Tim Curry Reveals His Mom’s Surprising Reaction to ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ Success

Tim Curry created a legacy with his role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in TheRocky Horror Picture Show, though he recently revealed that his mom, Patricia Curry, wasn’t too pleased with the project.

While speaking to CBS Sunday Morning on Sunday, October 19, Tim, 79, reflected on Patricia seeing his fame grow after his breakout role as a trans alien scientist in the 1975 cult classic.

“She didn’t make much of it,” he told CBS correspondent Ben Mankiewicz. “She was scared of it. She thought it would change me.”

Following his breakout role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Tim went on to make memorable appearances in projects such as Clue, Annie, It and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

“She said to me later that, ‘I thought your head was gonna grow too big.’ There was certainly a whole thing about not putting your head above the parapet,” he recalled. “It wasn’t good to be noticed. She would have preferred me to operate under the radar.”

Mankiewicz, 58, then joked that Tim was “unsuccessful” in that regard, and he agreed. “I never did,” Tim said. “I didn’t give a s–t about the radar.”

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The interviewer also asked if his mother’s reaction informed his performance in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and he confirmed that it had. “I’m in touch with anger, that’s for sure. I know how it feels and how to project it,” he said.

Mankiewicz continued the interview by asking Tim about a pivotal part in the beloved movie. “When Frank is committing his particularly most heinous act in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, [killing the character Eddie with an ax], was some of that directed at your mom maybe?” he wondered.

“It’s not directed at her, it’s just channeling,” Tim explained. “I do remember actually coming out of the fridge where I just offed Meat Loaf with an ax, and I staggered out holding this ax with blood on it. I found that quite easy. I kind of knew how to do that.”

Earlier in the interview, Tim candidly spoke about the complexity of his relationship with his mother. He explained that their dynamic drastically changed when his father died when he was just 12.

“Having my life run by my mother was a very different experience,” Tim said. “Her expectations were different. She could be really chilly. I actually think now that she was probably bipolar, because she could turn on a dime.”

The Legend actor that having that kind of parent means “you tread very carefully … or don’t.”

This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.