News broke on August 26th that legendary actor Tim Curry passed away. From Clue to The Rocky Horror Picture Show and beyond, so much of Curry’s career connected with the “weird” kids of the world and gave us all someone to look up to. And that legacy is what makes his passing hurt so deeply.
I am someone who loves to rewatch movies. If possible, I’d rather return to a classic than worry a new thing will make me mad. So if given the chance, I’m going to suggest something I know I love. Certain times a year, that suggest might be the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Imagine, if you will, a 12 year old girl who loves musicals whose parents have helped grow that love with pretty dark musicals. It’s not her fault her father used to sing her “Corner of the Sky” from Pippin as her shower song. Or that she used to watch The Who’s Tommy all the time.
But when she became a pre-teen, her mother decided that it was time to show her the musical that she loved that maybe wasn’t appropriate but who cares. And thus her love of The Rocky Horror Picture Show was born. Okay, I’m obviously that girl but still. And it isn’t one of those cases where this was my introduction to Curry. Muppet Treasure Island was always on repeat in my house and I did accidentally watch the TV mini-series for It as a child. I’ve never trusted a bathroom drain.
Still, there was something about Curry as Frank-N-Furter that captivated me and gave me a lifelong love of the musical. It led to managing a production in college, rewatching it frequently, and cherishing the beauty of this strange, glorious creation.
Tim Curry allowed us all to embrace our weirdness
It wasn’t just Frank-N-Furter that led to the “weird” kids claiming Curry. I continue to put “weird” in quotations because I don’t find us weird but the regular boring people probably do. Alas, Curry made it cool to be odd. He was an icon for the LGBTQ+ community, someone who allowed fans to share how he helped them, and was the kind of actor who showed up in something and just made it better.
Everyone who loves Curry has that role that changed them from his filmography. Mine was Frank-N-Furter and I will never not think Brad Majors singing “It’s beyond me, help me mommy” isn’t hot. Greatest thing a man can do is kiss Tim Curry and wear a corset. But even with the love I have for The Rocky Horror Picture Show, there is just so much I love that all comes down to the energy Curry brought to it.
You never knew what kind of performance you were going to get but you always knew that it was going to be something mesmerizing to watch. Losing icons like Curry (and Dolly Parton the day before) hurts because we love everything they stand for but it is also important to keep their legacies alive. Let yourself embrace the parts of you that are strange and may we all shiver with antici-
(pation).
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