Tim Curry FILE PHOTO: Tim Curry speaks onstage at Celebrating the Music of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live on October 15, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. Officials have determined Curry's cause of death. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for The Recording Academy) (Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for The Recording A)
ByNatalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has determined what killed actor Tim Curry.
Officials said “The Rocky Horror Picture Show Actor” died from coronary artery disease at the age of 80. He also had a history of stroke and kidney cancer as contributors to his death, People magazine reported.
No operations had been performed for the coronary artery disease, kidney cancer or stroke.
He died peacefully at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, on Aug. 25. His manager announced his death the next day.
About a year before his death, Curry, who had stepped away from public life and most on-screen acting and instead focused on voiceover roles, talked about his health and the stroke that left him wheelchair-bound.
“I still can’t walk, which is why I’m in this silly chair, and that’s very limiting. So I won’t be singing and I won’t be dancing very soon. I still have real problems with my left leg,” Curry said during an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” People reported.
“I was having a massage at the time and I didn’t even actually notice anything, but the guy who was doing the massage said, ‘I’m worried about you, I want to call an ambulance.’ And he did, and I said, ‘That’s so silly,’” Curry said.
The “It” actor shared that “I had to learn how to speak again. That was very weird. I hated not being able to speak,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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Remembering Tim Curry Remembering Tim Curry who died on Aug. 25 at the age of 80. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Remembering Tim Curry 1974: Actor and songwriter Richard O'Brien (left) with actor and singer Tim Curry, his co-star in the stage musical 'The Rocky Horror Show', at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for 1973 at the Savoy Hotel in London, UK, 22nd January 1974. The work won the award for Best Musical in 1973. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (Evening Standard/Getty Images)
Remembering Tim Curry 1975: Actress Patricia Quinn, actor Tim Curry, and actress Little Nell on set of the Cinemax movie "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" in 1975. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Remembering Tim Curry 1978: Tim Curry as William Shakespeare appearing in the ABC mini-series 'Will Shakespeare' aka 'Life of Shakespeare'. (Photo by Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) (Walt Disney Television Photo Arc/Disney General Entertainment Con)
Remembering Tim Curry 1981: SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- Episode 7 -- Pictured: (l-r) Tim Curry during the 'The Zucchini Song' skit on December 5, 1981 -- (Photo by: Alan Singer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images) (NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via)
Remembering Tim Curry 1994: Tim Curry during 1994 Cable Ace Awards in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc) (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)
Remembering Tim Curry 1997: (L-R) Annie Potts, Tim Curry promotional photo for the ABC tv series 'Over the Top'. (Photo by Gwendolen Cates /American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images) (Photo by Walt Disney Television Photo Archives/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images) (Walt Disney Television Photo Arc/ABC via Getty Images)
Remembering Tim Curry 2002: Tim Curry during The Wild Thornberrys Movie at Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, CA, United States. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc) (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)
Remembering Tim Curry 2005: David Hyde Pierce, Terry Jones, Mike Nichols, Michael Palin, Tim Curry and Eric Idle singing "Always Look On The Brighter Side Of Life" during the opening night curtain call for "Monty Python's Spamalot" at the Shubert Theatre March 17, 2005 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images) (Evan Agostini/Getty Images)
Remembering Tim Curry 2010: Actor Tim Curry arrives at the 38th AFI Life Achievement Award honoring Mike Nichols held at Sony Pictures Studios on June 10, 2010 in Culver City, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Remembering Tim Curry 2010: Actors Julian McMahon (L) and Tim Curry attend The Rocky Horror Picture Show 35th anniversary after-party to benefit The Painted Turtle at The Wiltern on October 28, 2010, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Painted Turtle) (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Remembering Tim Curry 2016: (L-R Back Row) Actors Ivy Levan, Staz Nair (L-R Front Row) Tim Curry and Ryan McCartan speak onstage at 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' panel discussion during the FOX portion of the 2016 Television Critics Association Summer Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 8, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Remembering Tim Curry 2025: Patricia Quinn, Barry Bostwick, Nell Campbell and Tim Curry attend The Academy Museum Hosts 50th Anniversary Of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" With Tim Curry And Sins O' The Flesh at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Ted Mann Theater on September 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Remembering Tim Curry 2025: Tim Curry and Nell Campbell attend The Academy Museum Hosts 50th Anniversary Of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" With Tim Curry And Sins O' The Flesh at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Ted Mann Theater on September 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
