Hollywood Remembers Tim Curry as Susan Sarandon, Carol Burnett and Co-Stars Pay Emotional Tribute

Hollywood figures have shared an outpouring of memories for Tim Curry, celebrating not only the performances that made him one of Britain’s most distinctive actors, but also the warmth, generosity and humor he showed away from the screen.

Curry died at his Los Angeles home on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at the age of 80, his longtime manager and friend Marcia Hurwitz confirmed. His death brought tributes from collaborators across a career spanning nearly six decades in film, television, theater and voice acting.

Susan Sarandon remembers the man behind the performances

Among the most personal tributes came from Susan Sarandon, who starred opposite Curry in the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Sarandon shared photographs of the pair and remembered Curry as funny, original and charismatic, but said the quality she valued most was his heart.

She also reflected on his relationship with fans after the major stroke he suffered in 2012 left him using a wheelchair. Despite the enormous change to his health and career, Sarandon said Curry remained kind and generous toward the people who continued to celebrate his work.

Her message ended simply with gratitude for how much Curry had meant to so many people.

The connection between Curry and Rocky Horror remained central to his legacy. He originated Dr. Frank-N-Furter on the London stage before bringing the character to the screen in the 1975 film, creating a performance that would remain closely associated with him for the rest of his life.

Carol Burnett remembers a “dear friend”

Carol Burnett, Curry’s co-star in the 1982 musical Annie, also looked back on their time together.

Burnett shared a clip from the movie and recalled how much fun they had working alongside one another. She praised Curry’s extraordinary ability to make villainous characters entertaining and endearing, describing him as a dear friend and saying she felt fortunate to have known him.

In Annie, Burnett played Miss Hannigan while Curry appeared as Rooster Hannigan, another role that showcased his ability to combine comedy, menace and theatrical flair.

That versatility became one of the defining qualities of Curry’s career.

He could move from the flamboyant Frank-N-Furter to the frantic Wadsworth in Clue, the sinister Pennywise in the 1990 adaptation of It and the memorable hotel concierge Mr. Hector in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

Luke Evans honors the actor who inspired generations

Luke Evans also paid tribute to Curry.

Evans played Frank-N-Furter in the 2026 Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show, stepping into a role inseparable from Curry’s original interpretation.

In his tribute, Evans described Curry as a singular presence whose voice, charm and fearless performances had influenced countless actors.

Evans also revealed that he had written Curry a letter only weeks before his death. In it, he acknowledged that anyone taking on Frank-N-Furter inevitably follows a path Curry created decades earlier. Rather than attempting to imitate the original performance, Evans said his goal had been to honor what Curry created while finding his own interpretation of the character.

Rob Schneider recalls a lesson he never forgot

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York co-star Rob Schneider remembered Curry from another perspective: as an actor whose technique could surprise even the people working beside him.

Schneider recalled watching Curry perform the same scene in dramatically different ways, giving the director multiple options rather than simply repeating a single interpretation.

For Schneider, the experience became an acting lesson he carried with him afterward.

He also remembered Curry as generous and kind to work with and expressed how meaningful it had been, as a younger performer, simply to share scenes with him.

A career that stretched far beyond one iconic role

Although Rocky Horror transformed Curry into a cultural figure, his career extended across an unusually broad range of work.

On Broadway, he received three Tony Award nominations, including recognition for Amadeus, My Favorite Year and Spamalot. His stage career also earned Olivier Award nominations, while his unmistakable baritone made him a prolific voice performer.

His screen work ranged from Annie and Clue to Legend, Home Alone 2 and Muppet Treasure Island, while television audiences knew him for roles including Pennywise in It.

Curry also built an extensive voice-acting career, contributing to projects including Peter Pan and the Pirates, The Wild Thornberrys and other animated productions. His voice performance in Peter Pan and the Pirates earned him a Daytime Emmy.

Life and work after his stroke

Curry suffered a major stroke in 2012 that significantly affected his mobility and eventually required him to use a wheelchair.

The health crisis dramatically reduced his conventional screen and stage work, but it did not completely remove him from performing or from the public.

He continued taking voice roles and remained connected with admirers of his work. In 2024, he made a cameo in the horror film Stream, marking a return to the big screen.

Sarandon’s tribute placed particular emphasis on this later period, remembering how Curry continued treating fans with generosity despite the physical challenges he faced.

Tributes extend across generations

The response to Curry’s death has stretched well beyond the stars highlighted in the initial tributes.

Clue co-stars Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean and Lesley Ann Warren were among those who remembered him, while The Muppets honored the actor who played Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island.

Director Guillermo del Toro offered his own succinct farewell, calling Curry a “Sweet Myth.”

Together, the messages reflected the unusual reach of Curry’s career. Different generations encountered him through completely different characters — Frank-N-Furter, Pennywise, Wadsworth, Rooster, Mr. Hector or Long John Silver — yet his distinctive voice, expressions and theatrical energy made each unmistakably his own.

For the colleagues who knew him personally, however, the tributes have repeatedly returned to something beyond those famous performances.

Behind the villains, eccentrics and larger-than-life characters was a colleague and friend remembered for his wit, generosity and kindness — qualities that Susan Sarandon summed up by focusing not on Curry’s fame, but on his heart.