Tim Curry's Time Warp (Again?)

Tim Curry is one of those cases where, for me at least, there is a lot to ponder. There are a lot of what if scenarios. On one hand, he didn't do so well in college, and apparently lied to get his first acting part. The producers ended up knowing about his lack of experience, and still, to some degree, rallied to get him into the union. From there, Curry found the way to his fateful role as Dr. Frank N. Furter in the legendary cult film/musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Many actors, especially with the benefit of hindsight, would give one of their limbs to have such a legendary, somewhat counter-cultural role. Yet, still, Curry was understandably concerned about being typecast at the time.

I'd say it's not a matter to be argued that he was, in fact, typecast, but in ways that not every actor could have carried out. For one, having a music background since childhood, he recorded three fairly well-received albums on a major label. If you count the ...From The Vaults album of unreleased material, finally released in 2010, we could count it as four. And while being "typecast" might be a slight misnomer since there aren't a lot of roles for proto-gothic transvestites around, we could also say that Curry's "typecast" was as that of a villain, and maybe something more of a rock star. What came with it resulted in every interview for decades being littered with questions about Rocky Horror.

Still, as a villain, it's not a bad resume. While his roles are perennially overshadowed by the classic punk-rock musical that won't die-- a movie that is not only watched and enjoyed, but reenacted by generations of fans all over the world on a regular basis, it's still worth noting some of this talented English/Los Angeles transplant's other villainous endeavors. Maybe his second most popular role was as Pennywise The Clown in a film adaptation of Stephen King's IT, with third being the film Legend, where Curry played The Lord of Darkness, but it's lesser known that Curry's appearance on Tales From The Crypt won him an Emmy, and rightfully so. In an episode of the campy horror-themed HBO special, Curry championed the roles of three different people, all with a great deal of spirit gum and prosthetics, and one of the characters even carried out an incredibly awkward sex scene.

Some other villainous roles that would be highly-coveted for someone who doesn't have a distinctive voice like Curry: A voice role of the biblical serpent in a bible story, a voice role in an audiobook version of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Gomez Addams in Addams Family Reunion, (horror writer) Ben Ravencroft in Scooby Doo And The Witch's Ghost, and others. There's even a possibly classic lost opportunity where Tim Curry was cast as the voice of The Joker in The Batman Animated Series, but he'd had bronchitis and had to be replaced. Even the slightly less gothic roles as Wadsworth in Clue, "Mr. Hector"/"concierge in Home Alone 2, and various muppet/Disney/Lemony Snicket/Scrooge affairs all end up being strung together as what seems to me a charmed life on the outskirts of the spotlight. All of this seems pretty swell, as far as I'm concerned.

It's something I've been pondering since I heard that Tim Curry suffered a stroke almost ten years ago. I remember seeing video of him singing Kurt Weill's Surabaya Johnny after the stroke, and being somewhat impressed, but also sympathetic. On one hand, although it's none of my business, I wonder if he can afford to retire. I wonder if he is doing it for the love or the money. For example, he recently appeared for a streaming re-enactment of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which in itself was a benefit for the Democratic Party, having been unable to deliver a lot of the lines. At one point, Curry seems exasperated in the middle of trying to deliver lines, and just stoically lights up a cigar. I have to say that's probably something I would do too.

Sitting in a wheelchair, with a backdrop of red walls and shelves of books, and especially for his appearances on Fanmio, I wonder just how gothic Tim Curry really is. While his career isn't necessarily jam-packed with accolades, it's still really impressive, not just in terms of achievement, but also in a sort of cohesive spirit that is carried with each outing. I'm sure someone can find out where he lives and what his home looks like, but I think most of us imagine him living in a haunted castle or mansion, and there's nothing wrong with that.

It takes work to perpetuate that level of consciousness. While Mr. Curry is highly visible, engaging fans, and finally embracing his legacy with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I'm sure it's making a lot of people happy. I just hope he's enjoying himself. Whatever the case may be, and whether or not he chooses to drift into obscurity or continue to work through his setbacks in a public manner, I'll still imagine that he lives in a mansion with hidden compartments.