The actor, singer, composer, and voice actor Timothy James “Tim” Curry (born 19 April 1946) is known for his work in a range of theater, movies, and television productions. He currently lives in the USA, in Los Angeles.
In the 1975 film adaptation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, he began making a name for himself as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, reprising a role he played in the stage productions in 1973 and 1974. Later in his career, Curry played Rooster in the film adaptation of Annie, Lord of Darkness in Legend (1985), Wadsworth in Clue, and Pennywise, the dancing clown in It.
The Nickelodeon children’s TV show The Wild Thornberry’s saw him playing Nigel, the father. King Arthur was his role in the Broadway hit Monty Python’s Spamalot. Most of his roles in films are villainous.
Perhaps his most enduring movie is Rocky Horror Picture Show, directed by Jim Sharman. Sharman and Richard O’Brien adapted the screenplay from The Rocky Horror Show, a 1973 musical stage production with music, book, and lyrics by O’Brien. The play is a satirical homage to science fiction and horror B movies of the 1930s through the early 1970s. Aside from Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon, the film features Barry Bostwick and the original cast members.
His most famous quote comes from a game called Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3. This top-rated series of games involved playing a strategic role in massive international conflicts. The game series won numerous awards, but perhaps the most notorious game was Red Alert 3. Here, Tim Curry played Premier Cherdenko. The character advised the player in the form of filmed briefings, which were played on the screen at specific intervals throughout the game.
During this game, the player encounters a scene where the Premier talks about going to space to avoid capitalism.
The Tim Curry Space Quote
I’m going to the one place that hasn’t been corrupted by capitalism. Space!”
While this particular quote may not seem as outrageous or memorable as others uttered by the actor, the scene the quote appears in is very strange. The subject of various internet memes and GIFs, the scene involves Curry uttering these words in a manic fashion and with a hint of self-awareness. The actor almost seems to realize how silly the line is.
Tim Curry Quotes On His Career
“The people on the business side in the music business are kind of different from the theater business. I think it’s partly because there are different pressures on the industries.“
“Any part that makes you world famous has got to be a blessing, hasn’t it?”
I’ve worked in a few sort of ‘institutional’ theaters – the Royal Shakespeare, the National Theater in England – and they’re hopelessly top-heavy with bureaucracy.”
“There’s nothing more daunting than a musical, but there’s also no more direct line to joy. Getting there, though, is like pushing treacle up stairs.”
“My career has evolved at its own peculiar pace. American careers are supposed to have a much more singular direction than I’ve been able to… stomach.”
“I like risky parts – abrasive characters the audience won’t necessarily like.”
“The people on the business side in the music business are kind of different from the theater business. I think it’s partly because there are different pressures on the industries.”
“I’m not a conventional leading man at all and have no wish to be.”
“In most careers, you find something you do well, and you tie an increasingly larger bow on the package.”
“One of the best things that ever happened to me was Rocky Horror being a total flop in New York as a play. I mean, it was a disaster, and it was the night of the long knives as far as the critics were concerned.”
“The way the world is, I think a silly evening in the theatre is a good thing, to take our minds off terror.”
“I want to establish a wide range and play all kinds of parts. It’s that sort of acting career I really respect. I like to turn a sharp left from whatever I’ve done before because that keeps me awake. That’s why I want to be an actor – I don’t want to play endless variations on one character.”
Tim Curry Quotes On Himself
“I’m not a conventional leading man at all and have no wish to be.”
“Even smiling makes my face ache.”
“But we live in a modern world, you know, and, and also it does seem to me that if you – that whatever talents you have, it… I mean it may sound a bit absurd but I think it’s absolutely your duty to resolve them, you know?”
“The dreams of youth are the regrets of maturity.”
“I’ve never modeled myself on anybody, but there are a lot of people whose work I really admire and attitudes I certainly subscribe to.”
“I’m good at my own company.”
“I moved to LA, because that’s where they point cameras at you. And that’s what I’d like them to do.”
“I was a huge J.M. Barrie fan as a kid, as most English children are.”
“My great hero is Billie Holiday, and I’ve always wanted to do an album of standards with a piano-led quartet.”
“My interests and obsessions have always been so wide-ranging that I keep popping my head out of different boxes as much as possible.”
“I remember candy rationing until I was, like, 7.”
“I’ve turned down a lot of roles to make time to record and tour.”
An acting legend
While an accomplished actor and stage presence for decades, Tim Curry is perhaps best known for The Rocky Horror Show. However, Tim Curry has become even more famous for his ‘Space’ moment in recent times.
Right now, he has essentially retired from acting and the professional sphere. Having suffered a significant stroke in 2012, his work has primarily been confined to voice acting. He has also, on occasion, made an appearance at fan conventions. And with a stellar career behind him, he is always met with a warm reception.