Tim Curry spent more than a decade navigating the lasting effects of a major stroke that left him partially paralyzed and unable to walk.
The "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Clue" actor died Aug 25 at 80, his longtime manager and friend Marcia Hurwitz confirmed in a statement shared with USA TODAY by rep Sean Katz. A cause of death has not been publicly announced.
Curry had spoken candidly in the year before his death about the 2012 stroke that dramatically changed his life, revealing details about the emergency brain surgery he underwent, learning to speak again and the mobility and memory problems that remained more than a 10 years later.
Here's what Curry shared over the years about his health.
Tim Curry opened up about 'scary' times in final USA TODAY interview
The British actor offered a significant health
disclosure during his final interview with USA TODAY in October.
Curry said he was doing "pretty good" 13 years after the stroke, but he revealed he was living with an aneurysm in his abdomen and did not know whether or when it could rupture.
"The whole thing's been scary," Curry told USA TODAY.
Despite the lasting impact of the stroke, Curry continued to work and remained engaged with fans in his later years. Reflecting on his career with USA TODAY in 2025, he described himself not as a movie star, but as a "working actor who isn't working right now."
Tim Curry suffered a major stroke in 2012
Curry suffered a major stroke in July 2012, though news of the medical emergency did not become public until the following year.
When reports of the stroke surfaced in May 2013, Curry’s longtime agent, Marcia Hurwitz, clarified to USA TODAY that the stroke had actually happened the previous July.
"He has been going to physical therapy doing very well and in great humor," Hurwitz told USA TODAY at the time, adding that Curry thanked fans for their well wishes.
The severity of the stroke became clearer in the years that followed. It left Curry partially paralyzed, significantly affecting the left side of his body and his ability to walk.
In his 2025 memoir, "Vagabond," Curry revealed that he had been receiving a massage when the stroke occurred and initially did not realize anything was wrong. His massage therapist became concerned and called for medical help despite Curry's reluctance.
Curry later underwent emergency brain surgery. In his memoir, he described having part of his skull removed during a craniectomy because of swelling or blood around his brain. He also said the stroke temporarily took away his ability to speak.
Curry told "CBS Sunday Morning" in 2025 that he had to learn how to speak again after the stroke. He also experienced paralysis on his left side.
Tim Curry returned to the public eye in a wheelchair
Curry largely remained out of the public eye in the first years after his stroke while undergoing rehabilitation.
In June 2015, he made a rare public appearance at the Actors Fund's Tony Awards Viewing Party in Los Angeles, where he received the organization’s artistic achievement award.
Curry attended the event in a wheelchair, which he continued to use because of the mobility limitations caused by his stroke.
His health also changed the trajectory of his career. Curry increasingly turned to voice work following the stroke, allowing the prolific stage and screen performer to continue acting despite his physical limitations.
Tim Curry said in 2025 he still couldn't walk
More than 13 years after his stroke, Curry shared a candid update on his condition during a September 2025 event marking the 50th anniversary of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show.""I still can't walk, which is why I'm in this silly chair, and that's very limiting," Curry told the audience. "So I won't be singing and I won't be dancing very soon. I still have real problems with my left leg."Curry said he continued to have significant problems with his left leg and acknowledged how much his lack of mobility limited him.Curry's stroke affected more than his mobility. In his October interview with USA TODAY surrounding the release of "Vagabond," he said his "short-term memory has not fared well because of the stroke," a complication he said could make a return to theater difficult. His long-term memory, however, had remained strong, allowing him to revisit his life for the memoir.
Contributing: Brian Truitt, Ann Oldenburg, Andrea Mandell, and Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tim Curry's stroke, aneurysm and mobility problems before his death
