Tim Curry opens up about his stroke, recovery journey, and overcoming fear

Tim Curry recently reflected on the stroke he suffered in 2012, revealing he had no idea anything was wrong until his masseuse urged him to go to the hospital.

The beloved actor, known for his roles in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue, Annie, It and Home Alone 2, spoke with Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz for CBS Sunday Morning as he shared details of that life changing day.

He said, “It was so strange, I was actually having a massage and the guy who was giving me a massage said, ‘I’m worried about you, I think we should call a doctor.’ I felt fine. I had no symptoms I was aware of. I wasn’t in pain.”

After being admitted, Curry learned he had suffered a stroke the same condition that claimed his father’s life when he was just 10. “I was scared,” the Legend star admitted.

Following surgery and rehabilitation, he had to relearn how to speak, “That was very weird, I hated not being able to speak,” he said, adding that the left side of his face became paralyzed.

Reflecting on his famous Rocky Horror role, Curry said, “He gave a lot of teenagers permission to be different and I’m very happy that he did have that power.”

Discussing his new memoir Vagabond, Curry explained it isn’t a tell-all, saying, “One of the keys is to not encourage an identity," and the actor also spoke of his mother’s bipolar disorder and her complex influence on him. Now 79,

Tim Curry said, “I don’t fear death. I try to avoid it... I think it may be very comforting to go bye-bye, and I want to earn it.”