Tim Curry's cause of death revealed: reports

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FOX Local
Published September 2, 2026 12:51 PM MST

FILE: Tim Curry as Criminologist Narrator    in THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW: LET'S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN on FOX.  (Photo by FOX Image Collection via Getty Images)

The Brief

    • The cause of death for beloved character actor Tim Curry has been revealed, nearly a week after he died at 80 years old. 
    • According to a Los Angeles County Department of Public Health report obtained by People magazine, Curry’s primary cause of death was coronary artery disease, with kidney cancer and a history of strokes listed as underlying causes. 
    • Curry had suffered a stroke in 2012 that put him in a wheelchair.

Tim Curry’s cause of death has been determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, according to People magazine. 

Curry, a beloved character actor best known as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and the smug concierge in "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," died last week. He was 80 years old. 

Tim Curry’s cause of death

What they're saying:

According to a Los Angeles County Department of Public Health report obtained by People magazine, Curry’s primary cause of death was coronary artery disease, with kidney cancer and a history of strokes listed as underlying causes. Curry had suffered a stroke in 2012 that put him in a wheelchair.

Tim Curry’s legacy

The backstory:

Known for his arch humor, a puttylike face and gift with voices, Curry earned three Tony nominations — for "Spamalot," "My Favorite Year" and "Amadeus" — and a Primetime Emmy nod in 1994.

"I like playing the more curious corners of the human mind and human behavior, partly because they’re a tad more interesting," Curry told The Associated Press in 1993.

Curry burst onto the scene as the Transylvanian Frank-N-Furter in the sci-fi, cross-dressing rock musical "The Rocky Horror Show," which premiered in 1973 at the Royal Court Theatre in London. He went with it to Broadway and then starred in the 1975 cult-classic movie alongside Barry Bostwick, Meat Loaf and Susan Sarandon.

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The show was ahead of its time in terms of its representation of LGBTQ+ characters and has entered the pop culture lexicon for its many iconic and memorable scenes, including the song "The Time Warp," which has been covered by handfuls of artists, and the often-quoted phrase, "Dammit, Janet!" The show was twice revived on Broadway, most recently in 2026 with Luke Evans playing Frank-N-Furter.

His screen credits also included starring as the child-killing monster in the 1990 miniseries version of Stephen King’s horror novel "It," as a medical officer in "The Hunt for Red October" in 1990 and the double-dealing Cardinal Richelieu in 1993’s "The Three Musketeers" with Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen and Chris O’Donnell.

Curry’s Broadway career included starring in Tom Stoppard’s "Travesties" in 1975-76, playing Mozart opposite Ian McKellen’s Antonio Salieri in Peter Shaffer’s "Amadeus" and King Arthur in the 2005 production of "Spamalot." The New York Times said his "stalwart, plummy-voiced Arthur wears a smile as inflexible as armor." He also played Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol," at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in 2001.

The Source: This article includes information from People magazine, The Associated Press and previous FOX Local reporting.

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