Luke Evans has revealed the deeply moving response he received from Tim Curry after sending the legendary actor a personal letter just weeks before Curry's death.
Evans, who recently earned a Tony Award nomination for playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show, wrote to Curry three weeks before the star died at age 80. Although the two actors had never met, Evans wanted Curry to know how profoundly his fearless performance had influenced both his own interpretation and generations of performers who followed him.
Now Evans has confirmed that Curry received the letter-and responded despite being gravely ill.
"He was very appreciative," Evans told Entertainment Weekly during the Toronto International Film Festival. Evans later learned that Curry was struggling considerably with his health and was finding it difficult to speak. That knowledge made Curry's response even more precious.
The letter was never merely fan mail. Evans was carrying the responsibility of stepping into the fishnets and heels of one of theater and cinema's most recognizable characters. Curry originated Frank-N-Furter in the 1973 London production of The Rocky Horror Show before immortalizing the role in the 1975 movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Rather than pretending he could reproduce Curry's singular performance, Evans used the letter to acknowledge that the role would always belong to the man who created it.
"There is, and always will be, only one Tim Curry," Evans wrote. He explained that he had never attempted to imitate Curry, but hoped to honor the extraordinary character while finding his own path through the role.
Evans also thanked Curry for giving a performance that encouraged generations of actors to become braver. His final request was especially touching: he hoped Curry would approve of one more Frank "having the time of his life in those heels."
Curry apparently did approve-and Evans discovered that his words reached the actor while there was still time.
The revelation gives the letter a beautiful new meaning. Evans was not simply writing a tribute that Curry would never see. Curry knew that another acclaimed actor had carried his most famous creation back to Broadway, understood the enormity of the legacy he had inherited and was grateful for the path Curry had opened.
Evans finished his seven-month Broadway engagement shortly before Curry's death. After the news broke, he shared the letter publicly and described Curry as a "bright, fierce flame" whose unmistakable voice, charm and courage had inspired countless people.
Curry died at his Los Angeles home in August 2026. The celebrated British performer had suffered a major stroke years earlier, but continued making appearances and remained connected to the Rocky Horror community. His remarkable career also included unforgettable performances in Clue, It, Legend, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Muppet Treasure Island, along with extensive stage and voice-acting work. The Associated Press reported that he earned three Tony nominations and won a Daytime Emmy during his extraordinary career.
Yet Evans noticed that when Curry died, tributes repeatedly returned to the same character: Frank-N-Furter. More than 50 years after Curry first stepped onto the stage, his uninhibited performance still represented freedom, courage and permission to be different.
The two Franks never met face-to-face. Nevertheless, one actor's gratitude reached the other before the curtain fell-and Tim Curry made sure Luke Evans knew it had been received.
