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Tim Curry has spent decades proving there’s no role he can’t make his own. Join us as we celebrate one of the most unforgettable entertainers of all time, from scene-stealing performances and iconic line deliveries to memorable voice work and musical moments. Which Tim Curry moment stands above the rest? Share your favorite in the comments below!
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00:00:01Tim Curry spent decades proving that there was no role he couldn't make his own.
00:00:08And today we are celebrating his most memorable moments, starting with these scene-stealing performances.
00:00:25Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're remembering acting legend Tim Curry's greatest roles across his iconic career.
00:00:32It is a tradition for the officers to toast to the success of a voyage.
00:00:36Ah, very true!
00:00:37Beloved for his on-screen villainy and eccentricity, his personal passion for his craft, and his warm graceful spirit, Tim
00:00:44Curry will forever be one of the greats.
00:00:46Let's take a look back through some of his most memorable moments.
00:00:49Number 10. Daniel Rooster Hannigan, Annie
00:00:52In this 1982 film based on the 1977 Broadway musical, Tim Curry plays Daniel Rooster Hannigan, the brother of Carol
00:01:00Burnett's evil orphanage manager.
00:01:02Oh, come on, sis. This is gonna be the best bunco job ever. All we need is details.
00:01:09While it's one of his lesser-known roles, Curry established many of his classic trademarks here.
00:01:14He flexed his sadistic creep muscles and also busted out some impressive vocals in the song Easy Street, helping to
00:01:20make Annie a great adaptation.
00:01:22That's where we're gonna be!
00:01:27Through this performance, Curry proved to the world that nobody plays a con man better than him.
00:01:32He's an actor who consistently had fun playing treacherous types, and it shows.
00:01:41Number 9. Long John Silver, Muppet Treasure Island
00:01:45Tim Curry and the Muppets? You can't beat that combination.
00:01:48Curry plays the conniving but charismatic one-legged pirate known as Long John Silver.
00:01:53Long John to his friends. And believe me, lad, a friend you can trust is worth his weight in gold.
00:02:03While he is initially kind and friendly towards young Jim Hawkins, it's revealed that he is actually deceptive and only
00:02:09using him for his master plan.
00:02:11The stars will be our compass, wherever we may roam. And our mates will always be, just like a family.
00:02:21This performance showed audiences that Curry could effectively alternate between being your loving neighbor to a complete scoundrel.
00:02:28Really? Allow me to disagree, Cardinal.
00:02:31Plus, it's pretty remarkable how Curry managed to be even livelier than his fabric co-stars.
00:02:37Number 8. Cardinal Richelieu, The Three Musketeers.
00:02:40Those Musketeers are a menace. They must be stopped.
00:02:44With a star-studded cast like this, it might have been easy to forget that Tim Curry was actually in
00:02:49The Three Musketeers.
00:02:50But with a performance like the one he gives, that is impossible.
00:02:54Assumes the throne.
00:02:57With the queen by his side.
00:02:59I would rather die.
00:03:01That can be arranged!
00:03:03In this action-adventure flick, Curry portrays the malevolent Cardinal Richelieu, the man who disbands the Musketeers to take over
00:03:10the land.
00:03:11Like the Knights of the Round Table, the Musketeers have outlived their usefulness.
00:03:15Curry held his own against the likes of Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell, and Oliver Platt with plenty of
00:03:22comedic quips and lots of yelling.
00:03:24His performance comes complete with all the cheesy 90s flair that we grew up loving.
00:03:28I will return twice as strong, and the throne will be mine!
00:03:34Number 7, Mr. Hector, Home Alone 2, Lost in New York.
00:03:45Starring opposite Macaulay Culkin and Joe Pesci, Curry portrayed yet another character that takes great pleasure in being quite the
00:03:52Grinch.
00:03:52With all due respect, madam, your son is lost in one of the biggest cities in the world.
00:03:58Could you stay out of this, please?
00:04:00As you wish.
00:04:01In Home Alone 2, Lost in New York, he played Mr. Hector, the plaza hotel concierge who's out to get
00:04:07Kevin.
00:04:08Terribly sorry, sir, but I'm afraid you're mistaken.
00:04:12It's actually kind of disappointing that he doesn't have more screen time here.
00:04:15Even when given a minor supporting character, however, Curry commanded every scene he was in, and made the role his
00:04:21own.
00:04:22What else can be said except, we love you!
00:04:25Is my transportation here?
00:04:26Out in front, sir. A limousine and a pizza, compliments of the plaza hotel.
00:04:32Number 6, Hexus, Fern Gully, The Last Rainforest.
00:04:36Through his first major voiceover role in an animated feature film, Curry intoxicated the audience as the infectiously devious Hexus.
00:04:43Of course. Humans. What wonderful creatures. So clever. So helpful.
00:04:50This gargantuan toxic gas monster hell-bent on destroying the rainforest is filled with all of Curry's signature tropes.
00:04:57Corrupted and twisted villain? Check.
00:04:59Comedic? Check.
00:05:01Amazing singing voice? Check.
00:05:03And mate.
00:05:04You love my toxic love.
00:05:12This is most likely the first time you were introduced to the likeness of Tim Curry through the soothing sound
00:05:16of his voice.
00:05:17And if you were anything like us, you needed to see more.
00:05:20Curry will always be a staple of our childhoods.
00:05:23To slice a path of doom, with my sweet breath to guide it.
00:05:34Number 5, Billy Flynn, a.k.a. The Prince of Darkness, Criminal Minds.
00:05:40Put the gun down or she dies. Don't give in to her, man.
00:05:44In one of Curry's most noteworthy live-action television appearances, he portrayed a serial-killing sociopath named Billy Flynn.
00:05:51Billy was the main antagonist in two stellar episodes of Criminal Minds.
00:05:55Fans of the long-running series name him as one of the greatest villains the show has ever seen.
00:06:00And that is no doubt due to the performance given by Curry.
00:06:03That's a good boy.
00:06:05Hello there.
00:06:07While not well-educated, Flynn is smart enough to plan home invasions and get away with murder.
00:06:12He has racked up an impressive list of kills, with over 200 victims.
00:06:16Although his character was short-lived, Curry definitely made Billy unforgettable.
00:06:21And adds to the list of chilling characters we'll always remember him for.
00:06:25He let me go.
00:06:27To save me.
00:06:32You're really not like him at all.
00:06:35Number 4, Darkness, Legend.
00:06:37I value your thoughts.
00:06:39Share them with me.
00:06:41In this dark fantasy, Curry played the Lord of Darkness, the equivalent of Satan in the legend world.
00:06:49We are all animals, my lady.
00:06:53Most are too afraid to see it.
00:06:56Curry's first non-comedic villain in film, he turned Darkness into an even more sadistic yet unique portrayal of the
00:07:03Demon Lord.
00:07:03He created a devil-like character that was actually likable, despite being a baddie.
00:07:08What are we here?
00:07:11A little boy.
00:07:13While the film was a commercial bomb, Curry was praised for his performance.
00:07:16And the kick-ass makeup effects that transformed him received an Oscar nomination.
00:07:21Curry stood out with every role he took on, but Darkness demonstrates that he could also be completely unrecognizable in
00:07:27them.
00:07:27Are you so anxious to see blood flow?
00:07:32Number 3, Wadsworth, Clue.
00:07:35Even in a film based on a board game, Curry gave it his all, and turned in an enormously entertaining
00:07:44performance as Mr. Body's butler Wadsworth.
00:07:47Curry took on this role with ease, approaching it with his dry yet logical humor and fast-talking wit.
00:07:52You knew her too, didn't you?
00:07:54Yes, she worked for me.
00:07:55And you also knew her, sir?
00:07:57We've already established that you were one of Miss Scarlet's clients.
00:08:00While the film was a commercial and critical bomb upon release, Clue has become a cult hit, much like many
00:08:06of Curry's other projects.
00:08:08I can explain everything.
00:08:09You don't have to.
00:08:10I don't?
00:08:10Don't worry, there's nothing illegal about any of this.
00:08:12Are you sure?
00:08:13Of course, this is America.
00:08:15This is largely thanks to the film's killer ensemble cast, though Curry steals the whole show.
00:08:21How many bullets were in that gun?
00:08:22We lost count.
00:08:23And you'll just, you'll just go on blackmailing us all.
00:08:26Of course.
00:08:27Why not?
00:08:28Number 2.
00:08:29Pennywise.
00:08:30It.
00:08:30Beep, beep, Richie.
00:08:33Come back anytime.
00:08:35This wisecracking clown from the TV miniseries based on the Stephen King novel is nightmare fuel for many millennials, as
00:08:42well as people who are afraid of clowns.
00:08:48While Pennywise was already designed to be creepy and scary, Curry turned an evil interdimensional entity into a sadistic murderer
00:08:55that specializes in terrifying children.
00:08:58What makes this even more frightening is that the real life serial killer John Wayne Gacy reportedly influenced Curry's portrayal
00:09:04of Pennywise.
00:09:05Along with it developing a cult following, critics praised Curry's performance for making us laugh and scream.
00:09:12You'll never see me.
00:09:14You'll see only what your little mind can allow.
00:09:18Number 1.
00:09:19Dr. Frankenfurter.
00:09:20The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
00:09:22An extraterrestrial scientist and proud transsexual in the galaxy of Transylvania, Curry takes an already over the top character and
00:09:29puts him on another level entirely.
00:09:32Let me show you a rhyme.
00:09:34Maybe play you a sign.
00:09:36You look like you're both pretty grooving.
00:09:39A foundational character in LGBTQIA plus representation, Dr. Frankenfurter blended punk, glam and drag.
00:09:47And a legend was born.
00:09:48Curry's first major role resulted in a highly quotable cult phenomenon that is beloved and revisited to this day.
00:09:55I'm just a sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania.
00:10:07This unique character elevated Curry's career early, putting him center stage in the most well-known midnight movie of all
00:10:14time.
00:10:15Come. We are ready for the floor show.
00:10:20We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to watch Tim Curry do what he does best on screen
00:10:24over the course of his iconic career.
00:10:26We're due for a marathon of all of the performances in his honor.
00:10:30What's your favorite role of Tim Curry's?
00:10:37Sit.
00:10:41Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:10:42And today we're looking at Tim Curry's most memorable TV guest spots.
00:10:46Prepare the operating room.
00:10:49It's time to play.
00:10:53We'll be including multi-episode guest spots and one-off cameos across live action and animated shows.
00:11:02In 1981, Tim Curry hosted a season 7 episode of SNL with musical guest Meatloaf.
00:11:08That combo alone is beyond inspired.
00:11:11Curry and Eddie Murphy also make for a fun pair.
00:11:14The latter filling the role of a janitor cleaning up the show's messy state.
00:11:17I didn't want to be thought of as strictly a drag character, so I never appeared in public in a
00:11:21dress.
00:11:25You don't want to be thought of as just strictly a black character, so you also must never appear in
00:11:31public, you know, um, that way.
00:11:36The centerpiece is a Mick Jagger variety show with Curry playing the English singer.
00:11:40Curry's Jagger brings satisfaction to the audience, as well as Lamb Chop and Sherry Lewis.
00:11:45Kiss.
00:11:46It will be my pleasure.
00:11:52Other highlights include Curry as Prince Charles on Weekend Update and an innuendo-laced vaudeville performance of the Zucchini song.
00:11:59Oh, it's such a lovely color, so big and round and fat.
00:12:04I've never seen a Zucchini, very quite as big as that.
00:12:07Oh, oh, what a beauty.
00:12:11I've never seen one that's big as that.
00:12:13I've never seen one that's big as that.
00:12:15I've never seen one that's big as that before.
00:12:18In addition to introducing the musical guest, Curry has a proper reunion with Meatloaf, promoting the one-stop Rocky Horror
00:12:25Shop.
00:12:25Are we the only ones getting Chris Farley vibes from Loaf?
00:12:29Even words we can't say on television, but you can shout them out with confidence when you've got the Rocky
00:12:34Horror Guidebook.
00:12:35That's right.
00:12:36And if you order now, I mean, I mean, if you order right now, that's now.
00:12:39I'm not talking about later.
00:12:40I mean, now.
00:12:41I mean, you're going to win.
00:12:42That's right.
00:12:42You're going to get a free hand full of rice.
00:12:45Right?
00:12:45Number 9, Marion Finster, Will and Grace.
00:12:48For about 20 minutes, Karen Walker was related to Tim Curry.
00:12:52The two-part season six finale of Will and Grace revolves around Karen's wedding to John Cleese's Lyle.
00:12:58Curry shines as Lyle's brother, Marion, who introduces himself to his future sister-in-law with tongue.
00:13:04That's also how Marion greets his brother, which doesn't make it better.
00:13:07Okay.
00:13:09See you in the chapel.
00:13:13Boy, your brother sure can't kiss.
00:13:17That's nothing.
00:13:18Wait till you meet my dad.
00:13:19Marion tries to take it one step further, using his toast as a proposition to crawl into their wedding bed.
00:13:25We're not sure if he was more interested in Karen or Lyle.
00:13:28Either way, we're weirded out.
00:13:30Now, now, I'm just joking if you think that's weird.
00:13:33A show of hands.
00:13:34How many-
00:13:36Thank you, Marion.
00:13:37Yes, it was a mistake having you here.
00:13:39Marion provides a small taste of the craziness Karen is marrying into.
00:13:43Karen's marriage ends as fast as it begins.
00:13:46Which is probably for the best if Marion was going to be her brother-in-law.
00:13:50May I cut it?
00:13:51Oh, how lovely.
00:13:54It's so touching that you're wearing mother's suit on your wedding day.
00:13:58Number 8.
00:13:59Taurus Bulba, Darkwing Duck
00:14:00This kingpin-esque bovine only appears in three episodes of Darkwing Duck.
00:14:05Yet he leaves one of the strongest impressions for a few reasons.
00:14:09Clovis, take us downtown.
00:14:12It's time I met this Darkwing Duck.
00:14:16For starters, Tim Curry voices him with a thick Russian accent.
00:14:20So, the fact that Taurus wears a red suit carries double meaning.
00:14:23On top of that, he's the first big bad that Darkwing, Gosselin, and Launchpad take on as a trio.
00:14:29Taurus set a standard for every foe who followed.
00:14:32With Curry balancing the villain's criminal intellect with a hot-headed temper.
00:14:36I underestimated you once, Darkwing.
00:14:38Doc, this time you simply die.
00:14:42Curry's larger-than-life personality suits Taurus' hulking build, which only becomes more threatening when he comes back as a
00:14:48Terminator-like steer.
00:14:50While Curry brings his comedic chops to the role, Taurus means business, and that's no bull.
00:14:55I'll do anything you want.
00:15:09Number 7.
00:15:11Sir Rudolph Haley, The Naked Truth
00:15:13We think this sitcom would have lasted longer if Curry's presence wasn't limited to two episodes.
00:15:19Despite only appearing twice in Season 1, Curry plays a substantial role as Sir Rudolph Haley, the original owner of
00:15:26the tabloid that Taleone's Nora works at.
00:15:28Wives come and go, but the comet is my most faithful lover.
00:15:33Always here for me when I need her.
00:15:35Loyal.
00:15:37Supportive.
00:15:39What stinks?
00:15:41Nora, sir.
00:15:42When Nora first meets him, Haley is dressed as Santa.
00:15:46Don't let that fool you.
00:15:47Haley is greedier and more shameless than Scrooge ever was, giving out pink slips as Christmas presents.
00:15:53Season's greetings.
00:15:55But I have a family.
00:15:57Well, then you've really let them down, haven't you?
00:16:00Santa isn't Curry's only over-the-top outfit, later fencing Nora with an especially large codpiece.
00:16:06Curry was a welcome wildcard in a season full of kooky shenanigans.
00:16:10The Naked Truth would be retooled over its next two seasons, sadly losing Curry as a guest who had potential
00:16:17to be more.
00:16:17Oh, gosh.
00:16:20Well, this could take some time.
00:16:28Number 6.
00:16:29Martin Crisp.
00:16:30Rude Awakening.
00:16:32Curry popped up in six episodes of this Showtime sitcom as Martin Crisp, a ruthless attorney who's a shark in
00:16:38court and in the sack as Lynn Redgrave's Trudy finds.
00:16:41What kind of lawyer licks a client's hat and completely ignores her lips?
00:16:52God, you're good.
00:16:56Being a lawyer, Martin isn't above deceit, which Trudy learns the hard way when she catches him with another woman.
00:17:02Even then, Trudy struggles to resist Martin, finding someone who's just as shallow as she is.
00:17:07Your palms are sweating, your breasts are heaving, and you're shaking from head to toe.
00:17:12Either you're having a heart attack or you love me.
00:17:15Either way, you need mouth to mouth.
00:17:20You're a beast.
00:17:22So tame me.
00:17:24In a series that regularly dealt with substance use disorder, Martin becomes another intoxicating presence for Trudy.
00:17:30As Trudy's health declines, Martin decides to leave her, believing his absence will help her sobriety.
00:17:36Martin's exit may seem selfish, but it also may be the most selfless thing he does during his time with
00:17:42Trudy.
00:17:42My lifestyle, the traveling, the partying, is too tempting.
00:17:46She'll never go into rehab with me around.
00:17:48That's why I have no choice but to go.
00:17:50You're walking out on my mother while she's in the hospital?
00:17:53Well, if you want to look at it that way.
00:17:55Number 5.
00:17:56Dr. Mystico.
00:17:57Freakazoid.
00:17:58In a show where the titular superhero is a literal Freakazoid, Curry's Dr. Mystico somehow manages to be even more
00:18:05unhinged.
00:18:06What have you done to the others?
00:18:07There'll be time for questions later.
00:18:09No, there won't.
00:18:10The show's over in 10 minutes.
00:18:12Well, if you hadn't wasted all that time in the plane, I'd...
00:18:17You will all be my guests for dinner.
00:18:19Freakazoid must team up with some of his other enemies, and Leonard Maltin, when they all get stranded on this
00:18:24mad scientist's island.
00:18:25In addition to making casseroles, Mystico has created a new species called Orangaman, which will somehow help him take over
00:18:33Cleveland, and then the world!
00:18:35They called me mad!
00:18:36They called me mad!
00:18:37Insane!
00:18:38Wendell!
00:18:39They barred me from the universities until I had no choice but to flee here and conduct my research!
00:18:45Well, who's crazy now?
00:18:48Who's mad now?
00:18:52Try the casserole, Freakazoid.
00:18:54As loony as the character is on paper, Curry naturally dials up the insanity to 11.
00:19:00Maybe even 12 if that's possible.
00:19:03Our only complaint is that Mystico doesn't get more time in the spotlight.
00:19:07Then again, we also wish that this cult cartoon got more seasons.
00:19:10Why didn't you do that before we got down here?
00:19:17I'll deal with you all shortly.
00:19:20Sparkle has to tinky.
00:19:22Number four, Dale the Whale Biderbeck, Monk.
00:19:26Three actors played this morbidly obese enemy of Mr. Monk.
00:19:30While they all shared similarities, each actor brought something unique.
00:19:34Tim Curry, hidden under layers of prosthetics, is perhaps the most deliciously diabolical, relishing in every slimy line delivery.
00:19:42Your fear is huge, but your curiosity is huger.
00:19:49I want to make you an author.
00:19:50Oh, please, drop dead.
00:19:52Well, you'd think I would have by now, wouldn't you?
00:19:55At the same time, this is the one instance where Dale actually aids Monk.
00:20:00Of course, Dale doesn't do anything for free.
00:20:02What you want, Adrian.
00:20:05What you need, information.
00:20:10In exchange for getting a window in his cell, Dale offers information about the death of Monk's wife, a mystery
00:20:16that looms over the series.
00:20:18While it seems Dale may renege, he honors the agreement, which even he acknowledges might be a first for him.
00:20:23Despite being confined to a bed, Curry plays Dale as a mastermind who can still influence the outside world.
00:20:29I absolve you, Adrian Monk.
00:20:34That's my good deed for the decade.
00:20:37Number three, Billy Flynn, Criminal Minds.
00:20:41Curry is best known for his comedic timing.
00:20:43With his guest spot on this gritty crime drama, though, Curry demonstrated he could also be a genuinely chilling screen
00:20:49presence.
00:20:49He gave one of his most terrifying performances as Billy Flynn, a.k.a. the Prince of Darkness.
00:21:08As his name suggests, Flynn largely operates in the shadows, giving him a Boogeyman-esque demeanor.
00:21:14Flynn is a literal monster, committing hundreds of atrocities without remorse.
00:21:19Your sister grew up real pretty.
00:21:23Last time I saw her, she was just an itty-bitty thing.
00:21:26Not as good as your mom, though.
00:21:30She squirms too much.
00:21:32Even with minimal dialogue, the deranged look on Curry's face is enough to tell us that this is the face
00:21:37of evil.
00:21:38When Curry does open his mouth, he dials back his usual eccentric delivery,
00:21:42turning in a grounded portrayal of a twisted soul whose own traumatic upbringing spreads like a disease.
00:21:48I think I helped her escape.
00:21:53Was that really true, or did I just imagine it to make killing her easier to live with?
00:22:00Number two, Nigel St. Nigel, Psych.
00:22:03Need someone to send up Simon Cowell at the height of American Idol's popularity?
00:22:07Who better than Tim Curry to spout insults?
00:22:09You're stiff, inarticulate, slightly jaundiced, asymmetrical.
00:22:14You smell.
00:22:16The one on the right, there's something in your teeth.
00:22:18All in all, I'd say there's absolutely nothing worthwhile about either one of you.
00:22:23But we haven't even sang yet.
00:22:25Apples and oranges.
00:22:27Reality TV judge Nigel St. Nigel, brilliant name by the way, is so brutally honest that someone is seemingly targeting
00:22:34him.
00:22:34Sean and Gus go undercover as contestants, forcing Nigel to give their less than angelic singing chops a pass.
00:22:40It was real. It was rough. Post, post, post-modern. Yet challenging. Sandpaper-esque.
00:22:50Even as the duo repeatedly saves his life, Nigel finds something to be critical about.
00:22:55When the ones behind this attempted murder plot are revealed, Nigel isn't humbled.
00:22:59He mocks his assailant's inability to kill him, actually giving some fair criticisms.
00:23:04It has to be the poorest executed attack in history. I was two feet away from you all the time.
00:23:12I mean, you have to be absolutely, without doubt, the worst murderer I have ever seen.
00:23:23Nigel's televised critique of Sean and Gus's musical number is just as scathing.
00:23:28Although we don't think they were half bad.
00:23:30What, are you kidding me? You look like a couple of rodeo clowns up there.
00:23:34Nothing was in sync. Your hairstyles are ridiculous.
00:23:37You butchered a terrific song, and it's time you went home.
00:23:41Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
00:23:45Roger, Roseanne, a smooth talker who flips houses, and briefly Nancy.
00:23:50All I know is, heaven must be missing an angel tonight.
00:23:54Spread it on thick, baby.
00:23:56Himself, Bette.
00:23:58Tim Curry and Bette Midler turn Hamlet into a comedy.
00:24:01Oh, what a rash and bloody deed is this!
00:24:03A bloody deed indeed!
00:24:06What is that?!
00:24:08Yeah!
00:24:18Hello!
00:24:20The Frog, Teen Angel.
00:24:22Curry voiced a talking frog on a TGIF sitcom.
00:24:25Why don't we talk about this more?
00:24:27I didn't know toads were so into TV.
00:24:30Toads?
00:24:31Toads, frogs, whatever.
00:24:33Not whatever.
00:24:34Frogs are cultured, well-bred, with high moral values.
00:24:38While toads...
00:24:39Well, let's just say, you date toads.
00:24:42You marry a frog.
00:24:44Mr. Likelighter.
00:24:45Hey Arnold.
00:24:47What theater critic judges elementary school plays?
00:24:50The kind voiced by Tim Curry.
00:24:52It's going to be a fiasco.
00:24:54It's going to be a smash, you'll see.
00:24:56Ian Miles.
00:24:57The Tracy Ullman Show.
00:24:58It was never lonely at the top with Curry.
00:25:01All the applause and all the parades.
00:25:05All the money I have made.
00:25:09Oh, it's lonely at the top.
00:25:16Number one.
00:25:17Pa, Ma and Winona Brackett.
00:25:20Tales from the Crypt.
00:25:21Scoring a primetime Emmy nomination, Curry played three deeply disturbed characters in
00:25:26this Tales from the Crypt episode.
00:25:27Dammit, woman, I'm tired of you arguing with me.
00:25:29If I want him dead, he's dead, and that's all there is to it.
00:25:33Don't you raise your voice to me, old man, or I'll have your heart.
00:25:37Siles.
00:25:37It wouldn't be polite to kill him until he wakes up.
00:25:40Curry acts opposite Ed Begley Jr.'s Judd Campbell, a salesman trying to scam a family
00:25:45into buying a phony funeral plot.
00:25:46In reality, Ma, Pa, and their daughter Winona are conning Judd,
00:25:50who slowly realizes he's digging his own grave.
00:25:53The brackets ensure that it is a slow demise, with Judd having to marry Winona first.
00:25:58Wait a minute, Pa.
00:26:00Ain't you gonna take these handcuffs off?
00:26:02He's marrying me.
00:26:04You think he's gonna spend the rest of his life walking around with these things on?
00:26:07She's right, Pa.
00:26:09If he's willing to marry her, it's the least you can do.
00:26:13Well, I guess.
00:26:15We're willing to wager there's some inbreeding in this gene pool,
00:26:18hence why the brackets all share the same face.
00:26:20Yet Curry makes each character dementedly entertaining in their own way.
00:26:25Few guest spots demanded more of Curry, but as always, he knew exactly how to sell it.
00:26:30You lied to me, all of you.
00:26:32Lied?
00:26:34Now that ain't a nice thing to say.
00:26:38Besides, it weren't no lie at all.
00:26:42No, sir.
00:26:43Which Tim Curry guest spot left you wanting more of him?
00:26:47Few actors can deliver a line quite like Tim Curry.
00:26:51Why, see for yourself.
00:26:54Very well.
00:26:55I know who did it.
00:26:56You do?
00:26:58And furthermore, I'm going to tell you how it was all done.
00:27:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:27:02And today, we're counting down our picks for the times Tim Curry devoured his lines,
00:27:07proving that whether the scene called for comedy, horror, or a full-blown musical number,
00:27:11he always knew exactly how to make it his own.
00:27:13So, come up to the lab and see what's on the slab.
00:27:21Number 10. Sit and talk with me.
00:27:24Legend.
00:27:24Stepping out of the shadows as the literal prince of darkness, Curry anchors Ridley Scott's
00:27:30fantasy with pure theatrical magnetism.
00:27:32Eat.
00:27:33I'm not hungry.
00:27:34You lie.
00:27:38Just to please me.
00:27:40I do nothing for your pleasure.
00:27:42Under pounds of latex and those enormous horns, he still makes every word sound seductive.
00:27:48His raspy, low rumble never needs to shout.
00:27:52Instead, he draws Princess Lily in with a slow, hypnotic cadence that feels intimate one second and threatening the next.
00:27:58All I wish is for you to sit and talk with me.
00:28:04That contrast makes the performance so memorable.
00:28:08Curry understands that the quietest threat can be the most unsettling, especially when it sounds like the speaker is enjoying
00:28:14himself.
00:28:14It's a wonderfully controlled villain performance, and those wicked whispers have stuck with fans long after the makeup has faded.
00:28:21It is enough that we are alone together.
00:28:26Just the two of us.
00:28:33Some, uh, simple conversation.
00:28:39Number nine.
00:28:40The last thing I am is beautiful.
00:28:42Tales from the Crypt.
00:28:44Curry gleefully dives into the EC Comics graveyard, delivering a full-blown performance in which he plays every member of
00:28:51the creepy, downright villainous Brackett family.
00:28:53Even a self-deprecating joke becomes an excuse to play with a word, like when he stretches out beauty, then
00:28:59abruptly chops it off with that harsh little stop, making the delivery feel gloriously wrong.
00:29:04Oh, you are so beautiful.
00:29:12The last thing I am is beautiful.
00:29:15We also love his maniacal cackle here.
00:29:18It's cold.
00:29:25Salesmanship.
00:29:26There's so much personality packed into every consonant that the joke barely needs the punchline.
00:29:31Curry understood that horror comedy lives in the timing, and he makes every syllable count.
00:29:36It's the kind of tiny vocal choice that turns a throwaway joke into something fans relish.
00:29:42Of course, if you don't love me, I'll just have to give you back to Paul and let him deal
00:29:46with you.
00:29:46Number eight.
00:29:47That's rather nice.
00:29:48Ferngully.
00:29:49The Last Rainforest.
00:29:50As Hexus, Curry makes toxic waste sound like a high-end spa treatment.
00:30:07When the loggers fire up their machinery, he slips into a smooth jazz club rhythm that's weirdly enticing.
00:30:13Rather than playing the villain as a snarling monster, Curry gives him an oily, decadent purr, like pollution is a
00:30:20luxury product he can't wait to sell you, and we can't help but buy into.
00:30:24He starts with a satisfied sigh, delivered with enough theatrical zest to make environmental destruction sound almost glamorous.
00:30:32Hit me one time.
00:30:35Hit me twice.
00:30:38Oh!
00:30:39Oh!
00:30:42Oh!
00:30:43That's rather nice.
00:30:44It's ridiculous.
00:30:45It's ridiculous, sultry, and cartoonish, but Curry commits to every second.
00:30:49He makes Hexus so charmingly toxic that you almost forget he's literally made of pollution.
00:30:54Slime beneath me, mmm, slime up above, mmm, you love my, oh, toxic love.
00:31:09Number seven.
00:31:10Smashing the Wild Thornberries.
00:31:12Swapping his usual dark repertoire for green cargo shorts and endless optimism, Curry gave Nigel Thornberry a voice that could
00:31:19brighten the jungle on a dark winter night.
00:31:21Dancing with a chimp in Sumatra of all places?
00:31:24If I didn't know better, I'd swear that the rhino was trying to throw me off the trail.
00:31:29That is odd.
00:31:31It's smashing!
00:31:32His signature catchphrase relies entirely on an outrageously exaggerated British inflection that hits your eardrums like a shot of pure
00:31:40caffeine.
00:31:40Every time he utters the word, his voice lifts into a cheerful crescendo that radiates genuine curiosity about the natural
00:31:47world.
00:31:48Smashing, Marianne, a camera customized to meet the requirements of the rare bird-eating spider.
00:31:55Curry could have played Nigel as a straightforward eccentric, but instead, he made him gloriously lovable and larger than life.
00:32:02Decades later, that voice is still instantly recognizable.
00:32:05As far as voice acting goes, this one is absolutely smashing!
00:32:11We'll visit your father later, how's that sound?
00:32:14Smashing!
00:32:15Oh!
00:32:16Smashing!
00:32:17A rather large elephant just came through this way!
00:32:21Number 6.
00:32:21Upstage lads, this is my only number!
00:32:23Muppet Treasure Island
00:32:25While educating Jim on professional piracy, Curry delivers this line with outward patience, but an unmistakable warning that anyone who
00:32:32doesn't follow orders may soon be taking their final bow off the plank.
00:32:37Upstage lads, this is my only number!
00:32:40Surrounded by singing pirates and scene-stealing Muppets, he completely commands the stage and chews the scenery with supreme theatrical
00:32:48ego.
00:32:49His booming projection carries a brilliant winking irony, acknowledging the absolute hilarity of demanding center stage while singing a musical
00:32:57number with a bunch of felt shipmates.
00:32:59We'd never stab you in the back!
00:33:01We'd never lie or cheat!
00:33:04We'll just affect the nicest guy you can ever want to meet!
00:33:07It is wildly energetic and delightfully over the top, perfectly capturing a charismatic rogue who loves the pure drama of
00:33:14piracy just as much as the actual treasure itself.
00:33:17When you're a professional pirate, you're always in the best of company!
00:33:30Number 5.
00:33:32Do you have Prince Albert in a can?
00:33:33It.
00:33:34Stepping into the oversized shoes of Stephen King's legendary shape-shifting entity, Curry redefined nightmare fuel for an entire generation.
00:33:42Beep, beep, Ritchie!
00:33:44I didn't hear that!
00:33:46I didn't!
00:33:48I make your pub!
00:33:50Come on up, Ritchie!
00:33:52I got a balloon for you!
00:33:56When he teases his victims with this vintage prank question, his voice dances with eerie singsong playground innocence.
00:34:03He delivers it with the self-assured confidence of someone who has just told a joke and finds it far
00:34:08funnier than anyone else in the room.
00:34:10Excuse me, sir!
00:34:19Yet right underneath that chipper exterior lies a dangerous current of pure malice,
00:34:24ready to snap at any second.
00:34:26The tonal whiplash between playful trickster and ancient demon
00:34:30shows that his most effective scares relied as much on psychological manipulation
00:34:34and vocal mimicry as on monster makeup.
00:34:41It is? Well, you better catch it before it runs away!
00:34:48Number 4. Now, Clue.
00:34:50As Wadsworth, Curry turns every line into a piece of physical comedy.
00:34:55His rhythm is so precise that the smallest change in emphasis can send a sentence completely off the rails.
00:35:00Whether he's indignantly snapping,
00:35:02I'm not shouting!
00:35:05Alright, I am! I'm shouting! I'm shouting! I'm shouting!
00:35:11Defensively confessing,
00:35:12I know because I was there.
00:35:13or getting worked up over basic arithmetic.
00:35:15Even if you were right, that would be 1 plus 1 plus 2 plus 1, not 1 plus 2 plus
00:35:191 plus 1.
00:35:19But the real treat is watching him reenact the evening's events for the suspects.
00:35:24He moves through the story at full speed,
00:35:26changing voices and momentum without losing the thread.
00:35:29And then there's that wonderfully stretched out now,
00:35:32which gets funnier as he closes in on the killer.
00:35:35Curry performs with so much frantic precision
00:35:38that you almost forget there are actual murders to solve.
00:35:41Almost.
00:35:42But one of us wasn't here.
00:35:43No!
00:35:44No!
00:35:45No!
00:35:45Number 3. Pizza.
00:35:47Home Alone 2. Lost in New York.
00:35:50As Mr. Hector, the concierge of the ultra-luxurious Plaza Hotel,
00:35:54Curry plays a man whose entire existence is wrapped up in high-class snobbery.
00:36:08When listing the complimentary luxury amenities offered to smooth over an early mishap,
00:36:13he groups a limousine and a pizza together as if they carry equal weight.
00:36:17By the time he reaches pizza, Curry hits a massive micro-hesitation.
00:36:22And how are we this morning?
00:36:24Fine.
00:36:25Is my transportation here?
00:36:27Out in front, sir.
00:36:28A limousine and a pizza.
00:36:31Compliments of the Plaza Hotel.
00:36:33You can hear his brain briefly stall,
00:36:35trying to reconcile the humble, greasy cardboard box food
00:36:38with the posh vocabulary of a five-star hotel.
00:36:41We also love how quickly this concierge changes his approach,
00:36:45going from warning the McAllisters to offering advice,
00:36:47as if Kevin's mom's slap changed a channel in him.
00:36:51Madam, there are hundreds of parasites out there,
00:36:54armed to the teeth.
00:36:57Do bundle up.
00:36:58It's awfully cold outside.
00:37:01Number 2.
00:37:02I see you shiver with Antissa.
00:37:04The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
00:37:06Patient.
00:37:07If there's one thing Curry understood better than almost anyone,
00:37:10it was making a line feel like temptation and threat at once.
00:37:14And his introduction, delivered in an upper-class Belgravia accent,
00:37:18does this perfectly.
00:37:20Lines like...
00:37:26Demonstrate Frank's ability to toy with the sinister and seductive
00:37:29almost too well.
00:37:30I'm just a sweet transvestite.
00:37:35From the transsexual Transylvania...
00:37:43Yet no matter how often you've watched the movie,
00:37:46his grand exit still makes audiences sit forward,
00:37:49hooked on every single word.
00:37:51The gap in anticipation makes everyone catch their breath,
00:37:54as if even the smallest sigh might make us miss what comes next.
00:37:58He paces every word like he owns the room,
00:38:01holding audiences completely captive every single time.
00:38:04I see you shiver with anticipation.
00:38:11Number 1.
00:38:12I'm escaping to the one place not corrupted by capitalism.
00:38:16Command and Conquer Red Alert 3.
00:38:19Now this is a masterclass in live-action video game cutscene acting that accidentally birthed one of the greatest viral
00:38:26memes of the internet age.
00:38:28Excellent work, Commander.
00:38:31I have no doubt that our coalition would prove to be successful.
00:38:36Playing a desperate, cornered Soviet premier,
00:38:40Curry leans hard into the campy Cold War sci-fi absurdity of the real-time strategy genre.
00:38:45When he drops the deadpan punchline about escaping to space,
00:38:49his delivery strikes a magnificent balance between absolute sincerity and a knowing wink to the player.
00:38:54You've rained on my glorious parade.
00:38:57For this, I'm sending everything I've got at you.
00:39:01But I won't let you have the satisfaction of catching me.
00:39:05He plays the moment with such glee,
00:39:08making the sheer ridiculousness of Fleeing Earth even funnier.
00:39:11It's a legendary, wonderfully silly comedic exit that proves his voice acting remains unmatched across every medium.
00:39:19I'm escaping to the one place that hasn't been corrupted by capitalism.
00:39:27Space!
00:39:28Did we leave your favorite Tim Curry line delivery off the list?
00:39:33Tim Curry brought his unmistakable voice to some incredible animated rules.
00:39:39Here now are some of his best.
00:39:43I assure you the orangu men are perfectly harmless, unless I bid them otherwise.
00:39:51Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:39:52And today, we're counting down our picks for the most delightfully theatrical, instantly recognizable voices in entertainment history
00:39:59that will forever be cemented as part of Tim Curry's phenomenal legacy.
00:40:03The array of monsters I'll be able to spawn makes even my mind boggle.
00:40:10Number 10.
00:40:12Mouse King.
00:40:12Barbie and the Nutcracker.
00:40:14This could have been a standard children's movie villain, but Curry turns it into an absolute blast of theatrical villainy.
00:40:21You insolent little bat!
00:40:23I should turn you into a ceiling fan!
00:40:27Stepping into Barbie's colorful cinematic debut, he completely steals the show as the wonderfully pompous Mouse King.
00:40:33Curry leans into his signature posh sneer,
00:40:36giving the tiny tyrant an oversized, dramatic ego that delights kids and the kids at heart alike.
00:40:42Rock that will walk, destroy whom I seek.
00:40:46Carnage and havoc will be yours to wreak.
00:40:50His booming delivery balances genuine menace with tongue-in-cheek fun,
00:40:54turning every line into comedic arrogance.
00:40:57You can practically hear him grinning behind the microphone as he chews the scenery with magnificent flair.
00:41:02I'll give you a choice, Nutcracker.
00:41:06Dismemberment?
00:41:07Or barbecue?
00:41:08It is proof that Curry brought blockbuster-level dedication to even a direct-to-video toy rodent.
00:41:15We also adore his scheming Philippe in Barbie and the Three Musketeers.
00:41:19I never asked to be King Philippe.
00:41:21Which makes it all the more reason!
00:41:26I should be king, not you!
00:41:30Number 9.
00:41:31Anti-Whispers.
00:41:32Over the Garden Wall.
00:41:33Anti-Whispers is one of modern animation's most chillingly unique characters,
00:41:37and a massive part of that success rests on Curry's shoulders.
00:41:41Hmm.
00:41:42Has anyone come here today?
00:41:45Nay, Auntie.
00:41:46Not a soul.
00:41:46Then no one shall be devoured alive tonight.
00:41:51Deep within the eerie woods,
00:41:53he delivers a spine-tingling vocal performance built on unsettling contrasts.
00:41:57His raspy cadence sounds like dry leaves scraping across concrete,
00:42:01instantly keeping the audience on edge.
00:42:03The brilliance lies in how he lulls listeners into a false sense of security
00:42:07before unleashing sudden booming menace that genuinely makes your skin crawl.
00:42:12You have entered the house of doom, children.
00:42:17Your doom.
00:42:20Oh, my dear.
00:42:22Why, all along you meant it'd be the turtles that smell so ripe.
00:42:26Simultaneously vulnerable, eccentric, and deeply dangerous,
00:42:30Curry creates an unforgettable gothic fairytale antagonist.
00:42:33It is a crowning achievement in vocal horror,
00:42:36and proves his uncanny ability to terrify using sound alone.
00:42:41I mean...
00:42:41No!
00:42:44Come out before it is too late.
00:42:47Unlock this door.
00:42:49She will devour you.
00:42:51Number 8.
00:42:52Rex Pester.
00:42:53The Rugrats Movie.
00:42:54Curry has an exceptional gift for playing obnoxious, over-the-top media personalities,
00:42:58and Rex Pester is a hilarious caricature of sensationalist reporters.
00:43:03Mrs. Taylor, tell us how it feels to know you may never see your children again.
00:43:08Don't cry, Maddie.
00:43:09Can't you pit bull show some compassion?
00:43:10I'm so sorry.
00:43:11Forgive me.
00:43:13Please tell us how it feels to know you may never see your children again.
00:43:18He leaps into the role with brilliantly sleazy, fast-talking enthusiasm,
00:43:22capturing the exact flavor of a tabloid journalist desperately hunting for a juicy headline.
00:43:27Every vocal inflection drips with faux sympathy and performative urgency
00:43:31as he shoves microphones into increasingly ridiculous situations.
00:43:35Young Tammy, Baby Dale, the twins Bill and Jill,
00:43:39Little Chunky, and poor Amelia.
00:43:43All banished without a trace.
00:43:45Curry's comedic timing shines because he treats chasing anyone and everyone
00:43:49for breaking news with complete seriousness.
00:43:52It's a wonderfully campy performance that highlights his unmatched flair for cartoonish comedy.
00:43:57This is my story, pal.
00:43:59I'm Rex Pester.
00:44:01Stay tuned.
00:44:04No, nothing to pay!
00:44:06If you enjoyed his musical mischief here,
00:44:09listen out for his hilarious sumo singer in Rugrats in Paris.
00:44:19Number 7.
00:44:21Forte, Beauty and the Beast, The Enchanted Christmas.
00:44:24Proving he could single-handedly anchor a holiday sequel with sheer vocal gravitas,
00:44:29Curry portrays the bitter pipe-organ maestro Forte with magnificent dramatic weight.
00:44:33Trust me, Fife.
00:44:36Humanity is entirely overrated.
00:44:40Before the enchantment, there was no need for my particular brand of genius.
00:44:47But now the master needs my melodies to feed his tormented soul.
00:44:53His rich, resonant baritone becomes the literal and figurative foundation of the castle's musical discord,
00:44:59echoing with cold resentment and isolation.
00:45:01Curry imbues every manipulative threat with chilling sophistication,
00:45:05transforming a sentient instrument into a surprisingly complex antagonist.
00:45:09I am your friend, your cher ami, I wouldn't lie to you.
00:45:18When Forte sings, his powerful voice commands the entire soundscape,
00:45:22beautifully reflecting the character's desperate desire to trap the beast and his household in their enchanted state forever.
00:45:27It is a criminally underrated Disney villain performance that deserves far more recognition among Curry's extraordinary villainous voice acting legacy.
00:45:36Oh, maestro, it's magnificent!
00:45:39Oh, come along, it's merely an opera.
00:45:44To bring the house down.
00:45:50Venturing into the wonderfully grounded streets and artistic endeavors of Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold,
00:45:55Curry steps in as the intense theater critic and director Mr. Likelighter.
00:45:59If the speeches from your young cherub's lips doth not sing,
00:46:03there will be no force that will remove the sting,
00:46:06which from my nimble fingers my scathing review will wing.
00:46:10He treats every theatrical endeavor with the utmost dramatic seriousness,
00:46:15squeezing every ounce of comedy out of high-strung artistic pretension.
00:46:19His voice carries a booming, uncompromising cadence that commands attention whenever he critiques a performance or demands absolute perfection.
00:46:27But Red, whatever will become of me?
00:46:30Frankly, my dear, I don't give a hoot.
00:46:33Next!
00:46:34Yet, Curry always leaves room for a touch of eccentric absurdity.
00:46:39It may be a small role, but Curry eats it up with larger-than-life energy.
00:46:43It is a stellar example of how a talented actor can turn a recurring guest spot into an absolute fan
00:46:49favorite.
00:46:50While jerks cruise past them right to the head of the class
00:46:54Because my sky's finished last!
00:47:00Number 5. Ben Ravencroft, Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost
00:47:04Playing a charming intellectual who secretly hides a dark, villainous agenda requires enormous charisma,
00:47:10and Curry makes Ben Ravencroft instantly irresistible.
00:47:14Sorry. I didn't mean to upstage you.
00:47:17So what were you doing here?
00:47:19I was doing research on my latest novel,
00:47:21when I saw the archaeologists acting suspiciously and decided to investigate.
00:47:26He effortlessly projects academic charm and trusted mentorship,
00:47:30making the horror novelist feel like someone both Mystery Inc. and the audience should trust.
00:47:34Then comes the twist, allowing Curry to shed that polite exterior and unleash glorious, unabashed evil.
00:47:41The Wiccans imprisoned Sarah in her own spellbook, and you helped me find it.
00:47:48His transformation into a power-hungry warlock seeking ancient magic is delivered with absolute theatrical perfection,
00:47:54smoothly balancing intellect with deliciously dark menace.
00:47:58Ha ha ha ha ha! What's the matter, Velma?
00:48:01Don't you like the new, improved Ben Ravencroft?
00:48:05While we're on the Scooby-verse, we're also big fans of his fantastic vocal work in Scooby-Doo and the
00:48:10Goblin King.
00:48:11Go forth this night, and let goblin mischief rain!
00:48:17Number 4. Chancellor Palpatine, Darth Sidious, Star Wars, The Clone Wars.
00:48:23Stepping into the enormous shoes of Ian McDermott's iconic live-action performance was no easy task,
00:48:28but Tim Curry captures the galaxy's ultimate manipulator with jaw-dropping authority.
00:48:33Forgive me, I'm afraid I am not familiar with that name.
00:48:37He perfectly recreates the reassuring grandfatherly warmth of Chancellor Palpatine,
00:48:41masking unimaginable cruelty beneath every gentle syllable.
00:48:45Then, with only a subtle shift in pitch and a sharper edge to his consonants,
00:48:49he slips effortlessly into the rasping menace of Darth Sidious.
00:48:52When the time comes, no one will be able to stop our plan to execute Order 66.
00:49:02His deliveries give the Sith Lord's sinister philosophies genuine chilling weight,
00:49:06while still bringing his own distinct flavor to the role.
00:49:09It is a masterclass in vocal deception,
00:49:11and one monumental villainous performance worthy of Star Wars royalty.
00:49:16We have failed to break Master Yoda.
00:49:20He is strong.
00:49:23We will need more time if we are to defeat him and the Jedi.
00:49:29Number 3. Captain Hook, Peter Pan and the Pirates.
00:49:33Sailing straight into the top tier of animated pirate history,
00:49:36Tim Curry won a well-deserved Daytime Emmy for his unforgettable Captain Hook.
00:49:40I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts.
00:49:45I am no orator, but as you know me all, a plain, blunt man.
00:49:51Rather than leaning entirely on traditional swashbuckling tropes,
00:49:54Curry transforms Hook into a delightfully unhinged, poetry-spouting eccentric with a ferocious temper.
00:50:00His vocal performance swings effortlessly from sophisticated British aristocracy
00:50:04to bloodthirsty fury within a single sentence.
00:50:07But don't you think we have to have a look at the island first?
00:50:11Those were precisely my orders.
00:50:14You hobnob, knock-softy, pongo, posy, voila!
00:50:18You can hear the sheer joy behind every theatrical insult,
00:50:21explosive tantrum, and elaborate revenge plot against Peter Pan.
00:50:25The result remains the absolute gold standard for reinventing a classic literary villain
00:50:30for Saturday morning animation,
00:50:31with Curry making every gloriously dramatic moment impossible to forget.
00:50:36I will never see the Jolly Roger again!
00:50:39Never roam the main!
00:50:41Never destroy my nemesis, Peter Pan!
00:50:46Come, better conduct!
00:50:48Number 2. Hexus, Ferngully, The Last Rainforest.
00:50:52Embodying the literal spirit of toxic pollution and destruction,
00:50:56Curry delivers an absolute tour de force as Hexus.
00:50:59And how did I get out of that tree?
00:51:03Of course.
00:51:05Humans.
00:51:07What wonderful creatures.
00:51:08So clever.
00:51:09So helpful.
00:51:10His performance is a masterclass in sultry, smoky villainy,
00:51:14using a slippery, raspy tone that sounds like liquid poison pouring through your speakers.
00:51:18Every line drips with malevolent glee,
00:51:21transforming an abstract environmental threat into something viscerally alive and terrifyingly powerful.
00:51:27Should have sprayed for pests.
00:51:31Lovely wings.
00:51:33So easily did that.
00:51:35Then comes Toxic Love,
00:51:37where Curry elevates Hexus into a mesmerizing theatrical force of nature
00:51:41that's equal parts creepy and hypnotic.
00:51:43It's easily one of the most iconic vocal transformations of 1990s animation
00:51:48and a dazzling reminder of Curry's unmatched ability to make evil irresistibly entertaining.
00:51:55Slime up above
00:51:58You love my
00:52:03Toxic love
00:52:13Number 1
00:52:15Nigel Thornberry
00:52:16The Wild Thornberries
00:52:17Taking the crown is the incomparable Nigel Thornberry,
00:52:21perhaps Tim Curry's most beloved animated creation.
00:52:24To draw oxygen deeply into the lungs,
00:52:27we sing
00:52:29There's a yellow rose in Texas
00:52:31that I am going to see
00:52:33No other cowboy name
00:52:35I thought mountain climbing would be cool
00:52:38This is so embarrassing
00:52:41Don't forget to step, then breathe
00:52:46Curry pours his entire heart and soul into the khaki-wearing, wildlife-obsessed patriarch
00:52:51Complete with his signature posh sputtering, joyful exclamations, and wonderfully enthusiastic delivery
00:52:57His voice radiates infectious childlike wonder
00:53:00making every nature expedition feel like the adventure of a lifetime
00:53:03Now then, what would you say if I whipped up a batch of porridge
00:53:08and thawed out a brace of kippers?
00:53:10Wouldn't that be smashing?
00:53:12Between the immortal smashing catchphrases and Nigel's genuine tenderness toward his family
00:53:17Curry created one of animation's greatest cartoon dads
00:53:20Warm, hilarious, eccentric, and endlessly lovable
00:53:23The performance perfectly showcases his extraordinary gift for making even the most bizarre characters feel completely human
00:53:30If you're lucky, you might see a hyena roving about
00:53:34Excuse me while I go find a container for my joy
00:53:37Very well, we'll wait right here
00:53:41Oh, that's sarcasm, isn't it?
00:53:44You do that rather frequently, don't you?
00:53:46What's your favorite Tim Curry voice role?
00:53:50Tim Curry was no stranger to showing off his musical talents
00:53:53And so we're ending things today by looking at his most memorable musical performances
00:53:59Give yourself over to absolute pleasure
00:54:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo
00:54:09And today, we're taking a trip down memory lane to some of Tim Curry's best musical moments on stage and
00:54:15screen
00:54:16Who's the king?
00:54:17You are!
00:54:18Who the king?
00:54:19You are!
00:54:20We won't leave you shivering with anticipation
00:54:23Let's jump into the role that probably comes to musical fans' minds when they think of Tim Curry
00:54:28I see you shiver with anticipation
00:54:35Did you know he first strapped on Frankenfurter's high heels almost a decade before the film?
00:54:40He originated the role on stage
00:54:43Experimenting with different accents and looks before settling on the character fans know today
00:54:48Just seven days
00:54:51I can make you a man
00:54:57When the stage show received its silver screen makeover
00:55:00Even rock stars wanted a piece of it
00:55:03Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and Lou Reed all lobbied for the role or tried to get the rights
00:55:08Yet the production stuck with its original Frank
00:55:11And thank goodness they did
00:55:23Curry's Frank was terrifying, gorgeous, hilarious, and magnetic
00:55:28Strutting around in towering stilettos, fishnets, and a corset
00:55:32He gave Frank the confidence of a Hollywood siren with the undercurrent of a terrifying menace
00:55:49Vocally, he could shift from a seductive purr to a theatrical roar
00:55:54Giving every song the emotional weight it deserved
00:55:57That's why Curry's remains the definitive Frank
00:56:00Beneath the decadence and danger is someone desperately searching for love and acceptance
00:56:05Making his downfall surprisingly heartbreaking
00:56:07And I realized
00:56:13I'm good at home
00:56:15Then Curry swapped the corset and fishnets for a wonderfully awful polyester suit
00:56:20To portray Rooster Hannigan in Annie
00:56:24Easy street
00:56:28Easy street
00:56:30Easy street
00:56:32Annie is the key
00:56:36As Miss Hannigan's conman brother, he joins Carol Burnett and Bernadette Peters for one of the musical's most fun numbers
00:56:43Bringing plenty of Rat Pack energy and sleazy charm to his appearance
00:56:47It is a relatively small role, but Curry makes every second count
00:56:52Turning Rooster into a wonderfully flamboyant scene-stealer
00:56:55Move the feet
00:57:06He throws himself into every little movement, grin, and musical flourish
00:57:11Proving that for him, effortlessly balancing family-friendly musicals and cult movie madness
00:57:17Really is a trip down easy street
00:57:29His love of big theatrical villains and high sea swashbuckling also made him a perfect Long John Silver in Muppet
00:57:36Treasure Island
00:57:37Though you could be a doctor
00:57:39Or perhaps a financier
00:57:42My boy, why not consider a more challenging career
00:57:46Even surrounded by the Muppets, he treats the material with the seriousness of a grand pirate epic
00:57:51In Professional Pirate, he gets to scheme, sing, steal the limelight, and generally enjoy himself as a captain who takes
00:57:59his profession very seriously and knows how to sell it
00:58:03It's how you look at buccaneers that makes them bad or good
00:58:07And I see us as members of a noble brotherhood
00:58:12It's one of those performances where you can practically see Curry having the time of his life
00:58:16Making it all the more enjoyable for us to watch
00:58:19And making the pirate life pretty tempting too
00:58:22When you're a professional pirate
00:58:26You're always in the best of company
00:58:35Then there are Curry's animated roles
00:58:38Where his talent for musical theater
00:58:40And making the villain one of the most beloved characters on screen
00:58:43Come together beautifully
00:58:45Don't talk for hours, don't send flowers, don't write poems, don't sing songs
00:58:48And dance beneath the stars that shine above
00:58:52Don't fall in love
00:58:54In Beauty and the Beast, The Enchanted Christmas, he voices Forte
00:58:58An enormous, egotistical pipe organ
00:59:01And gets to put that booming baritone front and center in Don't Fall in Love
00:59:06Curry gives the song a wonderfully theatrical sense of menace
00:59:10Practically pummeling the Beast with his booming vocals and increasingly dramatic delivery
00:59:15You go to pot, you'll turn to drink, you'll never rest, you'll end up mad and looking like some poor
00:59:20demented dove
00:59:23Don't fall in love
00:59:28Then there's Hexus in Fern Gully, The Last Rainforest
00:59:31Whose toxic love lets Curry go in a completely different direction
00:59:35Because greedy human beings will always lend a hand
00:59:42With the destruction of this wetless jungle land
00:59:48Over a sultry, jazz-influenced arrangement
00:59:51He purrs, growls, and slides between notes with a deliciously sinister quality
00:59:57Both performances show exactly why Curry was such a natural fit for musical villains
01:00:02He could make a song feel like a full performance in itself
01:00:20We've already talked about Curry's most famous musical role
01:00:24But how he got Frankenfurter is a story in itself
01:00:27I bumped into Richard O'Brien, who I knew from the touring company of Hair
01:00:33Curry happened to bump into Richard O'Brien, writer of the Rocky Horror Show and eventual Riff Raff
01:00:39Outside a London gym
01:00:40The two had previously worked together on the original London production of Hair
01:00:44Where Curry understudied Woof and played a member of the tribe
01:00:48As an actor, I think it was a very liberating experience
01:00:55O'Brien mentioned he was looking for someone to play Rocky, so Curry agreed to audition
01:01:00Curry auditioned with a version of Little Richard's Tutti Frutti while wearing boots he had spray painted silver
01:01:06Yeah, I sang Tutti Frutti from Little Richard
01:01:10Yeah
01:01:10Which was pretty fruity, really
01:01:13They quickly realized he was not their muscle-bound Rocky
01:01:17As it turned out, Curry had rather more to offer in high heels, fishnets and a corset
01:01:23Than flexing his muscles in pants that left little to the imagination
01:01:26You'd be a strong man
01:01:31Oh honey, but the wrong man
01:01:37After his London run, Curry also took Frank to L.A. and Broadway
01:01:42Yet Curry's genius lay in his refusal to stay pigeonholed
01:01:46He took on the Pirate King in Joe Papp's production of The Pirates of Penzance
01:01:50Trading Frank's rock and roll energy for rollicking fun
01:01:53I am a Pirate King
01:01:58And it is, it is a glorious thing to be a Pirate King
01:02:02The role gave him plenty of rapid-fire patter, broad comedy
01:02:06And opportunities to play directly to the audience
01:02:10He won the Royal Variety Club Award for Stage Actor of the Year for the performance
01:02:14Showing just how easily he could move between completely different styles
01:02:26That was really quite good, didn't it?
01:02:28His Broadway work in My Favorite Year brought out a different side
01:02:32Curry played Alan Swann, a boozy, aging Hollywood star
01:02:36Trying to find his way again while appearing on a live television variety show
01:02:41The role earned him a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical
01:02:56And gave him the chance to show off a softer side of his voice and acting
01:03:00It's a lovely reminder that Curry's musical talent went well beyond the larger-than-life characters he became famous for
01:03:07I put a penny in my shoe
01:03:10Me too!
01:03:11And I believe in sending stretch to the boys on the crew
01:03:15Tim Curry brought unmatched theatricality to all his musical roles
01:03:20In Me and My Girl, he radiated bouncy charm
01:03:23In The Threepenny Opera, his vocals dripped with dark, cynical seduction
01:03:28Later, as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, he charmingly balanced bitter miserliness with a rich, soaring transformation
01:03:36And then came King Arthur in Spamalot
01:03:48Where Curry found himself ruling a kingdom populated by killer rabbits
01:03:52Unhelpful Frenchmen, knights who say, ni, and for reasons absent from your history books
01:03:58Men galloping about while clopping two coconut shells together
01:04:01Through it all, Curry plays Arthur with the solemn royal dignity one might expect from a king
01:04:16In Find Your Grail, he deploys his musical theater grandeur in pursuit of the sacred chalice
01:04:22While I'm All Alone gives him a beautifully straight-faced comic moment
01:04:25I'm All Alone
01:04:27Though I am here
01:04:28So all alone
01:04:29So very near
01:04:31No one to share my sorrow
01:04:35It's Curry doing what he does best
01:04:38Treating utter nonsense as though civilization depends upon it
01:04:42Then singing about it magnificently
01:04:44His performance reminded us to always look on the bright side of life
01:04:56What ties Curry's career together isn't the variety of his credits
01:05:00But his refusal to behave like a conventional leading man
01:05:04Don't get strung out by the way I look
01:05:08Don't judge a book by its cover
01:05:12While Hollywood and Broadway like their stars categorized
01:05:15Curry was more interested in characters letting him push boundaries
01:05:19And have a good time
01:05:20No matter the role, he threw himself into it with the same theatrical commitment
01:05:35He never needed a character to be traditionally likable to make them magnetic
01:05:39Outrageous, ridiculous, sinister, or absurd
01:05:42He'd be the one we'd all leave talking about
01:05:45Curry gave a voice to the misfits and outcasts
01:05:48While making being unconventional look like the most fun in the world
01:06:01What's your favorite Tim Curry musical performance?
01:06:04Have you ever seen him live?
01:06:06All right, well that's gonna do it for this special look at Tim Curry
01:06:10Thanks for watching. Hope you enjoyed yourself. I've been Matt for Ms. Mojo, and I'll see you next time