Actor Tim Curry, best known for his iconic role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," experienced a stroke during a massage in 2012, an event he later credited with potentially saving his life. The stroke resulted in two brain bleeds and left Curry, who died on Tuesday night at age 80, in a wheelchair during his final years.
Curry recounted the incident in a candid interview with CBS Sunday Morning that aired in October 2025. He described feeling fine while receiving a massage at his Los Angeles home, but the masseuse noticed concerning signs and insisted on calling for medical assistance. "I felt fine, I had no symptoms that I was aware of, but clearly he had noticed some," Curry said. "He called 911 and an ambulance came... They didn't know I'd had a stroke and I didn't know either."
Transported to a Kaiser Permanente hospital, doctors informed Curry that he had suffered a stroke. The news brought back memories of his father, James Curry, who had survived a stroke when Tim was 11. "I knew that a lot of people didn't survive a stroke, and that he was an exception, and so I was scared," he stated.
Following the stroke, which occurred when he was 67, Curry underwent brain surgery and spent approximately a month in rehabilitation. A significant challenge during his recovery was learning to speak again. "I hated not being able to speak because I speak a lot. I have to be told to shut up a lot. I love words, I love to communicate," he shared.
Curry, whose career spanned decades and included roles in "Home Alone 2" and the musical "Spamalot," largely withdrew from public life after his stroke. He continued to face health challenges for over a decade. In the 2025 interview, he spoke about the lasting effects of the stroke, noting, "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."
His manager confirmed his death, stating that no foul play is suspected. The actor had been suffering from serious health issues for more than ten years prior to his passing.