Tim Curry Does the Time Warp

"Tim Curry was a twentysomething stage actor living in London in the seedy, sex-drenched nineteen-seventies when he auditioned for a new B-movie musical spoof called "The Rocky Horror Show." The production was being staged at a sixty-seat space at the Royal Court Theatre; the role was Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a domineering, corset-clad mad scientist from "Transsexual, Transylvania." Curry landed the part with a rendition of Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti," wearing boots he'd spray-painted silver. "Rocky Horror" opened in the summer of 1973 and became a sensation."

"In 1975, Curry starred in the movie version, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," which fizzled at the box office-until something curious happened. Fans started turning up at midnight screenings, yelling back cheekily at the screen; eventually, "shadow casts" would perform alongside the movie. Fifty years on, "Rocky Horror" is a cult classic, described as the longest-running theatrical release in U.S. history,"

Tim Curry originated and popularized the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the stage production The Rocky Horror Show and starred in the 1975 film adaptation. The film initially underperformed but developed a midnight-screening culture, with audience participation and shadow casts, and evolved into a long-running cult classic. Frank-N-Furter became Curry's signature role, notable for its erotic and sinister charisma. Curry's career also encompassed notable villainous and comedic roles across film and stage, including performances in Annie, Muppet Treasure Island, Legend, It, Clue, Home Alone 2, and Spamalot, alongside a brief rock career.

Read at The New Yorker