Vagabond

by Tim Curry

This memoir is a celebration of Tim Curry’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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Biography, Biography Memoir, Autobiography, Film

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 14, 2025

About the author

Tim Curry is a Tony award-nominated actor who’s worked in the entertainment industry for close to five decades. He is best known for his iconic roles in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue, It, The Pirates of Penzance, Spamalot, Hair, Home Alone 2, Muppet Treasure Island and countless others.

Reviews

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The initial adjectives which popped in my head when I finished Tim Curry's Vagabond are going to sound like I am damning it with faint praise but hear me out. The book is just plain pleasant and delightful. Yes, that simple.

First, you will probably not see this memoir in many headlines when it comes out. Curry does not dish on his romantic life. He doesn't go out of its way to be some treatise on acting, and he doesn't throw anyone under the bus (well, mostly, he does get slightly catty at times, and yes that is the word he used). Instead, what you get is a (professionally) candid recap of the major portions of Curry's life and career. He is delightfully self-effacing, and while he doesn't dish on his romantic life, he does open up about his family in a way that left me feeling like I do know Curry better than when I started. I have read celebrity memoirs that feel like the celebrity in question is not being especially open. Curry doesn't lay it all out on the table, but he gives us some honest glimpses.

What you expect to be here is in here. Rocky Horror, Congo (oh, don't bring that up if you ever meet him), Clue, his voice acting, and of course his stage shows. These are all handled rather quickly and are not comprehensive of all his work, but that isn't to say they aren't enlightening. You get the feeling that Curry barely accepts the fact that he deserves a memoir, but he also is plugged in enough to know what you want to hear about. The book zooms by, but I was left satisfied. Well, except for one thing.

My sole criticism is that he didn't talk about his guest starring role in the second season of Psych as Nigel St. Nigel. If you get the reference, then we should be best friends.

(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing.)

[Hades ( Disney's version ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Hachette Audio/ Grand Central Publishing for an ALC of Vagabond: A Memoir by Tim Curry!



Have you ever wondered what life looks like through the eyes of art itself? Well, this is the closest you're ever going to get. 


To vaguely sum this up.. Weed stuffing + a whole lot of honesty+ a peppering of the word fu#k + endless amounts of humbleness = a legend of legends. 

Few things in the literary world trump a good Audiobook memoir being told by the person who the book is about. 


I had to request this on Netgalley the millisecond I saw it. I always pride myself on not falling for the celebrity infatuations like most. However, there are a few celebrities out there I would absolutely swoon over. Tim Curry would definitely be one of them.. Without a doubt one of the greatest actors who will ever live.  He didn't just play his roles, he embodied them. Life always seems a little easier with a Curry movie on. Your problems temporarily forgot as you are sucked into the greatness before you. I understand he may have wanted to be a singer but I truly think the universe knew we needed him as an actor. While a little unfair as that might be, I personally wouldn't change it for anything, sorry Mr. Curry 🫣🤷🏼‍♀️



If He were to ever personally read this I would have to take a moment to thank him deeply for doing this. A topic that isn't addressed enough is the massive number of people who feel they have a talent or spark they would like to share with the world. But for whatever reason are intimidated by the "fame" or attention that can possibly come with it. This book will quickly become a beacon of hope for such people. It is such a breath of fresh air to see such greatness being so tangible and relatable. It really is quite something to experience. I mean, HE'S TIM FLIPPIN CURRY!! A complete legend.. Yet, listening to this feels like an intimate conversation with the "cool" uncle. The one who only comes around on holidays ,with these incredible stories. Because the rest of the year he's too busy living life to the fullest. 


It's refreshing to see that you can gain notoriety among the masses and still stay true to who you are. You literally just have to be yourself and stay true to that, and this book is the proof in the pudding.


This book really is a dose of happiness and a source of inspiration, I absolutely LOVED it!


Until next time,
Hades
🩵

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great memoir by a great actor.

The book takes you on a journey through the long theatrical and film career of a brilliant performer. He doesn’t talk much about anything but his major roles, his relationship with the characters he played, his co-stars and fame. There’s no dirty laundry here – and Tim warns you won’t find any at the very beginning.

There are some memories of his childhood and relationship with family , especially his sister and toxic mother. Otherwise, it is a reminiscence about the most iconic and famous movies and plays and it made me want to rewatch them, especially legendary Rocky Horror.

As for the audiobook: Tim Curry is old and is suffering so, respectfully, it takes time to get used to his narration. But it’s worth it.

[Justin Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite movies have one thing in common: they star Tim Curry. There's something about him and the roles he's embodied that is fascinating from a personal and craft perspective. How does one so masterfully portray a "humble" butler, killer clown and musical cross-dressing alien? What life experiences might they pull from?

Curry has long been an exceedingly private person, remaining unattached, as far as we know, his entire life. Even after he experienced a life-altering stroke in 2012, the public didn't know about it for a year. For those of us who hope to learn juicy details about his love life and personal interests off screen, we must keep on hoping. It's "none of your fucking business" Curry writes in the introduction about those who want "bedroom" details. I respect that, and it is good that he clarify what this book is--and isn't--right from the beginning.

As for what it is, I would consider this more of a trip down memory line. Curry spends some time briefly describing his experience of playing all his most iconic roles. Details are brief and gracious, almost always having something nice to say about his famous colleagues. Tom Cruise, co-star in Legend, receives some of the lowest praise with Curry calling him someone he "didn't really engage with," "quite unique" and not someone he "fully understood." He is also critical of the IT remake, saying they relied too much on special effects and not enough on Bill Skarsgård's natural acting talent. 100% agree with that.

The spiciest comments are directed at the Trump family who Tim interacted with on the set of Home Alone 2. I won't spoil these lines, but they made me laugh out loud and showcase Tim's continued wit.

Unlike other celebrity memoirs, where it often feels so obviously ghostwritten it seems pointless, Tim's book does come across as entirely his work. Perhaps this is the painstaking effort of a brilliant editor or ghostwriter capable of embodying the beloved actor, but it feels like Tim--and it especially sounds like him if listening to the audio version.

I'm very glad I did the audiobook for this. Though Curry is partially paralyzed and wheelchair bound, he delivers a mesmerizing performance that is a true inspiration for all stroke survivors. I was so engrossed listening to him I missed my freeway exit--twice!

Overall, as long as you go into the book willing to be satisfied with minor behind-the-scenes commentary and not the deeply personal thoughts of a beloved actor, I can't imagine the book not being satisfying. Certainly us Tim Curry superfans are just happy he's still with us and will cherish any remaining moments we have left with him. Vagabond is a lovely memoir and a monumental audiobook performance. Highly recommended!

[Jennifer nyc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tim Curry created Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show with more generosity than most actors skim. For this he became an icon. Imagine my surprise then, when I found his memoir emotionally stingy.

That’s not to say that this wasn’t a good book. Curry is bright and funny, and if he’d come to dinner telling these stories I’d consider the night a success. But what this memoir does best is provide a realistic map of the ups and downs of a moderately famous actor’s career:

“My new digs were a kind of flophouse that was otherwise filled with junkies, and I ‘shared’ a room, which meant there were several mattresses tossed about the floor. Anybody’s fate can flip from glamour to despair, but such transitions are practically guaranteed for young actors with little experience and no other resources—like I was. Essentially, I went from working amid a lively cast of a high-profile musical, buzzing to events across town, to literally washing blood off the walls in my apartment before using the restroom.”

I think this book would be most helpful to those pursuing the same dream, as it takes us through many of his roles with a great respect for the work. All relationships are seen through this lens, with an eye towards learning. I wish the memoir were subtitled to target young actors (who may not even know of him) to broaden its appeal.

"When I first started acting as a child, I never thought I'd go on to do it as a profession, or perform on a regular basis....That all changed when I got to university. It was there that I discovered that I possessed a kind of central, deeply rooted engine that could keep me going on stage. I liked to imagine that it had been built, piece by piece, from childhood, and in spite of pain I endured, like the loss of my father or the challenges I faced with my mother. My confidence as an actor came from that engine and grew stronger, generating a kind of light or radiance from my chest. That beam, I would learn, is also what arrests an audience and holds them—at least from the stage."

But if you’re looking for a deep dive into the life of Tim Curry, or even want that about the making of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (this was launched for its 50th anniversary, after all), forget it. Sometimes marketing can ruin a read.

By telling us up front that details of any romantic connection are none of our business (they’re not), Curry brings focus to an absence that becomes a presence and swings the pendulum too far in the other direction. When I read Margaret Atwood’s memoir after this one, I was struck by something she said when she’d first refused to write one:

“”when the idea of writing a ‘literary memoir’ first sprang up…I replied…: “That would be tedious. You’ve heard the bad joke about the old East Coast fisherman counting fish? ‘One fish, two fish, another fish, another fish…’ So, my ‘literary memoir would go, ‘I wrote a book, I wrote a second book, I wrote another book, I wrote another book…’ Dead boring.”” Substitute acting roles for books, and that’s how Curry structured his memoir. And although he’s too charming to be boring, I felt he sometimes charmed to disarm, trying to deflect from what left me empty.

An excellent account of the trajectory of a working actor complete with ups and downs, a well-articulated quick read with list-like appeal, a peek into childhood and his short-term music career, Tim Curry provides information with lots of respect and too little heart. Reading this after Emily Meg Weinstein’s emotionally stingy, charming, cerebral memoir, magnified the vacuum; reading Margaret Atwood’s clever, cerebral memoir after, made me think, “This is how it’s done.”

3.5

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Everybody has a well of hurt and darkness somewhere. Many people never find a means to channel it, whereas I’ve flushed it out often, for a living.”

This was one of the better memoirs that I've read. Both entertaining and heartfelt, Curry comes across as genuine and modest; even his occasional remarks about sex appeal feel as though they are made with a snide but knowing wink. He does give honest, less than stellar feedback about a couple of people that he worked with yet still manages to sound respectful even then. I love it when you already enjoy an actor in every single thing he does and then when he releases an autobiography, he still shines on the page. (Sadly, that's not always the case.)

I love Curry’s respect for the script and his desire to honor the words on the page. He also has a deep appreciation for animation, and none of those voiceover roles were just a paycheck for him. He flat out doesn’t mention "Ferngully" at all, which I thought was a little bizarre. Though I did see the list of his extensive voice acting work at the end of the book and it was a LOT, so perhaps it wasn't that strange. (He chose to focus mainly on his time with "The Wild Thornberries.")

Curry offers very insightful analyses into playing dark, villainous roles and how he approaches them. The chapter on "Rocky Horror" is delightful and was probably my favorite. There was and still is a lot of heart behind Frank-n-Furter. He doesn't go into quite as much detail about Pennywise, maybe because that role was not his favorite, but I was amused to learn that Curry apparently "loathes clowns." I think when it comes to behind-the-scenes stories, this book strikes an interesting balance of being right in the middle of providing just enough and still leaving me wanting a little bit more. But Curry makes it very clear in the intro that he is not going to gossip or give you any sort of glimpse into his romantic life, and I respect that. (Truthfully, he does gossip about Hollywood a little bit.) And the things he does choose to include are still pretty intimate and personal, especially when it comes to his childhood and what he perceives to be his career lows. I was never bored during this read, and the final chapter was especially inspirational and moving.

This is also how I learned that Princess Diana was a "Rocky Horror" fan.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own and any quotes may change before the book is published.

One plus two plus two plus one.

Biggest TW: Alcoholism, Drug Use, Stroke

[Lisa - *OwlBeSatReading* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve done absolutely nothing for the last 7 hours other than read this! 🤷🏻‍♀️ (I did make a few coffees and a sarnie). I could not put it down. Tim tells what he wants to tell, no more, no less. He’s absolutely sensational.

👄👄👄👄👄/5

[Strega Di Gatti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tim Curry warns readers in the first paragraphs of his autobiography that he will not give you a masterclass on acting, teach you any life advice, or speak at all about his romantic history - Ok, expectations have been set!

What he does promise is to share his perspective on acting and his life seen through his most iconic roles. It's a treat because there's been a lot of those roles. Fans of everything from Rocky Horror Picture Show to Clue to The Wild Thornberrys to the Muppets will certainly enjoy this peek behind-the-scenes. A peek is all you get as Curry barrels through his own life with charm, kindness (mostly), and some (enough) introspection to make you feel like you get a general gist of the gentleman. The gist is definitely positive. It’s not so much a "tell all" as a tell some, and that’s fine with me.

As the focus in Vagabond is mostly on Curry's life on the stage and in front of the camera, you won't find much gossip here. Curry is comfortable talking about his childhood unhappiness but skims through down periods in his adult life until the 2012 stroke which left him paralyzed. At one point Curry mentions a director teasing him about his drinking, and tells us he actually had his drinking under control: "I wasn't to go to rehab until later". Wait, when was that? And was it for alcohol or drugs? (We do hear a pleasant amount about coke in this book.)

Every time I felt the book was a little too light-weight, Curry would tell me something hilarious or interesting about a production he had been involved in. I found myself constantly texting my group chat little facts from the book and clever passages. Did you know: Tim Curry had an on stage rivalry with Ian Mckellen!?

If you have an appreciation for character actors and a love of cult cinema, come up to the lab and see what's on the slab! Pick up Vagabond.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Give yourself over to absolute pleasure. Swim the warm waters of sins of the flesh." That's not as luxurious as it sounds; it's actually part of what makes [Frank-N-Furter] so vulnerable. It's also a physically exhausting philosophy; and one I pretty much took to heart at the time.

Being a huge Tim Curry fan, I was held in antici.....pation of this memoir. I grabbed it hot off the press. 

~ and basically read it in a day. A thoroughly pleasant read; the kind that makes you feel that the author is sitting right next to you, talking just to you, not barreling out his life story with pride but offering it up with a charming humility. 

At one point, Curry waxes about his love of language (putting emphasis on the importance of a text in informing his performance) - and that love is there on the pages of his book. ~ an added plus, since I've read my share of memoirs that aren't particularly well-written; certainly not in terms of the writer bonding with the reader. 

But then... TC has been living with the aftermath of a stroke since 2012. He mentions (near the end) what that experience was like, in terms of how reflective your life is likely to become. That comes through in the writing. You get the sense that Curry has not just written about the past, but has spent his days closely re-tracing his steps through it. 

He suggests that the process has made him a gentler person, though he doesn't attach his sense of calm to anything spiritual. Even though he's the son of a minister - and thoroughly respected and loved his father (who died from a stroke, at age 45) - Tim has no particular belief in a hereafter. It's as though the concept has yet to touch him, though he hints that he would welcome it.

He had a decades-long career; perhaps the larger part of it was spent doing voice-over work. Curry had the kind of unique talent that I suspect often made it difficult to cast him. How many roles would there be of the eccentric, no-holds-barred type that allowed him to shine exquisitely as Frank-N-Furter in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'? The 'magic' would always be there - due to his performing skill - but the material he was working with didn't often-enough manage to rise to the level of his actual, other-worldly talent. 

~ though, just now, the deliciously evergreen 'Clue' also comes to mind.

[The only time I saw him perform live - and quite memorably - was on Broadway, as Mozart in 'Amadeus'. Ian McKellen got the TONY Award... the one that, by rights, should have gone to Curry.]

Tim spends quite a generous amount of time writing about 'Rocky Horror' - from its inception through to its current, neverending cult status, and that's no doubt what his fans will appreciate most in this memoir. (That's in contrast to 'Rocky' director Jim Sharman's memoir 'Blood and Tinsel', in which Sharman makes scant reference to the work, though he does open up more - along with Curry - in the lovely documentary that Richard O'Brien's son Linus made about the 'RH' phenomenon: 'Strange Journey'.)

In a recent interview, TC has said that it has continued to be important to him to maintain 'silence' when it comes to his 'identity'. ~ which is to say there's nothing much here at all about intimate involvements with human beings. I suppose that connects to the true-Brit in him; keeping what's most personally 'his' at a respectful distance. 

In the face of adversity, he seems to want to be remembered (at least now) for his giving nature, coupled with - as Noel Coward would say - "a talent to amuse":

I'm more inclined to think that most people have some form of humor, or some ability to be amused, and the very saddest among us have had it snuffed out of them. I'm nowhere near there yet.

[None Ofyourbusiness Loves Israel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tim Curry's Memoir begins with a scene that could only happen to him: he walks into a New York cinema to watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show, only to be thrown out by a clerk who accuses him of being an imposter. He hands her his passport, wins the argument, and leaves anyway. It is the perfect overture for a man who has spent his life pretending to be himself in public and someone else in private.

From there he rewinds to a childhood spent ricocheting between seaside towns, the son of a Methodist naval chaplain and a formidable mother with the temperament of a barometer in a storm. His father is kind, unworldly, and gone too soon. His mother is brilliant, angry, and impossible to please. Boarding school gives him a stage, a choir, and an early understanding that applause is the closest thing Britain has to affection.

His youth veers into adventure. With his friend Richard Cork, he roams through France, Spain, and Morocco in a van, drinking terrible brandy, sleeping under trees, and making a solemn teenage pact to "explore all contradictions." The phrase becomes his lifelong thesis.

He studies acting, survives student hunger, and discovers that charisma and mockery can be two sides of the same smirk.

Fame arrives in fishnets. The Rocky Horror Show makes him a cult deity before he has time to decide if he even likes the audience. Hollywood follows, and Curry becomes the thinking person's villain: seductive, sardonic, and apparently incapable of dying on screen.

He plays Mozart's rival, a singing butler, a clown from hell, a pirate, a king, a cat, and whatever else needs a glint of danger and irony. Each part, he claims, is a chance to "make mischief respectable."

As the book moves into later decades, the glitter dims into reflection. A stroke in 2012 leaves him physically limited but mentally sharp, a raconteur trapped in his chair but not in his mind. He writes with dry amusement about fame, fragility, and the absurdity of being mythologized before one is even dead. The tone is mischievous, faintly melancholy, and laced with the kind of wit that makes even bitterness sound urbane.

Vagabond is a conversation between an actor and his masks, a memoir written by someone who has learned that movement is both habit and armor. It ends where it began, with the imposter question hanging in the air. Only this time, Curry answers it himself: of course he is an imposter. That is the job.

Tim Curry's double feature feels alive, brisk, and faintly insolent, as if he were narrating from a velvet armchair with one eyebrow raised. His stories are told with charm and an instinctive sense of timing, the kind that only years of stagecraft can teach.

The book is clever, worldly, and refreshingly uninterested in self-congratulation. Curry does not plead for admiration. He observes himself with the same amused detachment he once brought to his most flamboyant characters. The humor is dry, the sentiment neatly rationed, and the intelligence steady beneath the glitter.

Curry presents the actor as a wandering creature, sustained by curiosity and the ability to change shape when required. To him, identity is something one performs rather than possesses. His entire career becomes proof that masks can reveal more than faces.

Survival, too, can be theatrical. After his stroke, he speaks without complaint, turning frailty into another act of poise.

Vagabond sounded to me (and I did listen to the broken voice on audiobook) like the curtain call of a lifelong improvisation. It moves through comedy, loss, and vanity with the confidence of a wise sage who has already forgiven himself for every costume he ever wore. It is graceful, wickedly funny, and impossible to mistake for anyone else's work.

[Dona's Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pre-Read Notes:

I'm a lifelong Tim Curry fan so I had to request this audiobook! I watched Clue every week for a while when I was little! I'm also quite happy that Tim Curry narrates his own memoir.

"It's an odd pairing. I've always loved the audience, but from a distance."

Final Review

(thoughts & recs) I really enjoyed this audiobook, a memoir written and read by Tim Curry. It really struck me how humble this extremely accomplished actor is. I loved Curry's reading of this book; the injury to his voice itself tells part of his story of resilience and devotion to his craft of entertainment.

He talks a great deal about his work in this book, revisiting in each chapter a different of his many celebrated roles. My favorite chapter was the one in which he discusses Pennywise, arguably Stephen King's scariest monster.

I recommend this one to fans of Tim Curry's acting career and celebrity memoirs.

My Favorite Things:

✔️ I really loved this book, and I loved that Tim Curry read it for the audiobook. His voice is different than I remember but that is due to his medical condition. And anyway, his charm and pluck remains present in his delivery. I don't think this book would be the same if someone else narrated it.

✔️"I love the notion that Frank has helped to release people's inner freaks....I hope that that legacy continues." Artists often want to change the world. Not Tim Curry, he's too reserved for that. But he *did* change the world nonetheless.

✔️ "Once you elicit a strong response from an audience, you want it again. That kind of energy is as addictive as any narcotic." Good ole dopamine!

Notes:
performance anxiety, stroke, stalking (mention), alcohol consumption

Thank you to the author Tim Curry, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for an advance audiobook copy of VAGABOND. All views are mine.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tim Curry’s memoir offers us a behind-the-scenes wander through his life in acting, singing, theater, and everything in between. I loved experiencing it on audio, read by Curry himself. After his 2012 stroke, his speech has a bit of dysarthria, but once you settle in (or bump up the speed a touch), his voice feels as expressive and magnetic as ever.

The title Vagabond turns out to be less about wandering the world and more about the inner restlessness that’s always pushed him toward new roles, new experiences, and reinventing new versions of himself. It suits him perfectly as he’s had a wildly eclectic career over five decades.

Curry touches a bit on his childhood and his first acting role as a hippie in the musical production of Hair. Of course he talks about his iconic role as Dr. Frank N. Furter. As a teenager, I went to a couple midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and surprised that it’s still showing to this day. It could be because it’s the 50th anniversary. He shares of why he played so many villains, saying “they’re better written, less predictable.” The roles of Darkness, Rooster Hannigan, Cardinal Richelieu, Mr. Wadsworth, and the ever creepy Pennywise all get their moment.

He also talks about his years in New York, his stage and film work, his brief music career, and the long list of celebrities who drifted through his social life. He never dishes about his love life (“respectfully, it’s none of your f***ing business,” as he puts it), but I’ve never judged memoirs on what they leave out. What he does include feels honest, gracious, and very much true to himself. Although he admits getting intimately close with co-star Miss Piggy during the filming of Muppet Treasure Island. His wit comes through clearly, and he refuses to speak ill of his fellow actors (though he does gently hint that one notorious “bad boy” actor may not have been the brightest).

For fans, or anyone curious about an enigmatic performer with a larger-than-life presence, this is an absolute delight. I’ve seen several of his films over the years and always thought he had a kind of electric magnetism. Getting to know the man behind that energy felt like a gift.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is how I put it - there are two chunks of fans of Tim Curry. There are those who discovered him pre-90's and those who grew up with him in the 90's. Being I was born in the late 80's, I grew up with him in the 90's.

I have to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance at reading this early.

There is so much to say about this book. For years, going around on various message boards in the Y2k era, after discovering him in Rocky Horror, I found that so many people who say 'Tim Curry is rude to his fans' 'he hates Rocky Horror' or 'he wants to distance himself when he finishes a role'. In this book, he addresses all that and with a voice that comes across warm, apt, and precise.

There is no gossip / drama, and there is no dishing on his love life (the gossip he knows is little to none due to lack of wanting to start / be around drama, and the other is private to him). The title of his autobiography is apt because you realize that at an early age his father moved constantly, so he never really felt he fit in anywhere.

If you're looking for him to spend a LONG time talking about the various films and stage productions he did, he d0esn't. The longest would be Rocky Horror (the stage show and the film). If you're expecting him to go over every film he did in his career, he doesn't. He focuses on the ones that people bring up to him or ones that stick out in his memory. He suffers from long-term memory loss, so the amount he was able to recall is enough and very nice to read.

A lot of things make sense, and its refreshing to hear him talk about things in his own terms. As I spoke about earlier, he refutes a lot of the gossip and negative talk about him through the book and the answers he give makes sense. I say that as a fan, it's better to read it coming from him than someone doing a review. It did make me happy to see that he does (now that he is older) he has come to appreciate fan interactions and is very warmed by those who respond to him in Rocky Horror.

Tim Curry is a very treasured individual, and once that I have respect for. He has allowed us all a window into his private life. He is a sensitive soul and feels deeply. If he ever comes to a convention I'd like to meet him just to say thank you for allowing us a chance at putting to rest a lot of the gossip and, well, for being uniquely him.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me just say that I adore Tim Curry. I love looking for surprises on YouTube. I love discovering old school book narrations or movies he’s starred in. Interviews, documentaries I will watch or listen to anything. Just in the last year or so my “baby” cousin informed me she remembers the night she was staying with me, and me being me, thought Rocky Horror would be the perfect movie to watch! …..she was 6. To this day she says that is her favorite movie of all time and remembers every detail of the night she was introduced to TC. But that also means I was 16 so WTH was I thinking? I guarantee I probably let my daughter watch it too lol 😂 but she’s more of a Labyrinth girl and a Bowie fan. UPDATE: my daughter informed me that yes she was maybe 8 when she watched it.
Anyway I digress. Please keep in mind when you listen to this it’s still him. His stroke stole from him, but he’s still an enigma sent from the gods. Yes you can understand everything he speaks. That’s not a problem. His voice is different. I still adore him.
Edit 12/13: now that I've finished the book I'm still so impressed with this legend of a man. He is so talented, so amazing, and so humble. He never brags, he never expresses any undue pride, he doesn't even seem like he wants to admit how much of an impact he's had on generation upon generation. TC is one of those actors that we practically worship from the first day we are introduced to him. Because I'm an empath I had to listen in snippets because he holds nothing back about his career and it made me fully appreciate that whatever may he will always be a strong presence to his fans. The doors he opened for so many aspiring younger actors is mind blowing.
And yes baby cousin has a daughter who's now 6 lol I don't see her allowing molly to watch rocky horror yet lol 😂

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about Tim Curry’s varied career, which is what this book is mostly about. He shares about childhood, his father whom he found empathetic and caring, his fear of his mother, and his close relationship with his sister Judy. He doesn’t include any information about romantic relationships. Instead, he keeps to information about his career and friendships he has made along the way.

Rather than look back, Tim keeps looking and moving forward and keeps few reminders of the past. He writes, “I do not snatch memorabilia from my films to keep it displayed around my house like glistening ashes. I find little reward lingering in nostalgia.”

About his mismatched parents, he writes: “between my father’s empathy and my mother’s intensity I can find traces of their influence within the crucial roles I’ve played and the relationships I’ve held in my life.”

His father died when Tim was only twelve years old. He suffered a sudden stroke and while he is being taken away by ambulance, he tasks Tim with taking care of his mother. Tim reflects that this is “a cruel ask that could never be satiated,” while he believes his father didn’t mean to be unkind, he thinks of it as being sent “into a tunnel that had no end.”

His mother would become angry to the point of rage and her “face would change and contort,” which was very frightening to observe as a child. As an adult, he would use these memories to embody characters such as ‘Pennywise’ and ‘Dr. Frank-N-Furter.’

Curry “found work that allowed [him] to process the fear or isolation [he] felt as a child,” he believes that “everybody has a well of hurt and darkness somewhere. Many people never find a means to channel it, whereas I’ve flushed it out often, for a living.”

While at university Curry “discovered that [he] possessed a kind of central, deeply rooted engine that could keep [him] going on stage. [He] liked to imagine that it had been built, piece by piece, from childhood, and in spite of pain [he] endured, like the loss of [his] father or the challenges [he] faced with [his] mother.”

He got to visit Italy for the first time, and it struck him that, “there’s a whole country full of people who behave just as badly as I do…and it’s celebrated!” He adds that “Italians leave you with absolutely no doubt about how they feel.” This is very unlike the British who are more reserved in their physicality and in their expression of emotions and feelings.

He began to recognize the effect he has on audiences through his “life force,” which he describes as an “intensity” and “magnetism that draws people toward” him.

I was truly surprised to learn that The Rocky Horror Show failed on Broadway. Audiences in London and Los Angeles had loved it. “Maybe New York didn’t have any more appetite for a pop-art, gender-bending spoof musical, or for what Barnes referred to as another “British invasion of Broadway.””

Still, Rocky Horror has a cult following and is still shown in theaters around Halloween. “The astonishing subculture that gave it a second life with the midnight showings continues to thrive, with each generation finding a new way of connecting with this bizarre and beautiful production.” I went to one of these in Illinois that encouraged audience participation – we sang along and were provided props – it was a lot of fun!

Curry writes that some fans become quite obsessed “and suddenly think they’ve bonded with you.” In the worst cases he’s had to say something like, “I’m just a person, and I’m not your person,” which usually works.

He adds that, “It’s incredibly uncomfortable for strangers to just come up and tell you that they fantasize about you.”

I loved Curry’s story about the Queen Mother. Her Majesty had come to see a production of Pirates of Penzance. Curry was playing the part of the Pirate King. The entire audience had sung “Happy Birthday” to celebrate her eightieth birthday. A humongous cake was wheeled onstage, but no knife was provided to cut the cake with, just some sort of pie slice.

They wondered what to do, then, Curry writes, “the Queen Mother offered me one of her thousand-watt smiles. ‘I think perhaps we ought to try your trusty sword,’ she said, looking pointedly at the huge pirate weapon slung around my waist.” Quickly, the issue was resolved when someone rushed up with an actual knife.

Over the years Curry has played some quite dark characters however, he doesn’t “truly believe in irredeemably dark people.”

I read with fascination that, “the whole process of turning [him] into the Lord of Darkness took roughly six hours, every day of filming.” It sounded truly grueling. He was very grateful for cast and crew that would pass the time of day with him and lift some of the tedium of the process.

Over a six-year period Curry tackled a wide variety of roles. He writes, “Leaping from Rooster to Mozart to the Pirate King to Darkness, and then on to Wadsworth and Pennywise, demanded that I stretch in every direction as an actor – and I loved that varied, uphill climb.”

One of his “most delightful cinematic experience[s]” was starring in Muppet Treasure Island. His favorite Muppet is Gonzo, as he views him as an underdog. He also has “a fondness for Miss Piggy, who’s quite a seductive girl.”

He writes of settling in Los Angeles where he enjoys gardening in the year-round sunny weather and has “a trusted network of about five really good friends who I knew would always tell me the truth.” He adds, “the ocean was never far, and I had a pool, a garden, and a dog. Those have been constants for all of my homes in California, without exception.”

About voicework, Curry writes, it “is an entirely unique artform.” And “a voice can offer so much nuance. You can’t be shy about it; you have to present in a way that demands that the audience listens.”

Further, “It requires a certain kind of confidence, attitude, and commitment to your character to make them special and really bring them to life.”

Finally, Curry writes, “my life has changed in just about every way, especially from the outside looking in.” He had a serious stroke in 2012 at the age of sixty-seven and had major brain surgery as a result. He did not lose his speech but has physical paralysis, which necessitated moving to a one-story home. He writes, “I still enjoy gardening; I’ve just taken on more of a director role.”

Additionally, Curry writes, “My humor’s still intact, I still despise bullies, and I still cherish language.” He hopes to perform again. “To fall in love again. To experience the full spectrum of human emotion and experience.”

[Ethan’s Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this audiobook by Tim Curry. It was very enjoyable. Tim has always been a really interesting man to me. His performances were always 100% amazing in anything that he did. The audiobook was very enjoyable but my only qualm is that Tim Curry read it. Although, that’s awesome. It made me extremely sad to listen to him struggle to finish chapters. The main takeaway is what Tim said best.

“If you’re searching for where you belong you always have a home within yourself.”

[Tabitha (Reading Tabby) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced copy of the audiobook.

A man who "embraces his contradictions" is a man who has a story to tell and Tim Curry has MANY stories, all as interesting as the last and yet there's not nearly enough time to space to tell them all so we get snippets of childhood, life in film and stage (and music), and his current life doing voice work and living post-stroke.

He's effervescent, witty, charming, and everything you'd expect Tim Curry to be. His stories will warm your heart, make you chuckle, and even, in my case at least, have you shedding a tear or two.

I count us lucky this fascinating and entertaining man is still kicking it, still has the energy, and, even when he struggles in the audiobook in parts, perseveres.

I loved everything about this book and kept wanting more and more and more, but as Curry says at the start, some things just "aren't your fucking business".

lol.

I highly recommend the audiobook as spoken in his own words - it feels like you're at a dinner party and your most interesting guest is on one, completely, to your joy as well as everyone else's, taking over the conversation with their stories. I could listen to him telling us stories forever.

(also can someone pinch me - 40th anniversary of Clue?! I am getting so old!! (fyi this is my favorite of Tim Curry's impressive body of work, it warms my nostalgic soul whenever I put it on))

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I was comforted to know that there are so many people in this world sicker than I am."

I was introduced to the fabulous Tim Curry at a young age. It probably wasn't an appropriate introduction but it was quite something and fueled my love of all things horror. And yes to answer your question, he'll forever be my favorite Pennywise.

If you're looking for dirt and absolute trash then look elsewhere. Well, except if you want that guide to his steamy romance with the infamous Ms. Piggy (Don't tell Kermit) then you've come to the right place.

This was probably one of the most interesting memoirs I've ever read. I've got this feeling of warmth and welcomeness as soon as I read the first page. There were no secrets and I felt as if I was having a cup of tea with a great friend. He was cordial and never tore anyone else down like with some other memoirs.

This is a gem of a book and I wish lovers of the great Curry will add this piece to their collection.

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful memoir. Tim Curry (a long-time favourite) writes about his early life. His father dying far too young, his mother struggling to cope and his much loved big sister, Judy.

He tells us all about his desire to show off and early talent for singing and acting. And we learn all about his big break with Rocky Horror and the myriad stage and screen performances that followed. Up to and including his work narrating a plethora of films and "cartoons".

He also gives us a flavour of his other passions for renovating houses and gardening - which have been curtailed since ill health (by way of a paralysing stroke) struck in 2012.

What we do not get (and it is wonderful to come across a man who still believes his personal life will remain just that - personal) is any kind of kiss and tell about his love life. Bravo, Mr Curry.

Frankly, you do not need to know. What you do get is more thah enough to compensate for any "salacious" details. It is a fascinating look into one of the most recognisable actors of the past 50 years.

I listened to the audiobook, which was, of course, narrated by the author. He does (needlessly) apologise for the narration's "timings" but I'd rather listen to his beautiful speaking voice tell his own story than some random narrator.

I loved this book. Funny, interesting and totally unique. Highly recommended.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the audio advance review copy.

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I flew through this one. It was like sitting down and being told the many memories of an amazingly wonderful performer I adore. Tim Curry is every bit as charming, witty, funny, and dramatic as one would hope.

He tells stories of his childhood which I had never heard before. It was fascinating to read about his life before fame and to understand where that joie de vivre comes from in his performances. Whether to escape or prove himself, whatever the reason, the man can act and he can certainly tell a story. It was fun to read chapters of his numerous milestones within his career (obviously I couldn't wait to read about RHPS and Clue, but was charmed by so many little memories here and there).

He warns you right in the beginning he will not be indulging people who read celebrity memoirs for gross stories about hopping from bed to bed etc. which I find refreshing. I don't have overly delicate sensibilities but there's something horrible and icky reading about one side of sexual encounters, it was a relief not to come across that in here. He's far too classy to indulge in that sort of thing, I suspect.

The chapters are quick and filled with his fond memories of costars and directors, horror stories about prosthetic makeup, learning to dance, and at the end, his health struggles. I was wondering if it would be a very sad ending but he refuses to wallow and he's still impish and unwaveringly grateful. It's a delight to learn that we share such a love of gardening, that was a lovely surprise! What a great experience reading his memoir, it felt like a personal tribute to the people and projects that got him to where he is—I truly enjoyed it from the first pages. Also, the sassy little "About the Author" at the end? Perfection.

Thank you Tim Curry, Grand Central, and NetGalley, what a wonderful book!

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tim Curry is a private individual, so it was an honour to listen to him re-visit the roles he has taken on in his varied, ambitious, and celebrated career.

He makes it clear from the outset that he's not going to be spilling the juicy details of his love life! If you are expecting a gossipy tell-all, this is a dignified account of his career told in his own distinctive voice.

At times, Curry opens up emotionally, but it is always at a distance and on his own terms. Which I like, because we get a kind of controlled candour. He stays in charge of his own story, which I respect.

My favourite role of his, of course, is that of Long John Silver in the beloved classic Muppet Treasure Island, but I also can't imagine anyone else ever playing a better Frank N' Furter.

I was delighted to discover that he had starred in so many voice roles too - including that of a deranged malevolent organ in the festive classic Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas. I didn't even realise he was Nigel Thornberry!

Curry is charisma itself, and I'm glad to have spent some time getting to know him on the page.

I feel the need for a Tim Curry marathon now!

[Trio · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful and moving memoir! I adore Tim Curry, and it was magical to get to learn about his fascinating life, in his own words.

I had no idea Curry had a stroke in 2019, and he's worked hard to recoup to the point where he could pen his autobiography - and to narrate the audio version as well.

Star of stage and screen, and a talented vocalist as well, Tim Curry has had an incredible career and led an inspirational life.

What a touching autobiography.

an audiobook copy of Vagabond was provided by Hachette Audio | Grand Central Publishing, via NetGalley, for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own

[Brandi Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook read by the author.

Lord of Darkness? More like Lord of Charm, Lord of Kindness, Lord of a Still Sharp Wit. Tim Curry, you are an absolute TREASURE and gift of a human being. Tim takes us through his life growing up, and how he got into acting, and his various experiences in well known roles. One thing I really loved about this, is he says up front he will not be sharing explicit details of romantic affairs and the ilk. This is a drama free memoir. He is clearly a gentle, loving, accepting, uplifting soul. The man loves to garden! Green flags abound.

I mean, there are plenty of swear words attached, but that only increases the connectivity of it. Authenticity is so important to Tim, as he says in the book, and it truly comes across in the book. You feel like you're having an actual conversation with him. He is so humble, and even one of the most memorable actors in the world has his own imposter syndrome.

Needless to say, I would give this a hundred stars if I could. Absolutely delightful.

[Susan Baranoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

After suffering a stroke in 2011, it's so nice to have him able to read his own audiobook. We all think we know Tim Curry because we think we know his characters, but he's an interesting and complex man who was raised to be a reticent, unachieving Brit in direct contradiction to the roles he's most famous for. This is a true memoir and not a tell-all (it might be better classified as a tell-none) that walks is through his life from earliest memories through his debilitating stroke. And yet, 14 years later he's able to tell his own story in his own words.

Goodreads Quarterly Challenge: Choice Awards

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tim Curry is lucky to be alive. In 2012 he had a devastating stroke, which left one side of his body paralysed. In this memoir he writes openly about his stroke, as well as his relationship with his parents over the years.
Tim Curry may be most known for his role as Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror film and stage show, but he's played a wealth of great characters in a career that has spanned theatre, film, television and voice work.
As he approaches the age of 80 this year he looks back fondly on his life, and his style of writing makes this a very easy and enjoyable read.

[Sara]

I don't rate biographies and memoirs.

There's something refreshingly frank (pun intended) about Tim Curry's memoir. Right from the off he states that he has no wisdoms to partake, no advice to give and his love life is none of the readers fucking business. But what we get are hints of utter brilliance about a life lived, and fully enjoyed. The little glimmers of the heady Hollywood of the 80s and 90s cut with Curry's usual glib and wit made for a rather delightful read. The man truly enjoys the written word, and it shows.

[Kelli Daugherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of Tim Curry. He has had an incredible career in entertainment. I also love reading memoirs. One of my favorite genres. Unfortunately this one just wasn’t as interesting to me. I love personal stories
In memoirs. I feel like Mr. Curry spent way too much time talking about his costars or producers or costumers, as well as a lot of time talking about costumes, details on how he got certain jobs, etc that the book didn’t feel like a personal memoir anymore. I actually got kind of bored reading it at times. It took me longer to finish than most books should take. This is not shade on the author himself, I still think he is incredible. I just didn’t love his book.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Grand Central Publishing for the advance reader copy. This is my honest review. Publication date Oct 14, 2025

[BiblioSizzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for any Tim Curry fan. It’s not a tell all, there are no juicy tea spilling chapters, but instead you get Tim. The unapologetically hilarious, walking contradiction that he is.

Using his stage and movie credits as a map, Tim takes us through his illustrious career from start to finish, sharing what he was thinking and what was really happening behind the scenes.

Was there a lot in here that I didn’t already know? No. But I have been a Tim scurry super fan for more than twenty years. He’s been in literally everything decent from the 80s & 90s.

I was so stoked to see this book come out, thrilled to get to read it, and beyond ecstatic to read that Tim is still very much alive and thriving despite his recent difficulties.

Don’t dream it. Be it.

[Alex Sarll]

To get the negatives out of the way first: sometimes you read an actor's memoirs and think, wow, if they hadn't already had the world at their feet, this person could easily have been a writer. Tim Curry is not accomplished on that level. Not bad, by any means, but there's an occasional redundancy or iffy word choice from which a slightly more hands-on editor could easily have rescued him*. This extends to the title motif, which he does rather hammer at times, and feels particularly stretched when he applies it to those tiresome gits in the Mayflower. All of this could, of course, be related to his 2012 stroke (on a massage table! Which does nothing to assuage my baseline massage-scepticism), which he says has had mental effects as well as paralysing his left side. The stroke also means that, while autobiographies can sometimes evade the wider problem with biographies, of always ending badly, this one does not. I always knew it was going to end with a performer who once screamed glorious physicality stuck in a chair; I was still ambushed by how sad it was when, unable sufficiently to adapt his home, he has to bid farewell to his beloved garden.

Still, if it hadn't been for the sudden change in circumstances throwing him back on his long-term memory, he might well never have written the book at all, which would have been a great shame, because my word the man has lived. And that's even from an account which leaves out his no doubt copious erotic adventures because, as he informs the reader from the off, "Any specifics about my affairs of the heart or bedroom are – respectfully – none of your fucking business" (though he does later make one entirely understandable exception). And all of this despite having been born the son not just of a naval chaplain, but a Methodist one! It's a long way from there to charades with Steve Martin in LA, or going to Studio 54 with Carly Simon and getting eyed up by Capote and Warhol. In between which, he does find time to make some films, of course, many of which are now on my list for a (re)watch – though perhaps not Congo. The accounts of his acting gigs and colleagues are, shall we say, not wholly un-luvvie, though the effusive accounts of some people read more plausibly for his willingness to offer criticisms and accounts of prickly relationships with others. Mostly, though, he tries to find something good to say too, and only struggles in a few cases (his mother; Sylvester Stallone; a certain Home Alone 2 co-star, and if only that were still the man's biggest claim to fame). And although Curry also insisted at the start that the book is not a masterclass, he has some brilliant insights along the way, whether it be about Ridley Scott's directing style or how to play Frank-N-Furter who, he insists, shouldn't be seen as a drag role: "you're wearing the national attire." But if the catalogue of film appearances sets up hours of delightful viewing, more poignant, are the accounts of the stage performances one can't go back and see – especially him as Amadeus opposite McKellen's Salieri. Imagine! Still, as with so many moments recorded here, there's a certain bittersweet consolation simply in knowing such things once happened.

*I'm not even counting the Americanisms, which came as a surprise to me despite Curry having lived there for decades.

[Kasa Cotugno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many others, I was introduced to Tim Curry via his embodiment of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Rocky Horror Picture Show, a staple of our lives for several years. It was later that I came to respect him as an actor of astonishing breadth through his interpretations in works of Tom Stoppard, in Amadeus, and even in Spamalot. This is a memoir of a serious actor and his experiences. In a prologue, he warns that it does not dish nor does it kiss and tell. As he puts it, that's none of anyone's *@C*ing business but his, and he sticks to his commitment. He is generous in explaining his physical condition post-stroke, and despite his physical impairment, has maintained a remembrance of his life as an actor, and most particularly, his reverence for the written word. Remarkable.