On August 26, 2026, news broke that Tim Curry had died late on Tuesday evening after over a decade of health problems. He was 80 years old and, more importantly, a prolific actor with an immediately recognizable accent, as well as an extensive list of roles in movies, shows, and theater. Some of his most noteworthy characters include Premier “I’m escaping to the one place that hasn’t been corrupted by capitalism” Cherdenko in “Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3” and King Arthur in “Spamelot.”
However, many of Curry’s performances have been lost to time (we’re looking at you, “Peter Pan and the Pirates” and “Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad”), but some of his best roles have been preserved if you know where to look. We have collected a list of movies and shows that display Tim Curry at his best. Here are the performances, in no particular order, that defined his career and turned him into a household name. Of course, we only included movies and shows in this article; Tim Curry has quite the robust catalog of video game roles (including the underappreciated “Brutal Legend”), but every program in this list is worth your time — and hard-earned cash for a streaming service subscription.
Stephen King has a love-hate relationship with adaptations. He didn’t like the Tommyknockers miniseries, and Anthony Michael Hall wouldn’t have a career if it weren’t for “The Dead Zone.” But when people talk about the best adaptations, they usually mention “IT.” Before the 2017 movie of the same name, 1990’s “IT” miniseries was arguably the best adaptation of any Stephen King story. The two-episode series adapts the book, and while it doesn’t have as star- studded a cast as the 2017 remake, it does have one huge thing going for it: Tim Curry as the infamous Pennywise the Clown.
Like with most roles, Curry puts his all into the performance. While Curry isn’t as terrifying as Bill Skarsgård’s take on the character, he brought an unsettling arrogance to his role and made Pennywise look (and act) more like a clown you would meet wandering the streets or hanging out in a storm drain. Before they gutted you, that is. You can currently stream this version of “IT” through HBO Max and Cinemax
The Wild Thornberrys
While Tim Curry has many animated shows under his belt, he often played a one-off villain or antagonistic character. In fact, he was the original voice of the Joker in “Batman: The Animated Series” before Mark Hamill took over. One animated show gave him a recurring role that launched a thousand memes: “The Wild Thornberrys.”
It’s a semi-forgotten Nickelodeon show about a family that travels the globe making animal documentaries (the titular Thornberrys). While Eliza Thornberry was the star of the show thanks to her ability to talk to animals, the eccentric and easily excitable father of the family, Nigel Thornberry (Curry), was the heart of the show. For this role, he dialed up his accent to 11 and added some vocal tics that nobody else could have pulled off.
Thanks to Curry’s performance, Nigel Thornberry became the most memorable part of “The Wild Thornberrys.” You can stream all five seasons of the show on Paramount+. Curry and the rest of the voice cast reprised their roles for “The Wild Thornberrys Movie” (which you can also stream on Paramount+) and the crossover film “Rugrats Go Wild” (again on Paramount+).
Muppet Treasure Island
“The Muppets” has been a cornerstone of family entertainment since the late 1970s. The original “The Muppets Show” started as a variety program filled with sketches, where human actors would often make guest appearances. Eventually, the franchise branched out into movies, and “Muppet Treasure Island” is a fan favorite for an obvious reason. As its name suggests, “Muppet Treasure Island” is a kid-friendly adaptation of the classic “Treasure Island” story.
The movie has plenty of comedic moments, but it treats the original story with reverence and inserts plenty of catchy songs. While most of the main cast is played by muppets, Tim Curry, portraying Long John Silver, steals the show (and the gold). Curry is known for his exaggerated mannerisms, but in this film, his hammy acting isn’t only at home; he outperforms even the most felt-filled of his castmates. One could easily mistake Curry for a muppet in human skin. You can currently stream “Muppet Treasure Island” on Disney+. You can even watch all five seasons of The Muppet Show on Disney+ while you’re at it.
Shortly after Michael Bay made the popular live-action Transformers movies and the critically panned “Battleship” film, many people joked about what Hasbro property, specifically board games, he would tackle next. Little did everyone know that Jonathan Lynn beat him to the punch, and did a better job. The 1985 film “Clue” is an adaptation of the classic board game of the same name (“Cluedo” in the U.K.). The movie features an all-star cast of actors playing the iconic murder suspects/would-be detectives trying to solve a murder, but if anyone got top billing, it was Tim Curry as the Butler.
While “Clue” is a murder mystery, the film isn’t afraid to get silly with its premise characters, and it puts everyone’s comedy chops on display. More importantly, “Clue” is a novel movie in that no two theaters received the same reel. The film has three endings, each with a different culprit, but the home release collects them in a hilarious march of “What if” fake-out endings. You can stream “Clue” on Paramount+, The Roku Channel, and YouTube.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Every actor has that one role by which all of their others are judged. Usually it’s one of their first roles, specifically the one that turned them into a household name. For Tim Curry, that role put him in the high heels of a sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a campy B-movie/musical about a couple that gets trapped in the castle of mad scientist, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, played by Tim Curry. The film, a parody of the classic “Frankenstein” tale, was ahead of its time. It wasn’t well received when it was released, but as time went on, it became a cult favorite.
Not only did “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” turn Curry into a household name, but it also spawned his iconic voice. Yes, that overblown posh accent of his isn’t natural for him. In early takes, Curry used a German accent, but it didn’t land; after he tried copying a random woman he overheard on a bus, he finally nailed the personality of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. The rest is vocal performance history, so any fan of Curry should watch this film to hear where it all started. You can rent/buy “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” on Prime Video (via Broadway HD), Apple TV, and YouTube.
