Celebrity Nooz: Tim Curry

Tim Curry (Actor) as Dr. Frank N. Furter - The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Updated: 2/19/09

Name: Tim Curry

Born: April 19, 1946, Grappenhall, Cheshire, England

Nickname: The Cheshire Cat

Claim To Fame: His most famous role is that of Dr. Frank N. Furter in The Rocky Horror Show. Curry's portrayal of the mad scientist and transvestite made him both a star and a cult figure.

Family Life: He is the son of Methodist Royal Navy chaplain, James, and Patricia, a school secretary.

Info: While part of the original London cast of the musical Hair in 1968, Curry met Richard O'Brien, who would write Curry's most famous role - that of Dr. Frank N. Furter in the Rocky Horror Show. He carried the role to the movie version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and continued to play the character in London, Los Angeles and New York until 1975.

His next Broadway performance as the famous dadaist Tristan Tzara in Tom Stoppard's Travesties met with rave reviews. The show ran in London and New York from 1975 to 1976, and won two Tony Awards.

In 1981, Curry formed part of the original cast in the Broadway show Amadeus, playing the title character, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the role that earned him his first Tony nomination.

The following year, Curry took the part of the Pirate King in a London stage version of The Pirates of Penzance opposite George Cole.

Curry continued to perform throughout the 1980s, taking part in The Rivals, and in several plays with the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain, including the Threepenny Opera (MacHeath 1986), Dalliance (Theodore 1986), and Love For Love (Tattle 1985).

In 1987, he took on the lead role of Bill Snibson on the national tour of Me and My Girl. In 1993, Curry played Alan Swann in the Broadway musical version of My Favorite Year, earning him his second Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical.

Trivia: As a composer and a singer, Curry toured the US and Europe with his own band and released four albums on A&M Records.

Provided the voice of "Sir" who welcomed visitors to the Alien Encounter attraction in Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World. The Alien Encounter ride was replaced after a few years.

Has read several times for "The Great Writers Series" in Los Angeles.

A close friend of Carly Simon and sang backing vocals on her 1979 album "Spy".

Appears as both subject and author in the photography book "Double Exposure, Take Four" by Roddy McDowall.

Studied Drama & English at Cambridge and at Birmingham University, from which he graduated with Combined Honors.

Has earned three Tony Award nominations, the first in 1981 as Best Actor (Play) for portraying the title character Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in "Amadeus" - the second in 1993 as Best Actor (Musical) for "My Favorite Year" - and the third in 2005 for Best Actor (Musical) for his role of King Arthur in "Spamalot".

Personally paid for his cousin, Keighley Twocker frontman Michael Loftus to have cosmetic surgery.

Already an accomplished singer, he performed a cover of the theme song to Disney's "Davey Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier".

In a Fresh Air interview in 2005, he reported meeting Princess Diana. It turned out she was such a fan of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), she told him, "Thank you for completing my education.".

Not only was he Tim Burton's second choice for the role of The Joker, he was the producers' first choice for the role in the animated television series, until Mark Hamill was cast. Tom Hulce succeeded him in the role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Amadeus.

Don't Look Now (1973) is one of his favorite films.

He was presented with an honorary citizenship of New Orleans and key to the City of New Orleans by Angela Baham, Administrative Assistant to the Chief Administrator Officer Reynard J. Rochon to Mayor Ernest Morial on October 8, 1979 following a concert in New Orleans.

Was on the 1980 Clash album "Sandinista!" On track 18, "The Sound of the Sinners", he spoke as a priest mid-song.

Has voiced two royal cats, voicing Prince in "Garfield: A Tail Of Two Kitties" and The Cat King in "The Cat Returns".

Where Are They Now: Curry has since earned a third Tony nomination, again for Best Actor in a Musical, for his role of King Arthur in Spamalot. He began the role in late 2004, and followed its move to Broadway in February 2005. He reprised the role in London's West End at the Palace Theatre in October 2006, and stayed with the show until January 2007.

Curry has also provided his voice for more than a dozen audio books, and in countless animated television series and videos. Video game enthusiasts can check him out as Premier Cherdenko, the leader of the Soviet Union, in the new video game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. When Curry is not working, he lives in Los Angeles with his dog, Frank.

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Videos: Rocky Horror - Transylvania Transvestite

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