Tim Curry, the legendary actor known for roles in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and It, has released a memoir titled Vagabond at the age of 79. The book, which he describes as 'difficult not to see as a kind of finale', covers his extraordinary career, his 2012 stroke, and his reflections on a life lived boldly. Curry, who has always valued privacy, was persuaded to write the memoir after an 'appalling amount of time to reflect' during his recovery and the pandemic.
Curry's career has been marked by boundless energy and a penchant for risky choices. He recalls exerting himself so much while filming the comedy Clue that a nurse warned him he was at risk of a heart attack. His most famous role remains Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but he has also played iconic villains like Pennywise the clown in Stephen King's It and voiced characters such as Nigel Thornberry in The Wild Thornberrys. His stage performances in The Pirates of Penzance and Spamalot earned Olivier nominations.
In 2012, Curry suffered a severe stroke that left his left side paralysed. He is grateful that his speech was unaffected, and comedy has become a 'coping mechanism' for him. 'The day before I had the stroke, I smoked three packs of Marlboro Reds,' he says. 'I won't be doing that again!' Despite the challenges, he maintains his characteristic wit and joie de vivre.
The memoir is filled with celebrity encounters, including impromptu dinners with David Bowie, cocaine sessions at Studio 54 with Truman Capote and Andy Warhol, and a catty encounter with Donald Trump on the set of Home Alone 2. However, Curry omits details of his romantic life, stating that such matters are 'none of your fucking business'. He says he tried to be 'as absolutely truthful as possible' in the book, which gave him 'the energy of a new playground'.
Curry reflects on his childhood as a 'self-confessed showoff', growing up as the son of a Royal Navy chaplain. He honed his voice skills by mimicking accents to make his mother laugh, including a thick New York accent she had picked up while living in the US. His early performances in church choirs sparked a love for entertaining, and he always felt he was 'just waiting to be discovered'.
