Vagabond by Tim Curry

TL;DR: A charming and fast paced memoir about an iconic actor.
Source: NetGalley – Thank you to the publisher!!

Scope: This focuses primarily on Tim’s career, with an intro to his life as a young child then some of his most iconic roles.
Readability: This was so easy to read and lovely as well. I enjoyed my time immensely.

Summary:

This memoir is a celebration of Tim Curry’s’s life’s work, and a testament to his profound impact on the entertainment industry as we know it today.

There are few stars in Hollywood today that can boast the kind of resume Tony award-nominated actor Tim Curry has built over the past five decades. From his breakout role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show to his iconic depiction as the sadistic clown Pennywise in It to his critically acclaimed role as the original King Arthur in both the Broadway and West End versions of Spamalot, Curry redefined what it meant to be a “character actor,” portraying heroes and villains alike with complexity, nuance, and a genuine understanding of human darkness.

Now, in his memoir, Curry takes readers behind-the-scenes of his rise to fame from his early beginnings as a military brat to his formative years in boarding school and university, to the moment when he hit the stage for the first time. He goes in-depth about what it was like to work on some of the most emblematic works of the 20th century, constantly switching between a camera and a live audience. He also explores the voicework that defined his later career and provided him with a chance to pivot after surviving a catastrophic stroke in 2012 that nearly took his life.

With the upcoming 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the 40th anniversary of Clue, there’s never been a better time for Tim to share his story with the world.

Thoughts:

As a kid there were a handful of actors I could identify at a glance, and by handful I mean 3. Tim Curry was second on the list and I loved his voice and the few roles I watched him in (which was not many considering how well I could pick him out of a cast). I’ve always been a fan, but never knew much about the man, which seems intentional on his part. He’s a private guy, seemingly somewhat introverted outside of his roles.

This memoir gives us some insight first into his childhood then his acting career focusing each chapter on iconic roles he’s filled. He even touches in the end on the stroke that has left him in a wheelchair and the subsequent outlook he’s had. And overall? This just solidified my ‘fan’ status. The charm and wit in this writing sold it to me first. Then the grace he approached and wrote about his roles and previous co-workers with deepened that. Mr. Curry has what seems to be an innate drive to be better, to be optimistic, and based on his writing, an innate kindness to him. Even those he doesn’t like he is gentle with in the prose, and those he loves he speaks to at length.

I know memoirs are often meant to sell you on a person, and if that’s all this was aiming for then well done sir. But this felt genuine and really carried with it a message of optimism and how you should always challenge yourself. I enjoyed my time, and for any fans or memoir readers I think this is a lovely read.