Vagabond by Tim Curry

Tim Curry's memoir is everything a fan would want. This is not an acting primer or personal tell-all, focusing instead on the many diverse roles that defined his career.

A working actor at 23, he played numerous roles on stage in Hair, when fate placed him in the path of fellow actor Richard O'Brien, who was writing a small play in his dressing room between performances in Jesus Christ Superstar. Richard was playing Frank-N-Furter; Tim could play Riff Raff. First called They Came From Denton High, The Rocky Horror Show merged rock 'n' roll and B-Science Fiction movies, and for around £2000 was staged with a group of shock artists in the sixty-seat upstairs space of the Royal Court Theatre.

Expectations were low, but leaving your inhibitions at the door was encouraged—flying your freak flag is the Transylvanian standard. He enjoyed the confidence of playing a character who has sex with every other character. Projecting the light one carries within and exploring contradictions was an electric experience. Such a success, it was filmed in 1975 and immediately bombed. The show moved to New York, where it was a flop, running forty performances to a bewildered audience.

Now considered a musical classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show holds the record for the longest-running theatrical release in film history.

This is by no means his only success. Tim moved on to extensive stage work with Tom Stoppard, originated the role of Mozart in Amadeus on Broadway, acted in big-budget films (Annie, Home Alone 2, The Hunt for Red October), ran manic in Clue, played the Devil in Legend and Evil in It, and cavorted with Monty Python alums in Spamalot.

In 2012, a massive stroke left him paralyzed and now wheelchair-bound. As he says, he dislikes complaining too much - but he has the material.

Fans will find a lot to like in this conversational overview of his work. I was surprised by the vast number of roles, comprising a fifty-year career.

If you got this far, you will already want to read this, and you won't be disappointed.

This newly published book has a glaring error on page 94.

In the stage play, Patricia Quinn (Magenta) sings "Science Fiction Double Feature", and although they are her lips we see onscreen over the titles, we all know Richard O'Brien (Riff Raff) sings the song. The book states: "I don't remember why it was decided that Robert would take over and sing the part himself for the film."

Richard, not Robert. Simple but glaring.

2025 / Hardcover / 281 pages