Tim Curry's iconic explanation for why he loved playing villains resurfaces
From the seductive extravagance of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show to the terrifying sneer of Pennywise in Stephen King’s It, Tim Curry built an untouchable legacy as one of cinema’s most magnetic antagonists.
Following the beloved actor’s passing at the age of 80, fans across the globe have been revisiting some of his most memorable career reflections—including a brilliant 1997 interview on The View where he pulled back the curtain on why he never minded being Hollywood's go-to bad guy.
Sitting down with host Meredith Vieira, Curry revealed the tongue-in-cheek greeting he shared whenever he bumped into fellow British icon and Monty Python star Eric Idle in Los Angeles.
"Eric Idle and I actually always have this greeting when we meet each other," Curry shared with a grin. "We shake hands and say, 'Butlers and villains,' because it’s pretty much what happens to you here. I think it happens to a lot of European actors—particularly if you’ve never established yourself as a romantic leading man or whatever."
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Rather than feeling limited by Hollywood’s tendency to cast British talent as antagonists or eccentric staff, Curry fully embraced the archetype, arguing that villains offer far more depth on the page.
"The fact is though, the bad guys are always much better written than the good guys and they’re kind of irresistible to play!" Curry explained. "They’re so much more fun."
When asked why American casting directors so frequently turned to British actors when casting their primary threats, Curry credited the rigorous classical theater training across the Atlantic.
"I think one of the reasons they come to English actors is that usually by the time we get to America, we’ve done a great deal in England," he noted. "We’ve probably worked a lot on the stage and I think they probably feel that we bring some kind of style to the job, that we might not have necessarily acquired in the States."
Curry’s unique blend of charm, theatricality, and dark wit earned him adoration from generations of fans.
During the interview, Vieira famously confessed her own fascination with his villainous charisma, telling the actor: "I’ve thought about this a lot, as I’m a big fan. You’re very seductive. And I thought, 'If you were the devil, I would pay to go to hell.'"
"Hahahaha, that is going on my resume!" Curry laughed, before delivering his masterclass philosophy on the psychology of playing evil characters.
"I think it’s terribly important when you’re playing bad guys to make them—I think you have to be the guy they love to hate," Curry reflected.
"And the fact is, all of us would like to behave badly. All of us would like to behave in an underhanded way perhaps. All of us would like to have the kind of power bad guys have. And I think it’s important to show that it’s fun!"
Throughout a career that spanned more than five decades across film, television, and Broadway, Curry never lost that signature flair—proving that no matter how wicked the character, an audience could never truly look away.
Topics: Celebrity
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