Tim Curry died on August 25, 2026. The 80-year-old actor and star of such classics as The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Stephen King’s It and many more had been recently experiencing health troubles, including a stroke in 2012 that left him partially paralyzed.
The prolific actor took part in over 200 movies, TV shows, video games and other media, and was once cast as The Joker in the legendary ‘90s toon, Batman: The Animated Series, before being replaced by Mark Hamill.
Watch With Us are huge fans of the actor, which is why we’ve curated a list of some of the best Tim Curry movies. From the mystery classic Clue to a perennial holiday sequel, these films showcase Curry’s impressive range as an actor, comedian and cultural icon.
‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ (1975) — Prime Video
Curry is best known for his campy role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the screen adaptation of the underground 1973 musical, The Rocky Horror Show. Wearing black lace lingerie, a sexy garter belt and heavy makeup, Curry’s horny mad scientist introduced himself to square protagonists Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janey (Susan Sarandon) by singing the instantly iconic “Sweet Transvestitie.”
Curry made his screen debut in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a 1975 film that has endured as a cult classic that’s still watched — and sung along to — today. A big reason why is Curry, who vamps and camps it up as a character you just can’t resist.
‘Clue’ (1985) — YouTube (for Free) and Paramount+
A box office flop when it was first released, Clue is another Curry movie that has grown in stature over the years. The English actor stars as Wadsworth, a butler who hosts a mysterious dinner party at an isolated countryside mansion. When several of the guests and staff die, Wadsworth and the surviving members of the party have to figure out who did it, with which weapon and in what room.
Curry is simply outstanding in a lead role that requires him to deliver breathless monologues, snarky one-liners and a third-act reveal that many don’t see coming. Curry also shows a Buster Keaton-esque flair for physical comedy, and he makes simple acts like turning on a shower seem like the funniest thing you’ve ever seen.
‘Stephen King’s It’ (1990) — HBO Max
Curry chilled the hearts of children everywhere with his creepy turn as Pennywise the Clown in Stephen King’s It, a four-hour adaptation of the horror master’s brick of a novel. You’d think a television film limited by the constraints of a broadcast network couldn’t be that scary, but Curry shows you don’t need copious amounts of blood and guts to send shivers down the spines of his audience.
His Pennywise looks and acts like any other clown — he’s bright, cheerful and just wants to give you a red balloon. He also wants to tear your arm off and kill you, and Curry masterfully conveys the demonic nature of his killer clown in ways his successor, Bill Skarsgård, never did in the big-budget movie adaptations of It in 2017 and 2019.
‘Home Alone 2: Lost in New York’ (1992) — Disney+
Curry could take a throwaway role and make it his own, and that’s exactly what he did in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. The main bad guys are once again the Wet Sticky Bandits (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern), but I was always more scared of Curry’s nosy hotel concierge.
The living embodiment of the evil Christmas cartoon character the Grinch, Curry’s catty concierge has it out for Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) and doesn’t buy any of his lies. As an adult, you sympathize more with his character than Kevin’s. He’s absolutely right to call Kevin out for committing fraud and credit card theft. What makes the character stand out is Curry’s glee in apprehending his pre-teen foe. He’s just doing his job, but he sure gets a kick out of it, and the same holds true for Curry as an actor.
‘Congo’ (1995) — Paramount+
Curry appeared in better films, like 1990’s The Hunt for Red October, and bigger blockbusters, like 2000’s Charlie’s Angels, but his work in Congo deserves to be recognized.
You have to understand that Congo is a bad movie that’s hypnotic to watch. Based on Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name, it tells a ridiculous story about a team of scientists and adventurers who venture deep into the Congolian rainforest to find a missing team of explorers and maybe a lost city filled with diamonds.
Alongside a talking gorilla named Amy (don’t ask) and a pre-famous Laura Linney is Tim Curry’s Herkermer Homolka, a ridiculously named Romanian philanthropist who isn’t as nice as he seems. It’s easy to give a good performance in a good movie with a good script, but Congo is none of those things, which is why his work here is so remarkable. Curry had the uncanny ability to turn trash into treasure, and his Herkermer is a memorable heel that elevates the whole enterprise. That takes talent, and Curry had it in spades.
