Documents from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health have revealed that actor Tim Curry died on 25 August at the age of 80 from coronary artery disease, with a history of stroke and kidney cancer recorded as other conditions that contributed to his death.
"Yes, it is true and very sad indeed."
The confirmation of Curry’s death was provided to the media by his publisher, Jimmy Franco, senior director of publicity at Grand Central Publishing. The Los Angeles Police Department told reporters officers responded to a death investigation at about 11:20pm on the night in question involving a man described as being in his 80s at his home, and that no foul play was suspected.
From stage provocateur to screen character actor
Curry was a familiar face — and voice — across cinema, television and theatre for more than five decades. He rose to cult prominence after creating and then reprising the role of Frank-N-Furter in the original 1973 London stage production of The Rocky Horror Show, later taking the part to Broadway and to the 1975 film adaptation that became an enduring midnight-screening phenomenon.
His career encompassed a wide variety of parts: he played the sinister clown Pennywise in the 1990 television miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s It, Wadsworth in the film Clue, the concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers. The range of his work — from camp theatrical villainy to mainstream studio comedies and television horror — underlined an uncommon versatility.
Official findings and context
The death certificate obtained by media outlets lists coronary artery disease as the primary cause. It also cites a prior stroke and a history of kidney cancer as contributing factors, and notes that Curry had not undergone surgery for those conditions. The LAPD’s involvement was described as a standard death investigation; no suspicious circumstances have been reported.
- Date of death: 25 August
- Age at death: 80
- Primary cause: Coronary artery disease
- Contributing conditions: Stroke, kidney cancer
- Police response: LAPD attended at around 11:20pm; no foul play suspected
For readers who remember the shock of first encountering his Frank-N-Furter — and for those who know his voice from animated and audio work — the official cause brings a sober close to a long, eclectic career. Public statements so far have been brief; the publisher’s confirmation conveyed only the facts.
Selected notable roles
| Role | Production | Year (as cited) |
|---|---|---|
| Frank-N-Furter | The Rocky Horror Show / The Rocky Horror Picture Show | 1973 (stage), 1975 (film) |
| Pennywise | It (miniseries) | 1990 |
| Wadsworth | Clue | — |
| Concierge | Home Alone 2: Lost in New York | — |
| Cardinal Richelieu | The Three Musketeers | — |
Where years are not explicitly cited in public material obtained for this report, they have been left blank rather than risk inaccuracy. The roles listed reflect those mentioned in official statements and public obituaries relating to Curry’s career.
Curry’s death marks the end of a career that was at once theatrical, cinematic and often deliberately theatrical — an actor who could be embraced by cult midnight audiences and cast in mainstream fare without ever shedding an unmistakable personal stamp. The documentation released by public health authorities answers immediate questions about cause and contributing conditions; it is not an obituary of the man’s influence, but it does bring a measure of closure.
Further statements from family or estate representatives have not been published at the time of writing.
