EXCLUSIVE: Tim Curry Sparked Concerns He 'Had a Death Wish' by Failing to Kick Smoking Habit After 2012 Stroke
Tim Curry died at 80.
Aug. 26 2026, Published 2:54 p.m. ET
Tim Curry's life was changed after suffering a devastating 2012 stroke that left him in a wheelchair and needing daily support from medical professionals and caregivers until his death.
Despite his health woes, the Rocky Horror Picture Show star reportedly did not immediately stop smoking – a choice that a doctor once called "crazy," RadarOnline.com can reveal.
'Tim Must Have a Death Wish'
Tim Curry had a serious stroke in 2012.
In 2015, only three years after his stroke, Curry was spotted in his wheelchair with a pack of cigarettes as he left a Beverly Hills doctor's office.
"Tim must have a death wish," a friend of the actor's told Radar at the time. "Why else would he continue smoking? Everyone knows cigarettes can kill you – even if you’ve never suffered a stroke."
Tobacco Was the 'Last Thing' Tim Curry Needed After Stroke
Tim Curry starred in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' and other cult classics.
Dr. Stuart Fischer, who had not treated Curry, agreed that continuing to smoke cigarettes was not a wise choice.
"Things like tobacco cause inflammation in the lungs and arteries," Fischer explained. "The last thing he needs are narrowed arteries in the brain. This could cause another stroke superimposed in the same anatomical area of the brain — which will either incapacitate him completely or kill him."
Although it's believed that he eventually kicked the habit, it's not clear when he quit smoking.
Inside Tim Curry's 2012 Stroke
Tim Curry had his stroke while getting a massage.
Curry's stroke was likely the worst medical event of his life, but he confessed he did not even realize that it was happening at first. It all began when he began feeling "a little out of sorts" during a massage appointment.
Although the Clue actor didn't believe anything was truly wrong, his massage therapist was concerned and called 911.
"I probably owe my life to the fact that he ignored me, went with his instinct and called an ambulance," Curry wrote in his tell-all book. "Even as they were loading me in, I still thought my masseur had overreacted, and that we were going through a ridiculous and unnecessary exercise."
Last October, Curry also admitted he "probably should worry" about the possibility of suffering another serious stroke in his old age.
"It could happen any time," he added. "I wouldn't want to go through it again. Because it just makes you so f------ vulnerable."
'Rocky Horror Picture' Star Tim Curry Dies at 80
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Tim Curry died on August 25.
As Radar previously reported, Curry passed away on the evening of Tuesday, August 25.
Although his official cause of death has not been released, law enforcement officials told TMZ that they do not suspect foul play.
Despite the fame and glamour in his early life, his final days were seemingly quiet. While promoting his memoir, Curry told the New York Times that he mostly rested at home.
"Since I was incapacitated, I spend a lot of time on or in my bed," he shared at the time. "But I try to get out as much as I can. I do little tours around the garden."
