Talk:Tim Curry

That's a really unflattering image of him on his page. Couldn't we use something less intimidating? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.180.147.143 (talk) 13:18, 7 December 2010 (UTC)Reply

Yes, the lighting in the picture is terrible. The man deserves a better shot regardless of his age. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Wvbyrne (talk • contribs) 07:48, 30 June 2012 (UTC)Reply

Well, as of now, we only have 2 shots to choose from. I personally think the 1994 shot is actually pretty decent (at least compared to most amateur shots Wikipedia is usually stuck with using on articles of living people). The 2005 shot is another story. Casual Wikipedia users should keep in mind, Wikipedia cannot simply search the internet for the "prettiest" picture of a subject and use it in an article of a living person. Images that can be used must be free of copyright claims (which is rare), so we're often left with amateur snap-shots of celebrities taken by passersby on the street, unless a professional photographer is kind enough to release the license for an image taken at a "red carpet" type of event (even more rare). Since we do have the 1994 image, I'd definitely be Ok with removing the 2005 image, but I know some editors would rather keep every picture in an article (no matter how bad), so I'm reluctant to take it upon myself to remove it. If anyone else has an opinion, please share. --- Crakkerjakk (talk) 13:52, 18 November 2012 (UTC)Reply

Since there is unanimous consensus on this talk page that the 1990s picture should be avoided if possible, now that Curry has passed, the picture should show him in his prime as is customary on Wikipedia (see Dolly Parton for a recent example.) However the free use image of Curry in his prime keeps being removed in favor of this same bad quality image from later in Curry's life despite this talk page consensus. There are no good free images available so the use of the good image of Curry from 1974 is allowed under Wikipedia convention as long as it is limited to the infobox. Plumber (talk) 18:16, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

Is 2 people and an IP address from 14+ years ago really considered a unanimous consensus? I'm not particularly opposed to changing the image, but I also don't agree with this wording. lukini (talk | contribs) 18:36, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

(1) The 1995 and 2005 images are not "low quality". I don't even know where you're getting that. They're not perfect, but they're not that difficult to see, either, and Curry is presented appealingly in the 95 one in particular. (2) Not only are these a few comments from more than a decade ago that are more akin to WP:NOTFORUM comments than actual policy-based arguments, you are oblivious to Wikipedia's non-free media policy, which is very strict. Even if the quality of the free images that exist aren't that great, they're not "unflattering" (minus the 2025 one, but that's one out of three), and they still do the job of identifying the subject; therefore, we are still not permitted to use a non-free image, even if it's a HD image of the subject "in his prime". The reason the Dolly Parton image is used in the infobox is because it's a public domain image. Had no free image of Dolly Parton in the 20th century existed, we'd default to one from the 21st-century of the infobox; we wouldn't upload a non-free one of her in the 1970s just for the sake of it. In a perfect world, I would personally prefer a higher-quality free image than the ones we have, but rules are rules. Even if the infobox image had to be of the subject in their "prime", that still would prohibit the 1970s image. While Curry got his start in the sixities and seventies, most of the screen, voice and even stage roles he had were in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s (Annie, It, Clue, Home Alone 2, Ferngully Muppets Treasure Island, The Wild Thornberries, the Monthy Phython musical, that terrible Beauty and the Beast Christmas special, The Rugrats movies etc.), with only one memorable role being from the seventies, the Rocky Horror one. Bytor, Big Money, and the Bones (At the Tobes of Hades) 18:39, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

Does a photo of subject taken during their "prime" has to be when they were younger? I mean, Tim is always popular even after his stroke in 2012 and I don't recall him having a career decline. He even still worked steadily, albeit in voice overs though. Yes he may be in forgotten shows and box office bombs but overall, they don't really affect his career all that much. RayKVega (talk) 23:35, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

I should also add that the IP address and Wvbyrne have made NO contributions before or after they're edits here, which indicates users uninformed with the way things work on this website providing their opinions. There's no "unanimous" consensus here. Bytor, Big Money, and the Bones (At the Tobes of Hades) 18:46, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

not that my opinion matters but I think his current image is great lighting and quality and should be kept. ~2026-38881-82 (talk) 03:35, 28 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

So for the love of God, stop with the edits and actually come to a consensus from experienced users with comments now. Bytor, Big Money, and the Bones (At the Tobes of Hades) 18:57, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

Okay, there is clearly no longer a unanimous consensus. I do agree I probably should've worded that better, but there was no one speaking out in favor of the 1995 image as the best image to use until just now. There are 4 who clearly prefer a different image to the 1995 image as they find it unflattering, one who does not oppose changing the 1995 image but is relatively neutral, and one who prefers the 1995 image and does not find it unflattering. For what it's worth, virtually all obituaries of Tim Curry are using images of the 1970s, not ones from the 1990s. I assume more opinions will show up soon here as news of his death spreads, but a consensus does exist now against the use of the 1995 image if possible. --Plumber (talk) 19:53, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

Well If anyone wants new Curry pics from the late 70's I just uploaded some to Commons (1, 2) during his musical career at A&M Records. (A&M was notorious to not register their copyrights for their promo materials). Hyperba21 (talk) 21:52, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

For future record, even people that didn't like the available images didn't propose to go as so far as to upload a non-free one. I am happy that the images Hyperba21 uploaded existed so that everyone's satisfied. I guess that's a relief. Bytor, Big Money, and the Bones (At the Tobes of Hades) 23:28, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

Like here for Dolly Parton (and for other then recent death articles), I'm going to place all available appropriate images of Curry that have been listed in this discussion and in the article's edit summary as well (feel free to add more when more are available), as multiple choices for comparison for consensus. (I have not added this 1974 photo as it is non-free content):

• 
  A (1978)
• 
  B (1979)
• 
  C (1995)

KagedCroc1 ⭐️ 23:42, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

I am liking A the most. It represents his face the best, for starters. He is widely known for the The Rocky Horror Picture Show, whilst this photo is not too long after its premiere year. While B is good too (he was also well represented by his long curly hair at the time he had it) it does not show his face very well, and he is also seen in a slightly strange stance. C is also representable in regards to 'prime years' (not long after Home Alone 2, another one of his most well known performances), but like stated above, it is blurry and unflattering. The only modification I would suggest for A is to slightly crop the sides for a more portrait orientation. KagedCroc1 ⭐️ 00:02, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

I have uploaded a cropped version of the image. KagedCroc1 ⭐️ 00:14, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

C because it is a high enough quality photo of him later on his career. Raskuly 🐰 00:17, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

A for sure. Without A and B, I would've chosen C for the infobox. I only participated because a non-free image was uploaded initially, and had that not happened, I would have not cared. I'm still not seeing how C is unflattering and blurry, though; that's Tim Curry's normal smile, and given that it's an mid-1990s photograph, the flash lighting isn't that bad and it's a good resolution. It's an amateur photo, but it's good enough for a photo in the body outside of the infobox. Bytor, Big Money, and the Bones (At the Tobes of Hades) 01:04, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

Yes it would be good for a biography image. In fact it would be my 2nd option behind A because of how Tim Curry-esque it is. But I don't think it would be suited as the lead image compared to A. KagedCroc1 ⭐️ 10:33, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

Definitely A. It's not only a great image, but C (while handsome!) is a little blown-out and pixelated. I think A is the way to go. BakedintheHole (talk) 16:54, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

yes, C's a bit bad quality and i think a picture from around the time of Rocky Horror suits honouring him post his death on Wikipedia. ~2026-46938-82 (talk) 18:38, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

A in my opinion. It's charming. ~2026-46938-82 (talk) 18:37, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

There is clearly a unanimous vote- are you changing it or are we stuck in Wikipedia talk limbo for eternity? It's objectively a better quality image. ~2026-46743-21 (talk) 18:45, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

 Done: I figured I might as well change the image as the discussion is slow, but mostly in support in A. I was the one who added the hat note to not change the image to begin with. KagedCroc1 ⭐️ 18:50, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

Can a more up to date photo be put as the main photo? It was taken in 1995, 27 years ago. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.156.2.180 (talk) 13:32, 6 February 2022 (UTC)Reply

@86.156.2.180 someone really should fix this ImP Gamer (talk) 04:32, 22 April 2025 (UTC)Reply

I don't know the policy on this. However, Curry's appearance has been dramatically affected by his stroke. If it were an article about me, I'd rather keep the outdated photo as the lead photo. Just saying. 204.16.123.149 (talk) 20:25, 29 October 2025 (UTC)Reply

 Not done: Discuss here. KagedCroc1 ⭐️ 18:42, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

post a subjects death (i realise that you posted this well before Curry's passing, just adding) we post a picture of them in their prime so it's better than putting a recent image. ~2026-46743-21 (talk) 18:44, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

I didn’t see anything relating to his role as an actor in the live action segments in the amazing, beautiful, and wonderful game that is Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 71.94.190.70 (talk) 04:22, 21 December 2022 (UTC)Reply

Great game. Halbared (talk) 17:14, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

No other sources yet have confirmed https://www.tmz.com/2026/08/26/tim-curry-dead/ ~2026-38881-82 (talk) 15:32, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

Funnily enough, an anonymous editor set the date of death 6 hours before TMZ reported it. Obviously a WP:NOR violation. Calumapplepie (talk) 16:26, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

I noticed that the top of the article shows "19 April 1946 - 16 August 2026," whereas the "death" section says that he passed on "25 August 2026" ~2026-46541-91 (talk) 15:43, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

26. Everywhere is reporting that. Even the citation says 26 ~2026-46593-07 (talk) 16:03, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

It was the 25th. See provided sources, such as https://variety.com/2026/film/obituaries-people-news/tim-curry-dead-rocky-horror-picture-show-1236843955/ and https://www.tmz.com/2026/08/26/tim-curry-dead/. Strugglehouse (talk) 16:22, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

This article needs to be proofread as there are several grammatical errors in it. ~2026-46429-98 (talk) 17:55, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

One of the mistakes is an "and" between "Darth Sidious" and "Star Wars", which should be an "in". ~2026-46808-12 (talk) 01:00, 28 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

Rocky Horror brought him mainstream attention and launched his film career, and though it remains a signature role, it is unfair to say it is his "best known". I would edit the opening lede, but the article is locked. ~2026-46592-54 (talk) 18:09, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

Curry considered Rocky Horror to be his main legacy, as do the vast majority of WP:reliable sources on the issue. Plumber (talk) 21:55, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

But the main lead should say he had many many notable roles over a 50 plus year career. Not just say "best known" for Rocky horror, when he had numerous famous roles. He wasn't just known for that, there just needs to be rewording here, that's all. I would edit respectfully, but the article is locked. DelphicSibyl31 (talk) 22:22, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

it’s definitely his best known work ~2026-38881-82 (talk) 03:36, 28 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

That is a subjective viewpoint. ~2026-46592-54 (talk) 04:20, 28 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

Question is in title DelphicSibyl31 (talk) 20:30, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

Wikipedia:Edit requests. Halbared (talk) 20:44, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

It doesn’t mention that he played Roger on the sitcom Roseanne. ~2026-46794-22 (talk) 21:34, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

@~2026-46794-22 It's in List of Tim Curry performances#Television. When someone has such a long and notable career, we try to keep the main biography a manageable size and have another article for the complete body of work. —ClaudineChionh (she/her · talk · email) 00:12, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

hey admins -- we (WMF staff) are investigating a parser cache load incident we had on Dolly Parton the other day and it looks like Flagged Revisions was part of the root cause. Could you make sure *not* to enable Flagged Revisions on this page during this time of high load? Thanks. C. Scott Ananian (he/him) (talk) 22:25, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

Lead sentence should reflect his nearly 60 year career and numerous roles, and not just focus on Rocky Horror. ~2026-46686-89 (talk) 22:55, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

If you want to make an edit request, you need to use the edit request wizard as that will use the template you need to properly notify the talk page of this request. This sort of edit request cannot be granted as it is not specific which means we don't know what to change, and I recommend you use the {{textdiff}} template to make your proposal clear. Qwerty123M (talk) 23:12, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

Hi, I've noticed a few uses of present tense in sentences such as "One of Curry's best-known television roles is", "voice rolls include" or "his audiobook work includes" , and I was wondering if it is accurate to use present tense rather than past tense there? Eg "one of Curry's best known roles was", "his audiobook work included", etc. I see that the MOS:FILMNOW and MOS:TVNOW refer to how the films and television shows themselves should be referred to in present tense, but I'm unsure of whether that includes roles and the body of his work. Elfangor9 (talk) 23:37, 26 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

The personal life section was completely removed without any edit summary. Should it be returned? I'm not 100% sure on the rules for when a person dies, but I didn't see anything objectionable in the section.... ~2026-46652-75 (talk) 00:22, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

The information about his career past 2020 was moved to Career section, and the information about his marriage/children was sourced to the unreliable magazine HELLO!. I don't know if there's a good place to put "he doesn't think his personal life should be a matter of public interest" and "he was a horticulturist". -- Reconrabbit (talk) 00:34, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

my own feeling, whenever I see a wp article that's "incomplete" with respect to someone's private life, sexual orientation & whatnot, is that it's their business & not mine, & does not especially serve to round out a character or otherwise improve the article. stuff that finds it way in from biographies, even autobiographies, can be speculative at best, & often gets clobbered by the citation police as being too close to the source to be reliable. in this area, wp is failing, because the very people who would know about these things are somehow unreliable witnesses.

when the subject has managed to keep these things out of the public eye, I tend to say 'well done you', & move on.

duncanrmi (talk) 10:20, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

The opening lead should mention his nearly 60 year career and his NUMEROUS roles, not just focus on Rocky Horror. I would like to respectfully edit, but I cannot, because of the padlock.

• What I think should be changed (format using {{textdiff}}):
• Why it should be changed:
• References supporting the possible change (format using the "cite" button):

~2026-46592-54 (talk) 02:57, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want made. Please detail the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Umby 🌕🐶 (talk) 03:47, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

It should say something like " Tim Curry was an English film and stage actor and singer, whose career spanned nearly 60 years. He was known for the versatility in his roles that ranged from comedies, drama, horror, and musicals across many mediums that included theatre, film, television, and voice acting performances."

Then the line about Rocky Horror can begin... ~2026-46592-54 (talk) 03:57, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

The opening line should say more about long career and varied roles. Something along the lines of this " Tim Curry was an English film and stage actor and singer, whose career spanned nearly 60 years. He was known for the versatility in his roles that ranged from comedies, drama, horror, and musicals across many mediums that included theatre, film, television, and voice acting performances." Then the line about Rocky Horror can begin

• What I think should be changed (format using {{textdiff}}):
• Why it should be changed:
• References supporting the possible change (format using the "cite" button):

~2026-46592-54 (talk) 03:59, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

 Not done: As Rocky Horror is his best-known role, I see no issue with mentioning it first. Your proposed version doesn't say much of substance. Day Creature (talk) 16:06, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

When the padlock is removed I will add the changes. I'm not arguing about mentioning it first amongst his roles, but there needs to be a better intro in recognition of his vast 60 year career. That should come first, and then begin by listing what he is known, and Rocky can be the first one. ~2026-46592-54 (talk) 16:15, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

 Not done: I think the current intro already covers the breadth of his career pretty adequately. Your proposal amounts to adding an additional vague summary of that career at the beginning, which I don't think is necessary. If you make edits once the page protection is lifted that others have already objected to on the talk page, the likely outcome is that your edits will be reverted. Day Creature (talk) 16:21, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

In due respect, how does the current intro cover the breadth of his career?

The opening paragraph says this " was an English actor and singer. He gained early notoriety portraying Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the stage musical The Rocky Horror Show,[a] reprising the role for its 1975 film adaptation The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

Is that a proper intro?

I am suggesting it say "was an English stage, film, and television actor. In a career that spanned nearly 60 years he portrayed a variety of roles that ranged from comedy, drama, horror, and musicals. He gained early notoriety portraying Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the stage musical The Rocky Horror Show,[a] reprising the role for its 1975 film adaptation The Rocky Horror Picture Show." ~2026-46592-54 (talk) 16:30, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

The current wording does not mention the length of his career and the work he did. Insted it goes straight to Rocky Horror. He deserves better than that ~2026-46592-54 (talk) 16:31, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

 Not done: Sorry for any confusion: I was referring to the entire lead section when I said "the current intro." Again, I don't think it's necessary to add an extra sentence containing vague generalizations about the roles he played in his career when all those roles are already summarized in the lead section. Day Creature (talk) 16:36, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

My issue is with having this " He gained early fame portraying Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the stage musical The Rocky Horror Show,[a] reprising the role for its 1975 film adaptation The Rocky Horror Picture Show." in the opening few sentences.

We should be saying who he was which is "an English stage, film, and television actor. In a career that spanned nearly 60 years he portrayed a variety of roles that ranged from comedy, drama, horror, and musicals.

That's not a vague generalization, it sets up the reader to read about his roles and career.

He was an accomplished and versatile actor, and the lead in should say so. Instead right now it says he was an actor who gained early fame in Rocky Horror. It's not right for the intro. This is something I would like another opinion from please. ~2026-46592-54 (talk) 16:51, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

 Not done: The lead has now been edited, and his Rocky Horror role is no longer the first one mentioned. Hopefully this addresses your concerns. Day Creature (talk) 21:16, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

The list of those who paid tribute to his death includes Jane Seymour, the British actress. But rather than link to her page, it links to the third wife of Henry VIII. Additionally, as of now, it would appear someone incorrectly typed the HTML ref tag at the end of this list of tributes. This page is protected, so can somebody please correct this? MapleDonutTheVoreFan (talk) 11:18, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

 Done: Looks like the first half of this (Jane Seymour) has already been fixed. I'm not sure what you meant by the ref tags, but I have converted the refs to use the correct template. Thanks! Strugglehouse (talk) 11:49, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

It looks like it’s been fixed. “<ref[1]</ref>” was visible somewhere at the end of the paragraph, so somebody forgot to add the > at the end of the opening tag. MapleDonutTheVoreFan (talk) 12:59, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

as is common wikipedia tradition when someone dies. i suggest a picture from his Rocky Horror era, maybe from press, whatever is free use ~2026-46938-82 (talk) 18:31, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

picture option 1

picture option 2 ~2026-46938-82 (talk) 18:34, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

My vote is Option one of the above. Current picture is a bit grainy and not from the most significant era in his body of work. ~2026-46938-82 (talk) 18:38, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

 Not done: Discuss here. KagedCroc1 ⭐️ 18:41, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

Under the career 1975-1989 section of the Tim Curry page the word “roles” is improperly repeated in the first sentence of paragraph 4, beginning with: “ Curry had further roles in film and televison roles throughout the 1970s and 1980s…”

The word “television” is also spelled incorrectly here.

Thank you Emmettwood578 (talk) 18:38, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

In summation, please change the double “roles roles” to just “roles” and correct the misspelling of “televison” to “television.” Emmettwood578 (talk) 18:39, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

 Done Day Creature (talk) 21:17, 27 August 2026 (UTC)Reply

that was Peter o'toole, not Tim Curry. Ominabeshi (talk) 02:58, 30 August 2026 (UTC)Reply