Tim Curry Breaks Silence on His Stroke and the Struggle to Find His Voice Again
Tim Curry has opened up about the stroke that changed his life in 2012, revealing that he had no idea anything was wrong until someone else noticed.
In a recent interview with Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz on CBS Sunday Morning, the actor shared that he was getting a massage when the masseuse suddenly grew concerned and urged him to see a doctor.
“It was so strange,” Curry said. “I was actually having a massage, and the guy who was giving me a massage said, ‘I’m worried about you. I think we should call a doctor.’ I felt fine. I had no symptoms I was aware of. I wasn’t in pain.”
Curry was taken to the hospital, where doctors told him he had suffered a stroke. The news brought back painful memories of his father, who had died from a stroke when Curry was just ten years old. “I was scared,” he admitted.
After the diagnosis, the actor went through brain surgery and an intense recovery process. “I had to learn how to speak again,” he said. “That was very weird. I hated not being able to speak.” He also explained that the left side of his face was paralyzed after the stroke. “My face kind of went sideways,” he said.
Curry, now 79, is best known for his unforgettable performances in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue, Annie, It, and Home Alone 2. Speaking about his most famous role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, he reflected on how much that character meant to fans who felt different.
“He had a lot of power — Frank,” Curry said. “He gave a lot of teenagers permission to be different, and I’m very happy that he did have that power.”
The actor also discussed his new memoir Vagabond, which he describes as a reflection on his life rather than a tell-all book. “One of the keys is to not encourage an identity,” he said. “I’ve tried to nurse that. I have protected that and continued to.”
In the same interview, Curry spoke about his difficult relationship with his mother, who he believes may have had bipolar disorder. He said she could be harsh toward him, even after his success.
“She didn’t make much of it,” he recalled. “She was scared of it. She said to me later, ‘I thought your head was going to grow too big.’ She would have preferred me to operate under the radar … [But] I never did. I didn’t give a shit about the radar.”
Curry also shared that he doesn’t spend time feeling sorry for himself. “I don’t admire self-pity much — another legacy from my mother, I guess,” he said. “It’s one I am thankful for. ‘Why are you so important that we have to pity you?’” he added with a laugh.
Despite everything he has gone through, Curry has kept his sense of humor and calm outlook on life — and even death. “I don’t fear death. I try to avoid it,” he said, laughing. “I think we all do, but I suspect that in the end, I will welcome it. I think it may be very comforting to go bye-bye, and I want to earn it.”
The full interview with Tim Curry aired on CBS Sunday Morning, where he reminded fans once again of his humor, honesty, and strength, even after one of the toughest chapters of his life.
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