Tim Curry’s “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” co-stars are sharing their memories of filming the cult classic with the actor following the news of his death.
Curry, who delivered an unforgettable performance of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the musical, died peacefully at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, on Aug. 25, his representatives confirmed in a statement to NBC News. His longtime manager and friend Marcia Hurwitz shared the news of his passing, as well. Curry was 80 years old.
The English actor, also known for his roles in “Clue” and the 1990 TV version of “It,” was honored by the many actors he shared the screen with. Members of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” cast, including Susan Sarandon, posted sweet tributes to Curry.
Read on to see what they said about working with Curry and how they will remember him.
Sarandon, who portrayed Janet Weiss in the 1975 film, uploaded a slideshow of photos of Curry to Instagram. The final picture showed Curry dressed in his Dr. Frank-N-Furter costume.
“What a funny, sexy, original he was. But what I loved about him most was his heart,” Sarandon said about her former co-star.
“Even wheelchair bound he continued to be so sweet and generous with his fans,” she added, referring to the stroke Curry suffered in 2012 that impacted his mobility. “Thank you Tim for meaning so much to so many people. Love you, S.”
Barry Bostwick, who portrayed Janet’s fiancé Brad Majors, referenced lines from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in his Facebook tribute.
“The river was deep but you swam it. The road was long but you ran it” Dammit Tim, I love you…” he wrote, a play on lyrics from the song “Dammit Janet.”
Luke Evans, who took on the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter for the Broadway production of the musical and earned a nomination at the 79th Tony Awards, shared a letter on Instagram that he wrote to Curry three weeks before his death.
“I want to share it with you, he was a force, a bright fierce flame, an exquisite charm and that rich vocal tone, he was an inspiration to me and so many more people for the roles he played and the effect he had on so many of us. There will only be one Tim Curry. And the rest of us will just have to do our best to emulate some of the magic of that role that I’ve just spent 7 months playing…,” he said before including the message.
In the letter, Evans said although they had never met he felt Curry’s presence since he started working on the production.
“Being compared to you has been one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received, even though it’s a comparison no one could ever hope to live up to,” he said, in part.
Evans added, “I’ve never tried to recreate what you did. That would be impossible. I simply hoped to honour the extraordinary character you brought to life, while finding my own way through him.”
The Instagram account for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” which was co-written by fellow cast member Richard O’Brien, described Curry as a “singular talent.”
