Tim Curry rose to prominence after playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Rocky Horror Picture Show. The English actor and vocalist began his career on the theatrical stage and has already been acting for nearly four decades.

Tim’s life was turned upside down after he had a stroke in 2012. Happily, he lived, but the 76-year-old had to undergo physical and speech treatment for years.

So, what is Tim Curry up to these days? And how is he recovering from the stroke? Here’s everything you need to know!

Tim Curry was born on April 19, 1946, in Grappenhall, England. James, his father, was a Methodist Royal Navy chaplain, and Patricia, his mother, was a school secretary.

Tim’s family relocated to Hong Kong when he was a baby. His father suffered a stroke there, and tragedy struck. As a result, his family returned to England and the city of Plymouth. He spent a significant amount of time with his maternal grandfather, who resided nearby (and, coincidentally, helped him in a role later on in life).

Tim demonstrated promising singing talent as a result of his father’s church activities. Tim was a soprano in his local church at the age of six, and four years later, he’d become a Shakespearean actor.
Curry and his family relocated to London after his father died.

He attended Bath’s Kingswood School boarding school and seemed destined from a young age for a career in show business. Tim went on to study theater at Birmingham University after graduating. He earned a double degree in theater and theatre studies in 1968.

Curry shared a residence with actor, screenwriter, and director Patrick Barlow while studying at Birmingham. Curry was a fantastic singer at the time, as previously stated. His acting, on the other hand, had not yet come to the fore.

In reality, Curry was regarded as a major solo star.

“I recall being stunned by his incredible singing voice – it was simply utterly beautiful, like something he was born with – it came ready-made,” Barlow said in an interview with The Guardian.

“We’d go to university parties and end up drinking and doing whatever, and he’d break out into singing, this amazing bluesy voice.”

Curry, Barlow, and a few other pals were driving to London after graduation in 1968. Tim had been denied admittance to the Birmingham Repertory Theater due to his lack of Actors’ Equity membership. He was instead to try to achieve his dream in another way.

The intention was for the group to join a street theatre ensemble in Chalk Farm, but no one knew what to expect. Tim’s voice, as previously stated, had become his signature in his early days, and after only 24 hours in London, he had landed his first professional job.

“Someone had told us about it – none of us really know how to get in anything in those days. “When we arrived, I was the only one who stayed,” Barlow recounted.

“The next day, Tim and Judy obtained a job in Hair. All Tim had to do was sing, and Judy only had to say, “Hello, I’m here.”

Tim’s first professional role was as a member of the original London company of the rock musical Hair, however he almost didn’t make the cast of the beloved, yet controversial, musical.

Curry was questioned if he had any professional experience and if he had an Equity card (indicating he was a member of the Actors’ Equity Association) at his audition. Tim lied about both, according to his website.