Tim Curry Hoped to “Earn the Privilege of Not Being Here" Before Death

By Paige Catton Aug 26, 2026 5:47 PM

| Updated 11 minutes ago

And over a decade after suffering from the life-threatening medical emergency, the It actor often used a wheelchair to assist with lingering mobility issues.

Beyond that, the Emmy winner—who had suffered a right-brain stroke—also suffered from chronic pain on his left side.

"Any kind of touch on my left arm and left hand can be very painful," Curry explained during his CBS Sunday Morning interview. "I'm not paralyzed anymore, thank God, although I can't really use my left arm or often my left leg."

At the time, the Legend actor admitted that not being able to speak, which he had to relearn during his rehabilitation, was particularly difficult for him to accept.

"I hated not being able to speak because I speak a lot," Curry noted. "I have to be told to shut up a lot. I love words. I love to communicate."

Indeed, in his last public appearance about a year prior to his death, he was able to use his gift to celebrate the Rocky Horror Picture Show’s 50th anniversary, praising the musical’s message and the legacy it left behind.

“I think the message of the film—don’t dream it, be it—is very important,” Curry shared during the Academy Museum’s celebration last September. “One of the things that the movie does, I think, is give anyone permission to behave as badly as they really want, in whatever way and with whom. And I’m proud of that.”

For a warp back in time through Curry’s life and career, keep reading…