Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946) is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence for his portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London and 1974 Los Angeles musical stage productions of The Rocky Horror Show. Curry's other stage work includes various roles in the original West End production of Hair, Tristan Tzara in the 1975 West End and Broadway productions of Travesties, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the 1980 Broadway production of Amadeus, Alan Swann in the Broadway production of My Favourite Year, and King Arthur in Broadway and West End productions of Spamalot from 2005 to 2007. His theatre accolades include three Tony Award nominations and two Laurence Olivier Award nominations. Curry received further acclaim for his film and television roles, including Rooster Hannigan in the film adaptation of Annie (1982), Darkness in Legend (1985), Wadsworth in Clue (1985), Pennywise in the miniseries It (1990), the Concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers (1993), and Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island (1996). He has also gained acclaim for his voice acting roles, including his Daytime Emmy Award-winning performance as Captain Hook on Peter Pan & the Pirates (1990–1991), Hexxus in FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992), Sir Nigel Thornberry on The Wild Thornberrys (1998–2004), and Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious on Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2012–2014). As a singer, Curry has released three rock-focused studio albums: Read My Lips (1978), Fearless (1979), and Simplicity (1981). Early life Timothy James Curry was born on 19 April 1946 in Grappenhall, Cheshire, the son of school secretary Patricia (died June 1999) and Royal Navy chaplain James Curry. His father died from pneumonia in 1958, when Curry was 12 years old. His elder sister, Judith, was a concert pianist who died of a brain tumour in 2001. Curry spent most of his childhood in Plymouth. After his father's death, his family moved to South London, where he went to boarding school before attending Kingswood School in Bath, Somerset. He developed into a talented boy soprano (treble). Deciding to concentrate on acting, he graduated from the University of Birmingham with a combined BA in English and drama in 1968. Career Acting Rocky Horror Curry's first full-time role was as part of the original London cast of