Tim Curry says kinky Rocky Horror role boosted his sex life: ‘It wasn’t difficult to get laid!’
The film legend told The Guardian that taking on the risqué role was “risky but liberating” - and kept him busy in the bedroom
By Callum Wells
Tim Curry has opened up about how playing Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show didn’t just make him a cult icon – it also gave his sex life a serious boost.
The film legend, who reflects on his career and sexuality in new memoir, Vagabond, told The Guardian that taking on the risqué role 50 years ago was “risky but liberating”.
“I did think it was risky and indeed it was,” he explained. “But I like risky. I would choose risky over anything. That’s the best way to be.”
“Well, I wasn’t lonely! It wasn’t too difficult to get laid” – Tim Curry on his sex life in the 70s
The part, which followed a 1973 stage production at London’s Royal Court Theatre, felt freeing in more ways than one. “Enormously, because basically he can fuck anybody. That’s quite a charge. It’s important to make that believable,” Curry said.
When asked if that freedom spilled over into his real life, he didn’t hold back. “Well, I wasn’t lonely! It wasn’t too difficult to get laid. But it was the 70s, which is crucial to what it is, I think.”
Curry also credited the character with boosting his confidence off screen. “That was good. I resolved to apply it to my life,” he said, adding that the show’s opening night was “extraordinary”, thanks to its alternative, almost underground vibe and the “very clever people” he got to work with.
In a separate New Yorker interview, Curry addressed his sexuality more broadly, telling the magzine his romantic life is “none of anybody’s business”.
What else has Curry been in?
Initially a box office flop upon its 1975 release, The Rocky Horror Picture Show went on to become a cult classic through midnight screenings, gaining a devoted global following.
Beyond the cinema classic, Curry built a reputation for portraying flamboyant, sinister, and eccentric characters across stage and screen.
His breakout role in the London production of Hair in 1968 led to a prolific career in theatre, including acclaimed performances in Amadeus, Travesties, The Pirates of Penzance, and Spamalot.
On screen, he became known for memorable roles in Clue (1985), Legend (1985), It (1990), and Home Alone 2 (1992), among others. His voice work spans animated series, video games, and theme park attractions, also.