Tim Curry revealed his ‘very limiting’ health struggles in final public appearance before death aged 80

Tim Curry spoke about his health struggles in his final public appearance prior to his death at the age of 80, saying he did not 'fear death'.

Known for his boundless energy, Curry had his big break as Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and would go on to star in movies from It to Muppet Treasure Island, as well as stage productions.

In a segment broadcast on CBS Sunday Morning Curry said that it would be 'very comforting to ‘go bye bye'.'

“I want to earn it," he added. "I want to earn the privilege of not being here. … I think I might very well embrace it.”

Nonetheless, he said was in no rush, saying that he was 'not galloping toward it'.

Curry suffered from a stroke in 2012 which had left him confined to a wheelchair. He continued to work, doing voiceovers including in The Wild Thornberries.

Opening up about his health, Curry said that he had thought about his father James Curry, who died of a stroke in 1958.

“I knew that a lot of people didn’t survive a stroke, and that he was an exception. So I was scared,” said Curry.

Curry as Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Evening Standard/Getty Images)

“I had two blood clots in my brain. I had brain surgery, and I was in the hospital for awhile. I think about a month. I had a certain amount of rehabilitation,” he added.

One part of his recovery was that Curry had not been able to speak, and had to relearn, something he said he 'hated'.

“I had to learn how to speak again that was very weird," he said. "I hated not being able to speak because I have to be told to shut up a lot. I love words. I love to communicate.”

By the time of the interview Curry was not 'paralyzed anymore', but he was still 'very sensitive' and 'painful' in his left arm and hand, though he explained that he does not 'admire self-pity much', calling this trait a 'legacy from [his] mother'.

“It’s one that I’m thankful for," he said. "Why are you so important that we have to pity you?”

Curry's representative Sean Katz shared the tragic news of his passing on August 26 in a statement to USA Today.

Tim Curry has died at the age of 80 (Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Tony Awards Productions)

“Tim Curry, the iconic actor and entertainer globally beloved for his dynamic contributions to the stage and screen, passed away peacefully at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, on Aug. 25, 2026, confirmed by his longtime manager and friend Marcia Hurwitz," the statement said.

“Though widely known for his inimitable, flamboyant characters and colorful stage performances, his greatest legacies to those who knew him were his curious, expansive mind and generous, gentle heart, both of which remained open and filled with anticipation until his final breath.”

Curry would take on a huge number of roles throughout his career, ranging from King Arthur on stage in Spamalot to The Lord of Darkness in Legend, not to mention the terrifying clown Pennywise in It.

But it was perhaps his strident and commanding performance in The Rocky Horror Picture Show which will stick with many as his most iconic.