Tim Curry hasn’t lost his humor.
The actor, 79, gave rare insight into his health condition after suffering a major stroke 13 years ago, but kept it light and cracked jokes along the way.
Curry appeared in his wheelchair alongside his “Rocky Horror Picture Show” co-stars at a screening of the horror-musical’s 50th anniversary on Friday, Sept. 26, in Los Angeles, Calif., which included a conversation with the actor.
“I still can’t walk, which is why I’m in this silly chair, and that’s very limiting. So I won’t be singing and I won’t be dancing very soon. I still have real problems with my left leg,” Curry told the audience, who gave him a standing ovation at the screening, held inside the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Curry also shared the details of suffering the stroke, revealing it was his masseuse who jumped into action.
“I was having a massage at the time and I didn’t even actually notice anything, but the guy who was doing the massage said, ‘I’m worried about you, I want to call an ambulance.’ And he did, and I said, ‘That’s so silly,’” he recalled.
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Curry, who famously played the mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” spoke about the cult classic’s everlasting impact on fans.
“I’m so excited by this and very honored by the Academy to do this presentation of our movie, which has dragged on for 50 years,” he teased.
The star said he’s especially proud of what the movie has meant to the LGBTQ+ community, noting he believes “the message of the film — don’t dream it, be it — is very important.”
He explained, “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.”
Curry’s “Rocky Horror Picture Show” co-stars Barry Bostwick (Brad Majors), Patricia Quinn (Magenta) and Nell Campbell (Columbia) were all in attendance, as was the film’s producer, Lou Adler.
The group made sure to pose for photos together after the event.
Earlier this month, Curry admitted he initially thought the 1975 horror-musical was the end of his career.
“It died a death. It was a failure,” he said, referring to the movie’s initial flop.
“I was crushed…I thought that it might well be [the end of my movie career]. But I was tougher than that,” the actor explained.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” became a cult hit with midnight showings in New York, causing audiences to dress up and flock to the theater, where they would interact with the big screen, and the rest is history.
The movie has been running continuously in theaters longer than any other film in history. Curry’s career was stalled after his 2012 stroke, which left him in a wheelchair with paralysis.
He moved onto voice work amid his health battle, starring in shows like “Young Justice” and “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” before appearing in 2024’s “Stream,” marking his first feature film role in 14 years.
Curry also penned a memoir, “Vagabond,” which hits shelves on Oct. 7.
