The cause of death for legendary actor Tim Curry has now been revealed, one week after the unforgettable star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue and Stephen King’s It died at his Los Angeles home.

Newly reported public-health records attribute Curry’s death to coronary artery disease.

The 80-year-old actor died peacefully on August 25 at his home in Toluca Lake. His longtime manager and friend, Marcia Hurwitz, confirmed his passing the following day, but no cause was released at the time.

The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that documents from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health identified coronary artery disease as the cause of death.

The records also listed Curry’s history of stroke and kidney cancer as other significant conditions that contributed to his death. Neither condition, however, was identified as the underlying cause.

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That fills in the major detail missing from the first announcement of Curry’s death. His representatives had said only that he passed away peacefully after years of serious health problems.

Curry suffered a severe stroke in 2012 that affected his mobility and left him using a wheelchair. It was a life-altering blow, but it never took away the sly wit, unmistakable voice or warmth that fans saw whenever he returned to the public eye.

Us Weekly reported that no autopsy was performed. Curry was cremated on August 31, and his remains were sent to the United Kingdom.

The outlet also reported that Los Angeles police officers responded to a call for a rescue ambulance at Curry’s home shortly before 11:30 p.m. on August 25.

The county document described coronary artery disease as the immediate cause. It separately recorded his history of stroke and kidney cancer as significant contributing conditions rather than the underlying cause of death.

The records further indicated that Curry had not undergone surgery for the coronary artery disease, kidney cancer or stroke. His representative had not added any further explanation by the time the cause was reported Wednesday.

Curry had spoken publicly about the long recovery that followed his stroke. He nevertheless continued appearing at fan events, returned to the Rocky Horror universe for the 2016 television remake and released his memoir, Vagabond, in 2025.

According to the Mayo Clinic, coronary artery disease develops when the major blood vessels that supply the heart become narrowed or blocked. The condition can restrict blood flow to the heart and can lead to chest pain, heart attack and other serious complications.

Mayo says plaque containing cholesterol and other substances can build up inside the coronary arteries, a process called atherosclerosis. The disease often develops over many years, and symptoms may remain unnoticed until reduced blood flow causes problems, particularly when the heart is working harder during physical activity.

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In Curry’s case, the county record reportedly described the disease as the immediate cause of death, while the stroke and kidney cancer remained contributing conditions.

For millions of fans, Curry was one of those rare performers who could make a character feel dangerous, hilarious and completely his own—all at the same time.

He originated the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the London stage production of The Rocky Horror Show in 1973, then carried the role to the screen in the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

That performance alone would have secured his place in pop-culture history. But Curry kept going, building a career full of characters that seemed impossible to imagine with anyone else in the role.

He played the deliciously frantic butler Wadsworth in Clue, the demonic Lord of Darkness in Legend, Rooster Hannigan in Annie and the imperious hotel concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

Then there was Pennywise.

Curry’s terrifying performance as the shape-shifting clown in the 1990 television adaptation of Stephen King’s It haunted an entire generation. Long before the modern film remakes, his grin and sing-song delivery turned an ordinary storm drain into nightmare fuel.

The Associated Press remembered Curry as a character actor with an extraordinary gift for villains, comedy and voices. His honors included three Tony Award nominations, a Primetime Emmy nomination and a Daytime Emmy win for voice work.

His voice career was nearly as varied as his live-action work. He appeared in productions including FernGully: The Last Rainforest, The Wild Thornberrys, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Over the Garden Wall.

After the 2012 stroke, Curry largely shifted away from physically demanding roles, but he continued meeting fans and appearing in projects tied to the work they loved. In 2016, he returned to the Rocky Horror world as the narrator of Fox’s television remake.

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His career stretched across stage, film, television, music, animation and audiobooks. Few performers moved between those worlds with more nerve—or more fun.

The medical record answers how Tim Curry died. It does not begin to explain why so many people felt like the screen changed the instant he appeared on it.

Featured image: Tim Curry at the 1994 Emmy Governor’s Ball. Photo by Alan Light via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

 

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