Tim Curry Biography

TIM CURRY

Date of Birth: April 19, 1946

"I'M not a conventional leading man at all and have no wish to be."

The son of a Methodist Royal Navy chaplain, James, and his wife Patricia, a school secretary, Tim Curry studied Drama and English at Cambridge and at Birmingham University, from which he graduated with Combined Honors. Although born in Cheshire, England, Curry moved around for most of his childhood. "The world was my home. My mother met my father in Malta and they were married in Egypt. My sister was born in Egypt and has dual citizenship. I was conceived in South Africa and born in England."

After spending some time in Hong Kong, Curry returned to England and spent four years at a junior school in Plymouth, two years at a boarding school located in Bath and then five years at Kingswood. Curry said that moving around so much when he was young was good training for an actor, "because never staying anywhere long enough to make good friends, you soon learn how to please children very quickly."

His first professional success was in the London production of Hair, followed by more work in the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Glasgow Civic Repertory Company, and the Royal Court Theater where he created the role of Frank N. Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He recreated the role in the Los Angeles and Broadway productions and starred in the screen version entitled The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

By one of those wondrous quirks of fate, the 1975 Rocky Horror film was resuscitated from its disappointing initial run and became the archetypal "midnight movie"; for nearly two decades the faithful have lined up each weekend evening in front of theatres playing Rocky Horror in bizarre costumes and makeup.

Since then he has starred in, among others, Annie, Legend, The Hunt for Red October, Oscar, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon, The Three Musketeers, The Shadow, Muppet Treasure Island and Charlie's Angels: The Movie.

Curry continued his career on the New York and London stages with starring roles in Travesties, The Pirates of Penzance, the Rivals, Love for Love, Dilliance, The Threepenny Opera etc.

But he decided to focus his efforts on film. "I found I was just enjoying it (film) more than the theater, I like the down time. I always have a library and I've perfected the art of the catnap."

In addition to an active movie and television career, Curry is a sought-after actor for CD-ROM productions. His distinctive voice can be heard on more than a dozen audio books, and in countless animated television series and videos. A composer and a singer, Curry toured the US and Europe with his own band and released four albums for A&M records.

Never married, Curry lives in Los Angeles with his dog, Frank.