NEWSHow Did Tim Curry Die? 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' Actor's Cause of Death Confirmed After His Passing at Age 80
Tim Curry's official cause of death has been revealed.
Sept. 2 2026, Published 3:50 p.m. ET
Rocky Horror Picture Show star Tim Curry passed away at age 80 on the night of Tuesday, August 25.
According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the actor passed away due to complications related to coronary artery disease.
Their documents also listed the actor's history with a stroke and kidney cancer as significant conditions that may have contributed to his death, according to documents obtained by People. No operations were performed in relation to any of the listed ailments.
Police reportedly found no signs of foul play while investigating his passing. The Los Angeles Police Department was called to Curry's home in Toluca Lake, Calif., just before 11 p.m. on August 25 due to a "medical event."
Paramedics found a deceased male, later identified as Curry, on the scene.
Actor Tim Curry passed away at 80 years old.
In 2012, Curry suffered a major stroke that required the star to undergo brain surgery, resulting in lifelong mobility issues.
Curry, who was also known for his roles in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Annie, opened up about how his stroke in his 2025 memoir, Vagabond.
"It turned out that my brain was inflamed enough, or filled with enough blood, that bone from my skull had to be removed and implanted into my abdomen to keep my brain, and me, alive,” he explained. “Thankfully, the operation was successful (which was by no means guaranteed).”
'I Want to Earn the Privilege of Not Being Here'
Tim Curry suffered a stroke in 2012 that left him unable to walk.
The actor, who stepped away from the spotlight for almost 15 years, gave rare insight into his health issues while attending a screening for the 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show last year.
"I won’t be singing and I won’t be dancing very soon,” he shared while in a wheelchair. “I still have real problems with my left leg.”
Last fall, the wheelchair-bound actor revealed that he thought it would be "very comforting to go bye-bye.”
"I want to earn it. I want to earn the privilege of not being here," he told CBS Sunday Morning. "I think I might very well embrace it.”
Though the star noted that he "tried to avoid it" and was certainly not "galloping toward" the end of his life.
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Tim Curry was a beloved actor on the stage and screen.
While taking a break from the screen, Curry stepped into voice acting in video games, television, films and even audiobooks.
The Tony-nominated star lent his voice to beloved projects including Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the children's book series A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Following his stroke, Curry found that exercising his love of language and his voice was an excellent "creative" outlet for when he could not otherwise perform.
"It’s nice to jump in the car, go to a recording studio and invent a world," the English actor explained. "It’s a creative, lovely thing to do."
Tim Curry's Accolades
Tim Curry once shared he liked to play 'abrasive' roles.
Over the course of his career, Curry garnered three Tony nominations for his work on Broadway in Amadeus, Spamalot and My Favorite Year.
He also received Daytime Emmy nominations for his voiceover work in children's programs, including Peter Pan and the Pirates and Mighty Max. As well as one Primetime Emmy nod for guest starring on Tales from the Crypt.
Curry often said he did not believe himself to be a "conventional" leading man and expressed his love for taking on the more challenging, peculiar roles.
"I like risky parts," he once shared. "Abrasive characters the audience won't necessarily like."
