Image Description: Tim Curry has short grey hair and goatee beard. His mouth droops slightly
on one side, a lasting effect of his stroke. He wears a black shirt with a wide
collar. His head rests against a black, cushioned headrest attached to a
wheelchair that is out of frame.
On 25
August 2026, we lost one of the most distinctive voices in film and TV. At 80,
Tim Curry had an impressive, eclectic career, even after his stroke in 2012. It
seems heartbreakingly incidental that two queer icons passed on the same day.
Like Dolly Parton, Curry shall be especially remembered for his acting, singing,
and philanthropy (though, no offence to Curry, it could be argued Dolly’s
generosity was more widespread!).
With
Halloween coming up, I racked my brain over this month’s review, but looking
back at Curry’s work answered it for me: so many evil, even scary, characters.
So, here are my top 10 performances from an extremely talented, sorely missed
man.
(PLEASE
NOTE: there are some spoilers.)
10) Ben Ravencroft, Scooby-Doo
and the Witch’s Ghost (1999)
Image Description: Ben Ravencroft, a man with a black ponytail and beard, wears square-framed glasses, a black shirt and a brown jacket. He stands in a dark forest holding a large book with a big skull in the centre of its cover.
Curry
voiced two characters across two Scooby-Doo films. He played the titular Goblin
King in 2008, but Ben Ravencroft left more of an impression on me.
Ravencroft
is a horror writer who helps Scooby-Doo and those pesky kids solve a mystery.
Velma, a massive fan, is delighted when he invites the gang to his hometown in
Massachusetts, only to find it’s now a tourist attraction built around the
ghost of his ancestor. Sarah Ravencroft was persecuted as a witch and executed
by the Puritan townspeople in 1657, but Ben believes she was merely a Wiccan
who healed people with herbal remedies. So, he goes searching for her journal
to prove her innocence once and for all. At least, that’s what Velma and the
gang are led to believe!
It’s a
Scooby-Doo movie, so you can guess what happens next. At first, Curry’s voice
is near-unrecognisable, until he raises it triumphantly, even maniacally, to
the sky. It’s one of his more underrated performances, but still compelling.
9) Hexxus, FernGully:
The Last Rainforest (1992)
Image Description: Hexxus spoils a fiery orange sunset. He is a smoky, formless figure,
black as tar except for his white eyes, prominent brow, grey teeth and pointed
chin.
One of many Curry performances I mentally file under “this
gives me very confused feelings.” I mostly remember FernGully for Robin
Williams’ batty performance (and Curry’s), and it isn’t subtle about its
environmental message.
Krysta, a fairy, is trying to save her beloved forest from
human greed, except it’s kinda hard to root for the good guys when Hexxus (and
Curry) is having THIS much fun. Hexxus is pollution personified, so he’s on the
humans’ side when it comes to cutting down the fairies’ home. His song, “Toxic
Love,” is an apt mix of corruption and delight, and Curry’s ecstatic delivery
of its opening,“Hit me
once…hit me twice…OH! Oh, that’s rather nice…” leads into a sleazy,
crooning number from a cartoon black cloud with the biggest chin and lips
you’ve ever seen.
8) Forté, Beauty and
the Beast (1997)
Image Description: As an enchanted organ, Forté is just a head integrated into the pipes and
metal decorations around him. His eyes are black holes above a simpering, full
mouth.
You might be thinking, “But I don’t remember a Forté in Beauty and the Beast...” That’s because he’s original to the direct-to-video sequel (a fad Disney really pushed in the late 90s and early Noughties with dubious results).
Set during the events of the original film, we meet Forté,
once a morbid music conductor, and now a sentient pipe organ playing music to
soothe the savage Beast. However, Belle’s gentle kindness draws the Beast out
of the West Wing, leaving Forté redundant and forgotten.
Image Description: Forté as a human isn’t much of an improvement. His colour scheme is grey.
At least he has proper eyes, though they’re heavily lidded. He wears a long,
dramatic wig, like a judge’s.
A lesser actor might have made Forté whiny and unfunny, but Curry plays him with charm and sarcasm. To the Beast, he is an indulgent shoulder to rage on; Forté’s minion, Fife, endures his temper stuck in a structurally unsound room. Because it’s a Disney film (and because it would be criminal not to), Forté gets his own musical number. “Don’t Fall in Love” doesn’t try to match the majesty of “Beauty and the Beast” (honestly, I can’t remember the tune), but it’s clear Curry had great fun recording it. Some of the creepy wordplay haunts me to this day, as does Forté’s hilariously lacklustre “Deck the Halls.” Sure, Forté is just another Curry villain enjoying himself far too much, but that’s fine by me.
7) Long John Silver, Muppet
Treasure Island (1996)
Image Description: Tim Curry, as Long John Silver, grins with his pet Muppet lobster, Polly,
draped over his shoulder. He has a clipped beard and a fancy black-and-red
pirate costume.
Even before I watched Muppet Treasure Island, I knew
of Curry’s performance as the notorious Long John Silver: how much he’d enjoyed
the role, and how he received his own puppet after filming. While Michael Caine
played the straight man in The Muppet Christmas Carol, Curry went “full
Muppet.” It almost makes sense that Curry had an affair with Miss Piggy behind
the scenes, because “…once you’ve had pork, you never go back.” When he died,
Miss Piggy even paid tribute on Instagram: “Moi will never forget vous, Long
John.”
When Jim Hawkins (a very young Kevin Bishop) goes off on an
adventure with his pals Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat, he meets the ship’s cook, Long
John Silver. At first, John is cheerful, experienced at sea, and even paternal
towards Jim. It’s nice, because Jim didn’t know his father, except that he’d
left Jim a map. Unfortunately, the map attracts a lot of attention from
pirates, including John. Perhaps he’s not as kind as he appears?
There’s so much to enjoy here, especially the dry, zany
humour and the inevitable music numbers, highlighted by Curry’s cry of
“Upstage, lads! This is my only number!” before he breaks into song.
6) Pennywise the Clown, It
(1990)
I had to take a deep
breath before searching for this image…ugh…
Image Description: Pennywise is horrific, with bright red hair,
a red nose and a ghoulish painted face. His mouth is open in a snarl, revealing
crooked, yellowed fangs.
It centres around seven kids
terrorised by a creature that targets children through their fears. Its
preferred façade is a clown named Pennywise, complete with white face make-up,
a red nose and a bunch of red balloons.
That sounds goofy as hell, right? Except Curry revels in the
strange place between ridiculous and downright sinister. Whether he’s making
poor little Georgie laugh from a sewer drain or sloooowly turning his head to
reveal pointed fangs, Curry makes dread almost... funny. Maybe? Almost. I’ll
file this one under “confused feelings,” too.
5) Nigel Thornberry, The Wild Thornberrys (1998-2004)
Image Description: Nigel squints in amusement as his wife, Maryanne, films him. Their younger
children, wild Donnie and spectacled Eliza, run with a pack of baboons while
Darwin the chimpanzee looks uncertain. Painted in tiger stripes, the family RV
is parked on a craggy hill. Their eldest daughter, Debbie, drives in on a
motorcycle and sidecar, painted with the same stripes as the RV.
Without a doubt, Nigel Thornberry started my interest in
identifying actors by their voice. I grew up watching The Wild Thornberrys
on CITV after school, and Curry’s exuberance in the role always made me laugh.
The show follows Nigel’s youngest daughter Eliza, who can
talk to animals. The Thornberrys travel the globe in an RV, filming nature
documentaries, which Nigel presents. Think David Attenborough with red hair and
tremendous teeth, and that’s Nigel!
Across the TV series, the subsequent film and the Rugrats
crossover, Curry is terrific as Nigel: nasally, posh, and brimming with a
childlike joy that is really smashing.
4) The Cat King, The
Cat Returns (2002)
GIF Description: The Cat King lounges on a chaise longue, held up by other cats. He has
grey, bushy fur, a lighter grey moustache and blue and pink eyes. He wears a
large blue gem between his pointed ears. As he mouths, “Thanks a lot, babe,” a
single fang hangs down.
While not the best of Curry’s performances, the Cat King in the English dub of The Cat Returns is certainly one of his most comedic.
The Cat Returns also features in my Top 10 Studio Ghibli Films.
3) Wadsworth, Clue (1985)
Image Description: Wadsworth looks serious in a simple black-and-white suit and black tie.
He stands in a gilded doorway, with a grand staircase visible in the hallway
behind him.
Okay, fine, I’ll call it that, but us Brits call the game
itself Cluedo.
Similar to the murder-mystery game, six guests (plus the
mansion’s staff) must work out who killed Mr. Boddy (get it?). I don’t know why
it took me so long to see this film, because there are so many talented actors:
Christopher Lloyd as Professor Plum, Madeline Kahn as Mrs. White and Martin
Mull as Colonel Mustard, to name a few.
But they’re all overshadowed by Tim Curry as Wadsworth the
butler. Why? Simple: he reenacts whole sequences from the film BY HIMSELF,
playing all the characters, running like a madman through the mansion and
getting hit on the head multiple times.
And that’s before we get to the multiple endings. Honestly,
Clue is such a cult classic. Oh, speaking of which...
2) Dr. Frank-N-Furter, The
Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Image Description: Dr. Frank-N-Furter stands to the side,
turning their head towards the camera. Their black, curly hair frames their
face and accentuates their cheekbones. Their face is painted white, with
dramatic eyebrows, eyeshadow and sultry red lips. They wear a pearl necklace, a
leather vest and gloves. On their upper arm is a tattoo of a red, dripping
heart pierced by a dagger, with “BOSS” in cursive above it.
As if I could write a list of
favourite Tim Curry roles without this one! I’ve talked about The Rocky
Horror Picture Show in great
detail recently, so telling the story from Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s perspective is
much more fun.
To celebrate the unveiling of
their beautiful, muscular creation, the Dr. hosts a raucous party for their
fans and fellow Transylvanians. Then their manservant Riff-Raff brings in two
young kids, soaked from the rain, and oh! What lovely specimens they are, and
so naïve, too. Except that Teddy Boy Eddie has just crashed the party,
threatening to spoil everything. Well, that just won’t do at all, will it?
Ridiculous and menacing, alluring
and surprisingly vulnerable towards the end of the film, Curry conveys it all
with ease. As a big-screen debut, it’s pretty bloody fantastic, and his look is
one of his most iconic transformations as an actor.
However, it isn’t quite as
astounding as my number 1 performance...
1) Darkness, Legend (1985)
Image Description: Darkness stands tall and flamboyant, his
black cape flowing behind him as he holds a pointed staff. His face and torso
are shiny, red and bare, and his vast black horns taper to deadly points.
Damn.
Jack (a pre-Top Gun Tom Cruise) tries to
impress Lili (Mia Sara, pre-Ferris
Bueller’s Day Off) by showing her the last two unicorns in
existence. But when Lili’s pride gets one of them killed, the surviving unicorn
and the world’s magic are under threat. After all, what is magic without
unicorns? Everyone is terrified by the prospect, apart from Darkness, who is
the epitome of... well, darkness.
In typical, exasperating form,
Ridley Scott made multiple versions of Legend. One of these days I shall review
it properly; for now, just know Tim Curry is incredible in all of them. Heck,
with the stilts, the prosthetics and those massive horns, it’s remarkable he
could move or act at all.
That said, Darkness belongs on my
“gives me confused feelings” file, on its front cover. We hear his voice first, and its brooding,
silken quality grabs your attention, even when he’s only spouting
good-versus-evil jargon. Then we meet Darkness in person, with Lili, and... oh.
He’s bright red, cloven-hoofed, and always lit by flame, which accentuates his
oily skin. I should not be allured. BUT I AM. And I blame Tim Curry’s charisma
and eloquent delivery of speeches. I shouldn’t be disappointed that Lili is
disgusted by him and scorns him. BUT I AM. Everytime. Sorry, not sorry.
In conclusion...
Given how sad I was about Tim
Curry’s passing, doing this list has been fun. It was fascinating to explore
his filmography and pinpoint what made his performances so enjoyable. Mostly,
it’s his unwavering charisma and enthusiasm, especially when playing villains
and untrustworthy rogues. We just don’t get antagonists who actively love being
bad, purely for the sake of it, in films or TV anymore. I miss that in bad guys
these days. With his
theatrical background, Curry understood presence and how to manipulate it, so
audiences couldn’t take their eyes off him, out of dread, or pure joy, often
both at once. That’s the sign of a great talent.
So, thanks, Tim Curry, for
scaring us, intriguing us, and making us laugh. And being weirdly sexy at
times, too. Often all at once. No one else could do it like you.
My Sources:
When did
Tim Curry pass away and when did he suffer a stroke? – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yd92gkk7vo
Did Curry
die on the same day as Dolly Parton? Yes? Oh, man… - https://legalunitedstates.com/did-tim-curry-and-dolly-parton-die-on-the-same-day/
Did Curry do any philanthropy? - https://natashagural.substack.com/p/the-secret-philanthropy-of-tim-curry
Tim Curry’s
filmography - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000347/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_3_nm_4_in_0_q_tim%20curr
Image: Ben
Ravencroft find his ancestor’s journal - https://vsymuyvhhj.blogspot.com/2021/07/scooby-doo-and-witchs-ghost-ben.html
Which Scooby-Doo
film came first? - https://www.imdb.com/list/ls561213215/
Scooby-Doo
and the Witch’s Ghost plot - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scooby-Doo!_and_the_Witch%27s_Ghost
Image: Hexxus - https://gamerant.com/best-tim-curry-voice-roles/
Who is the main fairy in FernGully: The Last Rainforest?
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104254/
Image:
Forté in his enchanted form - https://collider.com/creepiest-holiday-movie-characters/
What kind
of instrument was Forté? - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_and_the_Beast:_The_Enchanted_Christmas
Image: Forté in his human form - https://www.deviantart.com/chaosangelmoon/art/Beauty-and-the-Beast-The-Wrath-of-Forte-Epilogue-699871030
What was Forté’s song called? - https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Don%27t_Fall_in_Love
Image: Polly and Long John Silver - https://collider.com/tim-curry-movies-most-rewatchable-ranked/
Did Tim Curry have an affair with Miss Piggy? - https://www.thepinknews.com/2026/08/27/tim-curry-love-life-miss-piggy/
What did Long John Silver say before his song? - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117110/quotes/?item=qt1893205
Image:
Pennywise - https://screenrant.com/how-stephen-king-raised-me-sorry-mom-dad/
How long
did The Wild Thornberrys run for? - https://nickelodeon.fandom.com/wiki/The_Wild_Thornberrys
Image: The
Thornberrys in their natural habitat - https://movieweb.com/the-wild-thornberrys-nickelodeon-best-cartoons/
What’s the
name of The Baron in The Cat Returns? - https://ghibli.fandom.com/wiki/Humbert_von_Gikkingen
GIF: The
Cat King - https://www.gifcen.com/the-returns-cat-gif-5/
Image:
Wadsworth the butler - https://movieweb.com/tim-curry-movies-ranked/
Image: Dr.
Frank-N-Furter - https://monster-and-slashers.fandom.com/wiki/Dr._Frank-N-Furter
What does
Dr. Frank-N-Furter say about having a good time? - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073629/quotes/?ref_=tt_dyk_qu
Image:
Darkness - https://www.fandango.com/movie-photos/visions-of-hell-in-the-movies-960
Which came first, Top Gun or Legend? - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092099/
Which came first, Ferris Bueller's Day Off or Legend?
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091042/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_3_nm_4_in_0_q_ferr
Behind the scenes at Legend: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GOpAv57ln4A
https://www.ranker.com/list/legend-behind-the-scenes-stories/jacob-shelton
https://screenrant.com/legend-movies-1985-behind-scenes-details-trivia/
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