Actor Tim Curry Shares the Heartbreaking Reason He Is in a Wheelchair With His Fans
The beloved British actor starred in the iconic films 'Clue' and 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show.'
Updated Oct. 20 2025, 4:12 p.m. ET

The star of the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, British actor Tim Curry, made an appearance at the film's 50th anniversary party in Los Angeles on Sept. 26, 2025. The legendary actor arrived in a wheelchair at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures for the event, and he shared the reason why he needed a wheelchair with the audience.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the event was sold-out, and Tim received a standing ovation at the screening. Also in attendance were his co-stars Barry Bostwick, Patricia Quinn, and Nell Campbell. The film's producer Lou Adler, was also at the event.

There is a heartbreaking reason Tim Curry is in a wheelchair.
The iconic actor explained to the audience that he was in a wheelchair because he had suffered from a stroke back in 2012 that left him with partial paralysis. Tim said that he was having a massage when the stroke happened, and he wasn't even aware it was happening.
"I was having a massage at the time, and I didn’t even actually notice anything," he recalled. " 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.'”
"I still can’t walk, which is why I’m in this silly chair, and that’s very limiting," he continued. "So, I won’t be singing and I won’t be dancing very soon. I still have real problems with my left leg."
Tim also appeared on CBS Sunday Morning on Oct. 19, and gave more details about his stroke.
"I felt fine," he recalled of his massage. "I had no symptoms that I was aware of. I wasn't in pain."
Tim added that he learned that he'd had a stroke at the hospital, and he thought of his father, who had died from a stroke.
"When I was in the hospital ... I thought immediately of my dad," he continued. "I was scared. I had brain surgery, and I had a certain amount of rehabilitation."
Tim said that he had to learn how to speak again after his stroke and shared that he suffers from paralysis on his left side.
"I had to learn how to speak again. That was very weird. I hated not being able to speak," he said, adding. "My face kind of went sideways."
The actor also said he owed his life to the message therapist, per Metro.
"I probably owe my life to the fact that he ignored me, went with his instinct, and called an ambulance," he said. "Even as they were loading me in, I still thought my masseur had overreacted, and that we were going through a ridiculous and unnecessary exercise."
Tim told the outlet that he had a craniectomy, and a piece of his skull was removed to relieve pressure on his brain.
The Clue star also shared that he pivoted to voice acting after his stroke, and he shares his life in the book, Vagabond: A Memoir by Tim Curry.