'Rocky Horror Picture Show' star Tim Curry dead at 80

Tim Curry, the English actor best known for his star turn as Dr Frank-N-Furter in the cult classic musical film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," has died at the age of 80, US media reported Wednesday.

Curry, who had struggled with his health for more than a decade after a debilitating stroke, died at his home in Los Angeles, TMZ said, citing unnamed sources.

The actor, who launched his career in London's West End theater district, first played the gender-bending mad scientist in "Rocky Horror" before reprising the role in the 1975 film, which is still a staple of midnight cinema showings more than 50 years later.

His other credits include the sinister clown Pennywise in a 1990 television miniseries version of Stephen King's "It" and films that included "Annie," "Charlie's Angels" and "Muppet Treasure Island."

Curry's co-stars were quick to lavish praise on the actor, with "Rocky Horror" star Susan Sarandon calling him a "funny, sexy original."

"What I loved about him most was his heart. Even wheelchair bound he continued to be so sweet and generous with his fans. Thank you Tim for meaning so much to so many people," she wrote on Instagram.

Carol Burnett, who co-starred with Curry in "Annie," said the pair had a wonderful time together.

"Nobody could play lovable villains better than he could. He was a dear friend. I was blessed to know him," she wrote.

Curry's impressive theatrical resume that began in the 1960s saw him do turns at the Royal Court Theatre and the Citizens Theatre, taking on roles written by Shakespeare, Brecht and Tom Stoppard, among others.

His stagework was nominated for Tony and Olivier awards.

One of his more memorable performances was on Broadway and in the West End as King Arthur in "Monty Python's Spamalot," the stage adaptation of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."

His slightly cartoonish good looks and an unparalleled ability both to camp and to vamp meant he was much in demand for roles that required a certain air of villainy.

That was on display in "Annie" in 1982, when, as con artist Rooster Hannigan, he plots to kidnap the orphan girl.

Three years later, in "Clue," he was the butler who corralled a country house full of murder suspects in the cinematic version of the board game.

There were straighter roles, including opposite Sean Connery in "The Hunt for Red October," but his comedic talents shone brightest, even in small parts, like the Plaza Hotel concierge in "Home Alone 2."

But it was Dr Frank-N-Furter, the "sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania," that defined his career.

Richard O'Brien's madcap stage creation tells the story of an unsuspecting young couple whose flat tire leads them into the house of a scientist who is creating a cross-dressing sexual plaything.

Along the way, there's a lot of singing, dancing and a heavy dose of rocker Meatloaf.

The film, which flopped on its initial release, found life as a cult classic on the midnight showings circuit, with aficionados dressing up to sing and dance in the aisles and throw popcorn -- and frankfurters -- at the screen.

"It seemed like something that would go," Curry told a TV interviewer in 1970s London.

"I was hesitant in that, if it worked, it might be a difficult image to shake off. But really, I’ve often thought that it wasn't worth doing unless you took a risk."