Tim Curry's cause of death has finally been revealed-and official records have exposed a previously little-known cancer diagnosis. The beloved British actor died from coronary artery disease, with kidney cancer and his history of stroke listed as contributing conditions, according to documents obtained from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Curry died peacefully at his Toluca Lake home in Los Angeles at 11:18 p.m. on August 25. Police arrived minutes later to conduct a routine death investigation, while authorities confirmed that no foul play was suspected. The actor, who had recently turned 80, never married and had no children.
While fans were well aware of Curry's devastating 2012 stroke, the disclosure of kidney cancer has added a poignant new dimension to his final years. Public records indicate that he did not undergo surgery for his coronary artery disease, kidney cancer or stroke-related condition. Further details about when the cancer was diagnosed, how advanced it had become or what treatment he may have received have not been publicly released.
The stroke left Curry partially paralyzed and temporarily unable to speak. Although he eventually recovered his unmistakable voice, he continued using a wheelchair and candidly admitted during a 2025 appearance marking The Rocky Horror Picture Show's 50th anniversary that he still could not walk. Nevertheless, he continued working through voice performances, fan events and occasional screen appearances, refusing to allow his physical limitations to erase him from public life.
Curry became a pop-culture immortal as the flamboyant Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He later terrified an entire generation as Pennywise in Stephen King's It and displayed his wicked comic timing in Clue, Annie, Home Alone 2 and Muppet Treasure Island. His astonishingly diverse career also brought him three Tony Award nominations and two Olivier Award nominations.
Even after his death, one final Curry mystery is tantalizing fans. The filmmakers behind Who Done It: The Clue Documentary are urging Paramount to release the cult comedy's long-buried fourth ending-reportedly Curry's favorite-in which his character, Wadsworth, is exposed as the murderer.
The actor spent more than a decade privately living with the consequences of his stroke and, as the newly released records now reveal, kidney cancer. Yet for millions of admirers, Curry will remain frozen in his most gloriously mischievous roles-grinning, scheming and commanding the screen as only he could.
