The beloved British star died on Aug. 25
Credit: Lawrence Lucier/FilmMagic
NEED TO KNOW
- Tim Curry died of coronary artery disease, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE one week after the beloved actor died at 80 on Tuesday, Aug. 25
- Los Angeles’ public health department also listed a history of stroke and kidney cancer as other significant conditions that contributed to his death
- Curry’s manager confirmed news of his death with PEOPLE on Wednesday, Sept. 26, the day after he died
Tim Curry’s cause of death has been revealed.
On Wednesday, Sept. 2 — eight days after The Rocky Horror Picture Show died at 80 on Tuesday, Aug. 25 — PEOPLE obtained documents from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health that indicate Curry died of coronary artery disease. The public health department’s document also listed a history of stroke and kidney cancer as other significant conditions that contributed to his death, but did not result in the underlying cause of Curry’s death.
In addition, the document states that no operations were performed for either his coronary artery disease, kidney cancer or history of stroke.
Curry died peacefully at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, on Tuesday, Aug. 25, his manager told PEOPLE in a statement on Wednesday, Sept. 26. LAPD confirmed to PEOPLE that officers responded to a call for service on Aug. 25 and completed a death investigation for a male in his 80s at home in North Hollywood.
Curry died just before midnight at 11:18 p.m.
Credit: Emile Wamsteker/Bloomberg via Getty
Curry, who never married and has no children, suffered a major stroke in 2012. He subsequently pulled back from public life and his acting career, focusing instead on voiceover projects.
The actor gave an update on his health in September 2025. “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,” he said at a 50th anniversary screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at L.A.’s Academy Museum.
“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,’” he recalled of how he caught the stroke.
Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty
Of using a wheelchair, he said at the time, “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 attended Birmingham University and got his start on stage in the West End, starring in the original London production of Hair in 1968. He went on to earn three Tony Award nominations and two Laurence Olivier Award nominations for his work in theater on both sides of the pond.
On the big screen, the British star was beloved for playing Rooster Hannigan in 1982’s Annie, the butler Wadsworth in 1985’s Clue and Long John Silver in 1996’s Muppet Treasure Island.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Curry published a memoir, titled Vagabond, in October 2025.
Read the full article here
