How Tim Curry Changed Your Life
Hundreds of people told me how Tim Curry changed their lives, in roles like Frank-N-Furter, Long John Silver, Pennywise, and Nigel Thornberry; in films like Clue, Annie, Fern Gully, and Home Alone 2; and on shows like Psych and Over the Garden Wall; specials like The Worst Witch and the Steven King It miniseries; and video games like Red Alert III and Gabriel Knight.
People described Tim as their gay awakening, their bi awakening, their lesbian awakening, and their trans awakening. He awakened interests in nerdy fandoms, and in careers from acting to environmentalism. And he helped form unexpected connections with family — both biological and chosen, with Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow-casts.
How could one man have done so much? Let’s dig in to the incredible career (and even more incredible impact) of Timothy James Curry.
Thanks to Emma for the edit help with this video! Check out her channel: @mediaprocessingchannel
And check out all of the responses I got on my original post asking for stories about Tim Curry’s impact: https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkxs_ox8_hXk38oswIjQQMlDGqon6zDFO7E
@MitchellAyres-e5h
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
His performance style is about as flamboyant a straight man can physically be. His range of characters is insane.
@ghintz2156
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
Christopher Lee singing "Poison" is the energy I try to live by.
@Sara_TheFatCultureCritic
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
I hope his loved ones find comfort in how much he meant to all of us.
@nixhixx
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
GNU Tim Curry
@bearded_boar9498
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
Nice shirt, Jesse!
@LENNEFTV
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
As a kid I was made to watch rocky horror and Tim curry creeped me out. Then I watched IT way too young and it traumatised me 🤣🤦♂️ a few years later after revisiting I realised what a legend Tim curry is. He was creepy as hell as pennywise, great as frankfurter in was amazing in legend.
@Smogget
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
I live in Milwaukee, which has the longest running monthly showing of Rocky Horror in the country. I used to go almost every month in my 20s. Back then I was not comfortable with being openly sexual in any way, but once a month I put on a sparkly green leotard and yelled at a movie screen and felt completely free.
@confusedbear2368
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
This editing is absurd love it
@ssphantasmagoria
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
lol I appreciate you including Freakazoid 😂😂😂
@JaneAxon123
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
Enjoyed rocky horror although I didn't relate to the characters as such, loved him as Pennywise, but was obsessed with Legend.
@justincase5002
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
Never watched Rocky Horror Show. I know him for being Darkness, Pennywise, and traveling to the one place that hasn't been corrupted by capitalism – SPACE
@michaelanders6161
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
MATT❣️❣️❣️ Delicious! "Give yourself over… to absolute pleasure!"🎶🎶
So many great Tim roles I hadn't even heard of! Squeee!
And yet, you didn't even mention one of my favorite, Thornton the nerdy elocutionist, from the Stallone and Tomei film, "Oscar," hired to teach Stallone's mobsters charactor "to talk good, proper-like, like a banker!" Lol
I'm 59. Didn't fully come out as gay until age 46. First instroduced to Rocky Horror in college. There are precious few films I have watched even 3 times, mostly holiday classic. But somehow I've seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show over a dozen times. "But isn't it NICE!" 😆
@vikkitaggart7454
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
Tim Curry as Rooster in Annie was so appealing. His evil reveal at the end was so terrifying. It was the perfect picture of how someone can be so charismatic and rotten at the same time.
I adored him in everything I ever saw him in. He was sexy and cool. He was also unapologetically weird. He helped me find my people over the years. He brought me so much joy and I hope he knew how much he meant to all of the odd ducks of the world.
@corkscrewfoley
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
That clip from Much Music was great, as a Canadian Gen Xer, it was great to see him there.
@AnonPanOn
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
I DID NOT KNOW HE PLAYED THE ORGAN IN BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS. This man touched every part of my childhood😭 Fern Gully, Wild Thornberries, Muppets Treasure Island, Red Alert…. may he rest in peace<3
@Pahedi
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
Tell your friend that we… We like him a lot.
@72PRODIGALSON
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
I never thought Tim's characters WERE characters… Rather small peeks into the REAL Tim Curry and the many facets of who he was. He was BRILLIANT, above all else, in my opinion.
@glass0fwin
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
My mom knew I was weird and different. I adored Tim Curry at a young age because I saw LEGEND and the raw magnetism of Curry's Lord Darkness really grabbed me. Mom made sure I saw RHPS (tv edit, I was only 11) and I fell in love with him even more. He was also an integral reason why I longed to be a voice actor and be perceived as Queer in both gender and sexuality.
@Cirkux
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
His approach to playing with muppets was the exact opposite of Michael Caine's, yet both were perfect.
@NightAtTheOpera3
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
I'm just happy to have shared the planet with him for a time.
@faithlessfate
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
Hey! Thanks for using my words!
@robertperry814
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
Rocky Horror…the only "Rocky" without Sylvester Stallone.
@mindlessindulgence85
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
Tim Curry played such a pivotal role in my childhood; many of his films helped shape my interests and my personality. The first horror film I was able to watch as a child was It, and it’s an important part of why I love the genre now. It also helped me to be brave; I was terrified of other horror films, but was always proud that I was less afraid of the film than my brother was (who was very scared of clowns at the time). Legend was a big part of why I love fantasy, but it also helped me to see beauty in dark things. Rocky Horror wasn’t my first queer awakening, but it was the first time I saw queerness as something to celebrate. I’d watch at night when everyone else was in bed and dance in front of the TV. Even though Frankenfurter was technically the villain, seeing someone unapologetically be attracted to multiple genders was so important for me. I didn’t come out until many years afterwards, but it still meant so much to know there were other ways of thinking about sexuality.
I would not be the queer weirdo I am today without Tim Curry, and I am so thankful he had such an impact on all of our lives.
@MasterpieceLost
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
I was very young when I first started recognizing Tim Curry’s voice in my cartoons and I was always delighted, already obsessed with him from his movies. I always wanted to be bold in the limelight, while body image issues made me feel like I couldn’t be. But he was always so extra, so ranged, going from a dragon to a mad scientist and anything else you could name. The cartoons he was a part of- Ferngully, Darkwing Duck, Gargoyles, Captain Planet, so many more- all became influences on me going on to study animation and learn how to express myself through characters.
@chaserunaway
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
What an incredibly special person. Rest in peace Tim <3
@TROQUE4
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
i never knew i loved him in other things
@KentuckyWallChicken
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
What a beautiful sendoff to him. ❤
@coolduder1001
September 22, 2026 at 11:06 pm
Now I feel like we need something on David Bowie