Tim Curry's 12 Best Movies And TV Shows

Updated Aug 26, 2026, 3:21 PM EDT Shawn S. Lealos is an entertainment writer who is a voting member of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle. He has written for Screen Rant, CBR, ComicBook, The Direct, The Sportster, Chud, 411mania, Renegade Cinema, Yahoo Movies, and many more. Shawn has a bachelor's degree in professional writing and a minor in film studies from the University of Oklahoma. He also has won numerous awards, including several Columbia Gold Circle Awards and an SPJ honor. He also wrote Dollar Deal: The Story of the Stephen King Dollar Baby Filmmakers, the first official book about the Dollar Baby film program. Shawn is also currently writing his first fiction novel under a pen name, based in the fantasy genre. To learn more, visit his website at shawnlealos.net. Sign in to your ScreenRant account The best Tim Curry movies and TV shows feature some of the most eclectic performances and releases of any actor's career. After studying acting in school, the British actor got his first full-time role in a musical when he joined the London cast of Hair in 1968. It was here that he met Richard O'Brien, who was writing the theater version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. After performing in the show in the theater setting, Curry then signed on to star in the same role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the 1975 film adaptation. Considered one of the greatest cult movies of all time, The Rocky Horror Picture Show solidified Curry's role as a cult genre favorite actor, and he played into that for the rest of his career. On top of his continued work in theater productions, he also began to appear in some genre favorites, many of which received lackluster reviews but remained fan favorites, with titles like Clue, Stephen King's IT, and a scene-stealing turn in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Curry's main acting career ended after he suffered a stroke in 2012, but he still lent his voice to animated features for a time. Sadly, Curry died on August 26, 2026, at 80. Throughout his career, Curry had earned several award nominations, including at the Daytime Emmy Awards, Annie Awards, Tony Awards, Grammy Awards, and Primetime Emmy Awards. 12 The Hunt For Red October (1990) Release Date March 2, 1990 Runtime 135 minutes Director John McTiernan Writers Donald E. Stewart, Larry Ferguson, Tom Clancy Producers Mace Neufeld Released in 1990, The Hunt for Red October is the first movie about Jack Ryan released from Tom Clancy's fictional world. What is most impressive about this movie is that Ryan, played by Alec Baldwin, is not the most important character in the film. Instead, that would be Sean Connery's Marko Ramius, a Soviet captain who wants to defect, but who has the United States military on high alert. Tim Curry plays Dr. Yevgeni Petrov, the medical officer on Marko's ship, the Red October. He is a great counterbalance to Connery's captain and is one of the crew members not aligned with his captain's plans. Curry has one of the best lines in the movie when he praises his captain and says he will get the Order of Lenin for sinking the sub, not realizing that Marko is attempting to defect. Some of the best parts of the movie are the dialogue between Connery and Curry, both men working at the top of their game. 11 Wiseguy (1989) Tim Curry took on a recurring role in the TV show Wiseguy during the second season. He appeared as the character Winston Newquay in six episodes, with his run lasting from Episode 14, "And It Comes Out Here," through Episode 19, "Living and Dying in 4/4 Time." Newquay is a corrupt music mogul, and he was one of the main characters in the "Dead Dog Records" story arc of the crime drama television series. In this story arc, his character tries to take over Vinnie Terranova's record label, Dead Dog Records, and steal his main star singer, Diana Price (portrayed by Blondie's Debbie Harry). What really stands out about this performance is what made him so beloved in Rocky Horror, as he had several musical numbers that would lead to his eventual descent into madness. 10 The Three Musketeers (1993) Release Date November 11, 1993 Runtime 105 minutes Director Stephen Herek Writers David Loughery Producers Joe Roth, Jon Avnet, Jordan Kerner Cast Chris O'Donnell D'Artagnan In 1993, Hollywood tried to revive The Three Musketeers with a group of the top young actors of that era. Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, and Oliver Platt played the titular trio, while Chris O'Donnell took on the role of the young D'Artagnan, a man wanting to join the Musketeers in their job of defending the King of France. Every movie needs a good villain, and Tim Curry took on that role as Cardinal Richelieu, a corrupt Cardinal running the Red Guards who wants to depose Louis XIII. Critics bashed the movie when it was released, although it was a box office success, making $111 million on a $30 million budget. Most of the bad reviews complained that it seemed like it wanted to create a franchise more than it wanted to tell a story. While most critics trashed the film, there was a lot of praise for Tim Curry and his scene-stealing turn as the main villain of the picture. 9 Annie (1982) Release Date May 21, 1982 Cast Albert Finney 'Daddy' Oliver Warbucks Carol Burnett Miss Hannigan Ann Reinking Grace Farrell Runtime 127 minutes Director John Huston Writers Carol Sobieski, Thomas Meehan Producers Joe Layton, Carol Sobieski, Ray Stark Tim Curry has a long career in theater, with performances in everything from The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Art of Success to The Pirates of Penzance and Hair. There was one famous show that he never appeared in on the stage, but took on a role when it came to the movies. In 1982, just seven years after his breakout in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Curry played Rooster Hannigan in the John Huston adaptation of Annie. In Annie, Rooster is the younger brother of Miss Agatha "Aggy" Hannigan (Carol Burnett), joining her as a villain in the story. He is a con artist who is only out for himself and is someone who is a deadly threat to Annie and even his own sister. Curry referred to Rooster as a "cartoon villain," which is how he played him in the film, making him a standout in his performance (via Facebook). Annie received two Oscar nominations. 8 The Wild Thornberrys (1998-2004) Release Date 1998 - 2004-00-00 Network Nickelodeon Directors Cathy Malkasian, Carol Millican, Sylvia Keulen, Becky Bristow, Steve Ressel, Mark Risley, Anthony Bell, Ron Noble, Frank Marino, Peter Avanzino, Dean Criswell, Joseph Scott, Max Martinez Writers David Regal, Kate Boutilier, Joan Considine Johnson, Adam Beechen, Sheila M. Anthony, Peter Egan, Jill Gorey, Sarah Jane Cunningham, David Rosenberg, Monica Piper, Barbara Herndon, Eleah Horwitz, Ed Scharlach, Eva Almos, Tom Stern, Peter Hunziker, Robin Riordan, Arnold Margolin, Gail Barrick, Scott Gray, Mady Julian, Leslie Rasmussen, Bob Daily, Mark Palmer Cast Lacey Chabert Eliza Thornberry (voice) Jodi Carlisle Marianne Thornberry (voice) Creator(s) Gábor Csupó, Arlene Klasky Tim Curry has a long career as a voice actor in animated movies and television shows. He has lent his voice to some very popular shows over the years, including Voltron, Johnny Bravo, and Phineas and Ferb. However, the show that sits at the top of the list for his voice work is the Nickelodeon series The Wild Thornberrys. In this popular series, Curry voices Sir Nigel Archibald Thornberry, the father of Eliza (Lacey Chabert), Debbie (Danielle Harris), and Donnie (Flea). The Wild Thornberrys ran from 1998 to 2004 and tells the story of a family of documentary filmmakers who are known for televised wildlife studies. The series was both funny and educational, as the Thornberry family traveled the globe and encountered animals and terrain everywhere. The animated series won several awards over its run, and Curry returned to the voice role for two movies — The Wild Thorberrys Movie and Rugrats Go Wild. Curry was involved in every episode of the series. 7 Legend (1986) Release Date August 28, 1985 Runtime 94 minutes Director Ridley Scott Writers William Hjortsberg Producers Arnon Milchan Tim Curry took on a villain role in Ridley Scott's dark fantasy epic Legend. In this movie, a hero named Jack is a pure being who has to stop the Lord of Darkness from covering the world with eternal night. Curry plays Darkness in Legend, and the movie opens with him sending a goblin named Blix to kill several unicorns and bring him their horns to put his plan into motion. However, he soon finds himself faced with the pure forest child Jack, played by a young Tom Cruise. Critics gave the movie mostly mixed to negative reviews, with praise going to the immense set pieces but saying that the story itself is weighed down by its dark nature. However, while critics were not satisfied with the story of Dark Fairies, most praised Tim Curry for his over-the-top, scene-stealing performance as Darkness. The movie was a box office failure, but it has become a cult classic, especially after Scott released his Director's Cut in 2002 with a slightly different ending to the story. 6 Muppet Treasure Island (1996) Release Date February 16, 1996 Cast Billy Connolly Billy Bones Runtime 100 Minutes Director Brian Henson Writers Kirk R. Thatcher, Jerry Juhl, James V. Hart, Robert Louis Stevenson There has never been a terrible Muppets movie, and one of the more impressive endeavors was Muppet Treasure Island. This film took the Muppets and threw them into the world of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. This was a similar plan of action to the previous movie, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and while Muppet Treasure Island was not as good as that movie, it was still a very entertaining release for the fans of the franchise. Tim Curry was the villain here, playing Long John Silver. The pirates are mostly a human cast, with Curry as Long John Silver, Kevin Bishop as Jim Hawkins, Billy Connolly as Billy Bones, and Jennifer Saunders as Mrs. Sarah Bluberidge. Brian Henson directed the film, and Henson regulars Steve Whitmire and Frank Oz were both on board for this movie. The movie received mostly positive reviews, with praise for the fun retelling of a familiar story and Tim Curry's performance once again stealing the show. 5 Criminal Minds (2010) Release Date September 22, 2005 Network CBS, Paramount+ Showrunner Erica Messer Cast Kirsten Vangsness Penelope Garcia Matthew Gray Gubler Dr. Spencer Reid Writers Bruce Zimmerman, Virgil Williams, Edward Allen Bernero, Janine Sherman Barrois, Chris Mundy, Simon Mirren, Debra J. Fisher, Kimberly A. Harrison, Jay Beattie, Dan Dworkin, Karen Maser, Oanh Ly, Stephanie Sengupta, Aaron Zelman, Kirsten Vangsness, Erica Meredith, Andi Bushell, Holly Harold, Alicia Kirk, Jeff Davis, Randy Huggins, Edward Napier, Jayne A. Archer, Chikodili Agwuna Franchise(s) Criminal Minds Creator(s) Jeff Davis It is rare that an actor can take on a guest role in a long-running procedural series and end up as a standout for the entire series. However, that is what happened in 2010 when Curry joined the cast of Criminal Minds as one of the unsub killers. This would be one of Curry's final live-action roles before his stroke, and he was properly terrifying in his role as Billy Flynn. Known as "The Prince of Darkness," Flynn was a serial rapist who turned into a serial-turned-spree killer, and he had roles in seasons five and six of Criminal Minds. His first appearance was in "Our Darkest Hour," the season 5 finale, and the team needed to capture him in the season 6 premiere, "The Longest Night." Billy Flynn was inspired by real-life serial killer Richard Ramirez (although the BAU actually name-dropped Ramirez when discussing The Prince of Darkness). The frightening thing is that he killed people for over 26 years before the BAU caught on to him and stopped him. It was one of Curry's most terrifying performances of his career. 4 Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992) Release Date November 19, 1992 Runtime 120 minutes Director Chris Columbus Tim Curry proved how great he was anytime he appeared on the screen when he stole scenes in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, even without ever getting an actual character name. His character's name was simply listed as "Concierge" in the credits, although his name in the movie was Mr. Hector. He was the concierge of the hotel that Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) went to stay at when he accidentally flew into New York City while his parents were flying to Florida. Curry's concierge was not an antagonist in the film, but he was at odds with Kevin because he knew something was wrong with the child being there and his parents never seeming to be around. However, Kevin ended up setting traps and pranking him just like he does the villainous burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern), but with obviously less dangerous attacks. The film received terrible reviews, but it has since been reappraised in a more favorable light, and actors like Curry are a big part of that. 3 It (1990) Release Date 1990 - 1990 Network ABC Directors Tommy Lee Wallace Cast Harry Anderson Richie Tozier One of Tim Curry's most recognizable roles of his career came in the 1990 miniseries IT, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. That is mostly because Curry took on the role of the monstrous villain in the film, known as both IT and Pennywise the Dancing Clown. IT was an alien monster who fed on children, while Pennywise was the clown that he morphed into to help him trick children into coming into his lair. When Hollywood remade IT as a movie, the comparisons to Curry's performance ran rampant. The television miniseries ran for two episodes and saw the Losers Club of children fight to stop Pennywise in 1960, and then the now-grown adults had to return to finish him off in 1990. The cast included mostly TV stars, with names like Harry Anderson, John Ritter, and Richard Thomas, but most people only remember Curry's portrayal of the clown, something that has terrified people of all ages over the three decades since the TV miniseries first hit ABC.