One of the last public appearances of Tim Curry left behind an unforgettable image: the actor appears in a wheelchair, surrounded by muscular men in tiny outfits and covered in glitter, while celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the film that turned him into an icon.
The photograph was taken on October 4, 2025, during a special screening of Rocky Horror organized by Cinespia at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. Curry met up there with Barry Bostwick, who played Brad in the film.
For many fans, the image held special significance. Curry had suffered a stroke in 2012, the aftereffects of which seriously affected his mobility and led him to use a wheelchair.
But rather than hide it, the actor confronted it once again with the same irreverent humor that defined much of his career.
During the event, Curry made a direct reference to his situation and joked: “I’d like to tell you that I had never been without legs before tonight, but that wouldn’t be true. Unfortunately, I’m now sitting in a wheelchair, so get over it”.
The audience responded with a huge ovation. When some attendees began shouting “I love you!”, Curry replied: “I love you more. I love you so much more”.
The scene was especially symbolic because Rocky Horror had always been associated with breaking the rules and challenging conventions surrounding sexuality, gender, and identity. The film also went on to become a cult classic of particular importance to the LGBTQ+ community.
In an interview published in 2025, Curry spoke specifically about his relationship with that legacy and defended the idea of living without fear of being different. One of the most memorable lines from his character, Frank-N-Furter, is “Don’t dream it, be it”, a message the actor continued to embrace decades later.
Curry also spoke openly about his recovery after the stroke. He said that for a period he could not speak and that he still faced significant physical difficulties.
The actor died on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80, in Los Angeles. The cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.
That is why the photograph taken less than a year before his death now takes on another meaning: Tim Curry could no longer move as he once had, but he continued to appear exactly where he had always seemed to belong: amid the extravagance, freedom, and chaos of “Rocky Horror”.