well known for playing the evil-doer, Curry certainly doesn’t disappoint. Though Criminal Minds introduces a new villain each episode, Flynn is someone who stands out as particularly haunting. At one point he even says, "The question isn’t why do I [end] people. The question is... why I don’t [end] everybody."
Not only was he rated one of the series most notorious criminals, he was also nicknamed "The Prince of Darkness," a similar title to the character he played in 1985's Legend.
