Like Sam Neill and Robin Williams, Tim Curry was one of those great silver screen thesps who seemed to play a surprisingly large role in my childhood. No, he wasn’t dancing with dinosaurs or attempting to fool the system into believing he was a 65-year-old woman. Instead, he was weaving a tapestry of truly unforgettable characters deep within the recesses of my mind. A Romanian philanthropist in search of a lost city. A fleet-footed butler in desperate need of some decaf. The morbidly obese nemesis of a germaphopic detective. Each one more entertaining and memorable than the last.
However, while most may remember him from the likes of It or The Rocky Horror Picture Show, my exposure to this flamboyant English actor—who sadly passed away at the age of 80 last week—was somewhat different. With that in mind, here are 10 Tim Curry roles that I feel every fan should know.
10. Rooster Hannigan (Annie, 1982)
A flashy, smooth-talking con man who’d rather make his money through fraud than honest work, Rooster is the younger brother of cruel orphanage matron Miss Hannigan (Carol Burnett) and the boyfriend of the equally conniving Lily St. Regis (Bernadette Peters). Together, Rooster and Lily hatch a scheme to pose as Annie’s long-lost parents and claim a $50,000 reward being offered by billionaire Oliver Warbucks (Albert Finney). But their plan is ultimately foiled before they can get their hands on the money. Be sure to stick around for the sleazy rendition of “Easy Street,” it’s a definite crowd-pleaser and showcase of Curry’s more classical talents.
9. Wadsworth (Clue, 1985)
The fast-talking, brilliant butler who organizes the dinner party at Mr. Boddy’s mansion, Wadsworth finds himself guiding a panicked group of six guests—Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull), Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn), Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), Miss Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren), Mr. Green (Michael McKean), and Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan)—through a hilariously convoluted murder mystery inspired by the board game of the same name. Curry’s manic, high-energy recap near the end of the film—made all the more memorable by the fact that the movie featured multiple endings screened at different theatres—is well worth the price of admission here.
8. Dr. Thornton Poole (Oscar, 1991)
Regarded as one of the actor’s favorite roles, Dr. Thornton Poole is the sweet, soft-spoken elocution coach hired to help Angelo “Snaps” Provolone (Sylvester Stallone), a mob boss whose life is turned upside down as he desperately attempts to keep a promise to his deceased father (Kirk Douglas) and go straight. Tasked with cleaning up “Snaps’” speech, Dr. Poole quickly emerges as one of the most lovable—and utterly clueless—characters ever to grace the silver screen. Best of all, he actually gets the girl (Marisa Tomei) in the end, proving that perhaps nice guys don’t always finish last after all.
7. Hector (Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, 1992)
A personal concierge at the Plaza Hotel, Hector is immediately suspicious of Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) and spends much of this Chris Columbus sequel determined to prove that the boy is a good-for-nothing ne’er-do-well who belongs behind bars. Of course, Kevin stays one step ahead, pulling a couple of fast ones on Hector and his staff before he’s eventually forced to leave the hotel—and once again crosses paths with Wet Bandits, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern). Some might say Hector was simply doing his job, but if you ask me, he had that slap from Kate McCallister (Catherine O’Hara) coming. Just kidding, Hector. In the words of Carlotta: “I love you!”
6. Herkermer Homolka (Congo, 1995)
Frank Marshall’s big-screen adaptation of Michael Crichton’s 1980 bestseller may be a far cry from its source material, but there’s still so much to love about it! Case in point: Tim Curry as Romanian philanthropist Herkermer Homolka—a character so unbelievably bad that he’s actually good! Obsessed with finding the fabled Lost City of Zinj, Homolka, who has quite the negative reputation around Africa (just ask Captain Wanta—but whatever you do, don’t touch his sesame cake), agrees to fund an expedition to return Amy, a sign-language-speaking gorilla, to the jungle where she was born—which, conveniently enough, also happens to be in the same vicinity as Zinj. Quite the opportunist, wouldn’t you say? Sure, Curry layers on the ham, and the character doesn’t even appear in Crichton’s novel. But you know what? It’s clear he had fun! Plus, Roger Ebert enjoyed Curry’s performance. I think you will, too! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I need a green drop drink.
5. Long John Silver (Muppet Treasure Island, 1996)
Okay, I’m just going to lay all my cards on the table: there will never be a better portrayal of Long John Silver than what Tim Curry gave us in Muppet Treasure Island. Not only did he perfectly embody the character’s swashbuckling, devil-may-care spirit, but the way he played off his Muppet co-stars—feeding off their energy with a performance that was somehow both completely genuine and delightfully maniacal—was simply unmatched. Curry understood the assignment and embraced the chaos without ever losing sight of the character. So yes, there will never be another Long John Silver quite like Tim Curry, and I’ll wager that anyone brave enough to step into the role again will have some pretty big shoes to fill, regardless of what genre they happen to find themselves in. Easily my favorite Tim Curry role to this day!
4. Lord Dragaunus (Mighty Ducks, 1996 – 1997)
Stepping now into the world of animation, we have Lord Dragaunus, the fire-breathing baddie at the center of Disney’s Saturday morning spin on The Mighty Ducks. Tim Curry brought some serious gravitas to this Saurian scoundrel, giving the character a layer of depth and menace that feels sorely lacking in much of today’s mainstream animation. Sadly, the series, which had literally nothing to do with the Emilio Estevez trilogy, ended after just a couple of seasons, so we never got to see how things panned out in the end. Still, that short-lived stint between 1996 and 1997 remains one of Tim Curry’s tastiest performances and proves that even 2D animation could pack a serious punch when placed in the right hands.
3. Nigel Thornberry (The Wild Thornberrys, 1998 – 2004)
Lord Nelson’s Trousers! Few roles captured Tim’s love of animation quite like Nigel Thornberry. A great burst of enthusiasm and positive energy, Nigel was the knowledgeable, globe-trotting patriarch and documentarian of The Wild Thornberrys’ namesake clan, whose child-like wonder and infectious fascination with animals not only brought a serious dose of hilarity to after school viewing, but taught us all the importance of treasuring our planet and the many fascinating creatures within. Plus, have you ever seen a more iconic moustache in your life? No wonder Tim revealed during a panel at Fan Expo Canada that Nigel Thornberry remained his favorite role in animation all those years later!
2. Dale “The Whale” Biederbeck (Monk, 2004)
While Adrian Monk’s plus-sized nemesis made a total of three appearances during the hit show’s eight-season run, Tim Curry only showed up in the role once. However, to me, it was definitely the most memorable iteration of the character. Taking over after Adam Arkin left the series, Tim brought a larger-than-life presence to the part of Dale Biederbeck in the Season 2 episode “Mr. Monk Goes to Jail.” Ruthlessly brilliant and devilishly funny, he turned the morbidly obese financier—who, according to the show, weighed a whopping 927 lbs. at one point—into one of the show’s most animated and interesting characters, which is astonishing given that “The Whale” could barely sit up without becoming short of breath! A truly unforgettable performance!
1. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, 2012 – 2014)
Taking over from the late Ian Abercrombie (Seinfeld’s Mr. Pitt) in 2012, Tim would step into the role of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, and his black-clad alter ego, for Seasons 5 & 6 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, bringing a deep, silky baritone to the part that was both menacing and able to breathe new life into the galaxy’s greatest charlatan when it was needed most. In the end, Tim gave fans a performance that I feel actually rivalled what Ian McDiarmid did across the entire prequel trilogy, successfully making the character his own while honouring the legacy of what had come before. Clearly, there was no one better suited for the part!
