The late performer’s connection to Princess Diana revealed just how far the cult legacy of “The Rocky Horror Picture” Show had reached.
Princess Diana Was a Huge Fan of Tim Curry’s ‘Rocky Horror’ Performance
One of Curry’s most unexpected celebrity encounters involved Princess Diana, who had a surprising connection to the actor’s most famous role. According to IMDb trivia, Curry discussed the meeting during a 2005 appearance on NPR’s Fresh Air, recalling that he met Diana and then-Prince Charles backstage after a performance of “Love for Love.“
Diana recognized Curry and brought up “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” the 1975 movie in which he played Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Curry was apparently surprised that she had seen the hit and told her that he did not think she had watched it. Diana’s response made clear that she was very familiar with the cult musical, telling him, “Thank you for completing my education.”
Curry’s performance as Frank-N-Furter had become inseparable from the enduring popularity of “Rocky Horror,” which began as a stage production in 1973 before becoming a film two years later. Curry played the character onstage in London, Los Angeles and New York before reprising the role for the movie.
By then, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” had grown into a cultural phenomenon that extended far beyond its original theatrical run. Curry himself later described the movie as a kind of rite of passage, reflecting its role in allowing audiences to experiment with identity and self-expression. He eventually returned to the franchise in the 2016 television remake, this time playing the Criminologist rather than Frank-N-Furter.
The Princess Diana anecdote remains one of the more unusual stories attached to Curry’s career, particularly because it connects one of Britain’s most famous public figures with a film that became a landmark of counterculture. For Curry, however, it was just one chapter in a career that moved effortlessly between cult cinema, prestige theater, mainstream Hollywood and voice acting. He earned three Tony Award nominations and became a familiar presence in projects ranging from “Legend” and “Home Alone 2” to “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.”