Entertainment
Tim Curry’s Greatest Film Performance Is Streaming Free on YouTube
The film industry and fans alike received a massive punch to the gut with the news of Tim Curry‘s passing at the age of 80. Curry has such a massive and outstanding filmography, picking a favorite performance of his is comparable to going to a restaurant that exclusively serves all your favorite foods (weird business model) and asking what you want to eat. While his breakout performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show is his most iconic role and one that many rush to when speaking to his greatness (and for good reason), he had no shortage of fantastic performances to boast of, including Darkness in Legend, and Pennywise in the IT miniseries.
The real ones will also remember him for playing scene-stealing characters like Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island, Nigel Thornberry in The Wild Thornberrys, Maestro Forte in Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, the voice of Lemony Snicket in the video game A Series of Unfortunate Events—there’s literally too many to mention, and we’re dealing with a maximum word count here! The most important thing to remember is that while people bemoan Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Curry’s turn as Mr. Hector has always been and will always be the reason we watch it every year.
However, while speaking with authority on his greatest film performance is an arduous task—Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers!—the one that always comes to mind is his funniest and possibly most physically demanding role: Wadsworth in Clue. Not only is this one of Curry’s most acclaimed roles and a great comedic performance; it’s also one of his few widely-recognized roles where he isn’t a villain or an antagonistic obstacle, regardless of what one of the alternate endings would have you believe. Miss Scarlett (Lesley Ann Warren) did it and everyone knows it.
“I Buttle, Sir.”
Clue follows a group of strangers who…am I kidding, you know what the movie is about. Based on the popular board game by Hasbro, the whodunnit features a flawless ensemble cast, which includes Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn, Colleen Camp, Michael McKean, Eileen Brennan, and Martin Mull as the famous suspects trying to figure out who killed Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving). While everyone seems like they were born to play their respective characters, Mr. Curry shines brightest as Wadsworth.
Not only does he have the most to do of any character, dialogue-wise, with multiple scenes that revolve around him just divulging information (more on that later); his comedic timing and delivery is what makes the character memorable. It helps that he has a sharp and clever script to work with (penned by the film’s director, Jonathan Lynn), but Curry plays his role with total sincerity, almost as if he doesn’t know he’s being funny, or just doesn’t care, which fits with the film’s His Girl Friday-esque dialogue and sense of humor. Even his facial expressions are hilarious: one especially noteworthy moment comes from the look on his face after clarifying, “I think she meant he threatened, in public, to kill her.“
Tim Curry Steals the Show
While this article could easily devolve into a rundown of every funny Tim Curry moment in the film, à la “The Chris Farley Show”—hey, remember that part when he says, “So your work has not changed”—possibly the greatest showcase of Curry’s skills as an actor comes in the film’s the third act. Specifically, during his famous 15-minute-long speech, as he identifies the killer by describing all the events of the entire film. In theory, this climax should grind the film to a complete halt. But instead, it’s an energetic set piece and fits perfectly with the tone of the rest of the movie, all thanks to Curry’s incredible, lively performance. It’s even more impressive when you realize he had to learn three different versions to go along with each of the film’s possible endings. In an interview with Empire in 2023, Curry recalled, “It was exhausting…. Actually, when we finished that sequence, I had to go to the company nurse. My blood pressure was through the roof!”
Tim Curry will go down in film history as one of the most prolific and beloved actors of all time. He continuously gave memorable performances and elevated projects by simply being on the screen. He’s the reason why people still remember Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3, and it’s not because they’re video game fans. You could say any performance of his is his best, and still be right. He’s one of the best performers to ever grace the silver screen and brought prestige to the term “character actor.” If you want to watch one of his all-time great performances, but don’t possess a hard copy, like you should, Clue is currently streaming for free on YouTube.
- Release Date
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December 13, 1985
- Runtime
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94 minutes
- Director
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Jonathan Lynn
- Writers
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Jonathan Lynn
- Producers
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Debra Hill
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Eileen Brennan
Mrs. Peacock
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