Tim Curry (1) (1946–)

Early on, veteran actor Tim Curry states that he's not setting out to provide acting instruction, life advice, or any information about his romantic life, and that's a promise he follows through on in this charming, nicely pitched memoir. What Vagabond gives us instead is a look at his childhood (moderately unhappy, marked by the early death of his father and his mother's coldness), a look behind the curtains of some of his most memorable roles, and a brief discussion of the devastating show more stroke he suffered about a decade ago and its aftermath. While far from a tell-all, Curry does at least tell you enough to give you a sense of who he is as a person—charming, reserved, not minded to be cruel but not one to suffer fools gladly either. (He never passes personal comments about former co-stars, but he is candid in his evaluation of their acting abilities and doesn't pretend to closer working relationships than they had.) The pacing wobbles at times and this is more sincere than profound, but if you have a fondness for Curry's work you will likely enjoy this. show less

I've long adored Tim Curry. I've never seen his most popular work, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but his other credits in Clue, Charlie's Angels, and Home Alone 2 will always have a place in my heart. My mom is a huge Tim Curry fan, and I think I've carried over that love.
It was a joy to discover his exhaustive voice acting work- there are many animated shows and movies I've watched that I had no clue he lent his voice for! And of course, he originated in theater, a medium I am woefully show more ignorant of.

At first, I wasn't sure I could do the audio. Tim's voice has taken a hit from the stroke and there is inconsistency throughout as he has good days and bad days. I lost one of my great grandmothers to a stroke, and was in tears during chapter one. But I quickly got used to it and found so much more respect for Tim as he pushed through each line, even calling out some of the more difficult sentences to say.
His father had a stroke when Tim and his sister were young, and died a year or so later from pneumonia, widowing their mother. Tim's sister died later from a brain aneurysm, I think it was, leaving Tim feeling like he still had so much to ask her. Despite this, Tim never seemed to carry the weight of it on his shoulders and in fact, went into shock when he suffered his own stroke during a massage. For me, this shows how you're never prepared for it when something bad happens to you.

I admired Tim's decision to not include any of his romances in his memoir- he does not feel they are something the public needs to know, and he is correct. It's his business. But don't think this book doesn't have it's share of dirty details. Tim dishes on his career at length and does not shy away from sharing the negative interactions he had with fellow actors, as well as those more central to the making of his work. He shares plenty of positive stories too, but I like when he gets a bit catty. It fits his personality so well. He also can be a bit superior in some regards, but as with Sir Patrick Stewart, it doesn't bother me much. They both are very proud of their craft and hold certain standards that other actors do not care to reach.
Tim also spends some time talking about his drug use, alcohol abuse, and a trip to rehab. So many celebrities are afraid to share these parts of their life, but I have immense respect for those that put it all out on the table and don't shy away from it. No judgement from me in that regard.

This memoir only made me love and admire Tim Curry more than I already did. I'm more intrigued than ever to watch more of his work, both in acting as well as voice work. And did you know he had a short career as a rock and roll singer in the late 70s/early 80s? I didn't! I checked out the couple of albums on Spotify and really enjoyed what I heard! His voice is so nice, whether he's singing or talking. I wouldn't necessarily call the music rock and roll, but that's probably because comparing it to modern rock shows a huge disparity. Besides, Tim admits to struggling to nail down a specific genre and is all over the place, much to the chagrin of his producer at the time.

This goes down as one of the better memoirs I've listened to! show less

Very honest but entertaining memoir from the man of many faces and talents. Every fan associates Tim Curry with one particular role, and for me, that's Pennywise; he truly 'sprinkled a little mischief', as he says, into that terrifying role, and made the evil clown strangely appealing!

I also knew that he was Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, of course, even though I haven't had the pleasure (gasp!), and that he was in Amadeus with Ian McKellen (likewise), but didn't realise just how show more prolific his 40+ career really was/is, or that he's done so much voiceover work! (I did start with the audiobook version of his memoirs, and enjoyed listening to his narration, but my brain just doesn't pay attention without pages to follow!) What I really appreciated, though, was the insight into his childhood with a difficult mother who was widowed at a young age, but also his love for his curly-haired sister, who died suddenly in her 60s. I'm a great believer that where and how someone is brought up does impact who they become, even though Mr Curry seems rather uncomfortable talking about his family (and his personal life as a whole, which is understandable and fair enough).

Tim Curry comes across as a reserved man who found escape as a character actor drawn to a wide range of remarkable roles. He name drops Bowie and Jagger along with the many actors and directors he has worked with over the years - some more positively than others! - and talks about his most famous roles on stage and screen. Of course, I was waiting for the chapter on Pennywise, a part which I don't think he either enjoyed or understood, but I knew most of the backstory already.

A swift but captivating account of his life and career to date - now I shall have to look up some of his back catalogue! show less

As a Rocky Horror fan for the last, oh, 35 years or so (not to mention Clue, Annie, and so many other great roles), when my sister got me Tim Curry's memoir for Christmas I couldn't wait to dig in. And the book is just delightful. Curry focuses his narrative on a chronological selection of his film and stage roles, with a delve into his sometimes difficult childhood at the beginning and his major stroke in 2012 at the end. His voice is very authentic, sometimes catty (but in a fun way), and show more while he doesn't hide his experiences with drugs and alcohol he generally holds the reader at a very British bit of a remove and, as has always been the case throughout his career, is very tight lipped about his personal life. I really enjoyed how he articulated his experience of acting and the differences in connecting with an audience on stage, in a film, or when doing voicework, and his funny and honest depictions of his relationships with other actors and directors keep each section of the book fresh and engaging. show less