The other night, I rewatched The Rocky Horror Picture Show — and the moment Tim Curry steps off that elevator? Instant takeover. From his first strut to the final note, he owns every frame. And Susan Sarandon? Pure gold.
Whether it’s your first time or a Halloween ritual, this cult classic is a wild ride through sci-fi, sex, and rock ‘n’ roll. Here are the weirdest, funniest, and most mind-blowing facts you (probably) never knew about The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Why Tim Curry got the role
Talking about The Rocky Horror Picture Show without mentioning Tim Curry? Impossible! This was actually Tim Curry’s theatrical movie debut and he absolutely owned the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite alien scientist who steals the spotlight from the very first scene.
The reason curry took the film role was that he had already played the same character in the 1973 stage production written by Richard O’Brien.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show racked up an incredible 2,960 performances in London, with Tim Curry’s electrifying performance becoming the heartbeat of the entire production — so when it came time to cast the film version, bringing him along was a no-brainer.
A muscleman who could sing
How Curry landed the role in the first place is actually a pretty funny story — and it says a lot about the confidence he had as a young, up-and-coming actor.
”I’d heard about the play because I lived on Paddington Street, off Baker Street, and there was an old gym a few doors away. I saw Richard O’Brien in the street, and he said he’d just been to the gym to see if he could find a muscleman who could sing. I said, “Why do you need him to sing?” [laughs] And he told me that his musical was going to be done, and I should talk to Jim Sharman. He gave me the script, and I thought, “Boy, if this works, it’s going to be a smash,” Curry said.
Curry gained weight after the movie – to hide
The Rocky Horror Picture Show turned Curry into a household name and earned him a devoted cult following. However, for many years, Curry was hesitant to discuss the movie due to some difficult experiences with overly enthusiastic fans.
He told VH1 that he even gained weight and to look “chubby and plain”. That was an attempt to distance himself from the role of Frank.
Nowadays, he’s more comfortable talking about the film and even considers it a “rite of passage” for teenagers.