Tim Curry is leaving behind a legacy of unforgettable performances.
Following his death on Wednesday, many are remembering his most memorable roles across film and television.
From his iconic turn as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" to his chilling portrayal of Pennywise in "It," Curry has brought his signature, larger-than-life presence to roles spanning horror, comedy, fantasy, drama and animation.
Behind the camera, Curry has lent his voice to animated shows that shaped a generation of millennials, including "The Wild Thornberrys" and "The Mighty Ducks."
He also graced the Broadway and West End stages in productions of "Spamalot," "Hair" and more.
Here's a look back at some of Curry's legendary performances over the years.
Curry's portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the 1975 film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is considered to be the actor's breakout film role and also gave him a cult following. After starring in the musical "The Rocky Horror Show " on both the West End and Broadway from 1973 to 1975. Curry was then cast in the film adaptation as Dr. Frank-N-Furter.
It follows a young couple who spend the night in Frank-N-Furter's mansion after their car breaks down. For the film's 50th anniversary in 2025, Curry reflected on the role in an interview with CBS and shared how the character gave people the permission to be their authentic selves.
"I've had people thinking that they would say the stuff that they always wanted to say and did. And I liked that," Curry said.
Following 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show," Curry had several roles across television and film before landing the role of Rooster, a villainous con artist, in the 1982 film "Annie," which he starred in alongside Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters and more.
In a behind-the-scenes interview for the film in 1982, Curry called Rooster a "cartoon villain" with a "truly mean streak," referencing his character's intention of killing Annie at the end of the film. "By the time I had to kill Annie, I was really ready," he told the Academy in an interview earlier this year.
Burnett shared a clip on Instagram on Wednesday from the film of her, Peters and Curry doing a dance number and captioned the post, "We had such a wonderful time working together on 'Annie.' Nobody could play lovable villains better than he could. He was a dear friend. I was blessed to know him."
In 1981, Curry returned to Broadway for the play, "Amadeus," about the lives of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri. Curry's performance as Mozart earned him his first Tony nomination for best actor in a play.
Another memorable role that many know Curry for is his portrayal of Wadsworth in the 1985 comedy mystery film "Clue," about six strangers who gather at a mansion where a series of murders unfold. He reflected on the role in 2023 in an interview with Empire and said that his character having to unveil three monologues revealing the killer was "exhausting."
He added, “Actually, when we finished that sequence, I had to go to the company nurse. My blood pressure was through the roof!"
Curry took on the role of villain again in 1990 when he portrayed Pennywise in the "It" television miniseries. In his memoir, "Vagabond," the actor said he "didn't delight" in his transformation as the killer clown due in part to the fact that he "loathes" clowns.
"In any case, the thought of embodying this killer clown made me feel simultaneously uncomfortable," he wrote in his memoir as reported by People in 2025.
He added, "I haven't had much to say about it publicly for many years, which many people misread as my carrying some sort of deep conflict about the role. That's really not the case, but I didn't revel in the role, either."
For many kids who grew up watching "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," perhaps their first introduction to Curry was when they saw him portray the suspicious Plaza Hotel concierge in the 1992 film alongside Macaulay Culkin.
Following the film, Curry shared his experience with kids at the airport when they recognized him from the film. "It happens particularly at airports," he said in an interview, adding that kids will nudge their mothers and said that "they don't really quite know how to react because all they know is that I was mean to Kevin."
In 2004, Curry starred as King Arthur in "Spamalot" in Chicago and on Broadway in 2005, which earned him his third nomination. He continued to reprise his role as King Arthur for the West End production of the musical, which earned him a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award.
Beginning in the late '90s into the early 2000s, Curry lent his voice to many animated television series, including "Rugrats," "Batman," "Johnny Bravo, "Scooby-Doo" and more. But it wasn't until 1998 that his voice became synonymous with a nomadic documentary host named Nigel Thornberry, an animated character who traveled the world with his family. The series would go on to have an animated film, a video game and fun crossovers with other Nickelodeon shows.