Tim Curry Returning To The Big Screen With New Horror Movie Years After Suffering A Stroke

Twelve years after suffering from a stroke, Tim Curry is returning to the big screen. He will star in a new horror film, which will hit theaters on August 21.

In 2012, the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" actor's life took a dramatic turn after he suffered a severe stroke. Although he has made significant progress through physical therapy, he continues to rely on a wheelchair. Three years later, in 2015, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at The Actors Fund Tony Awards Viewing Party.

He took a hiatus from appearing on the big screen (aside from voice acting) as he focused on his recovery over the last few years. However, Tim Curry is making a notable return to the big screen in a horror film.

The seasoned actor is set to make his big-screen comeback in the horror film “Stream,” which hit select theaters Wednesday, per Variety, marking his first feature film role since the 2010 comedy “Burke & Hare.”

“Stream” writer, director, and producer Michael Leavy expressed that having the icon in his film was a dream come true.

“This has been a really hard secret to keep and contain our excitement, especially for this long,” Leavy said in a statement. “We are so happy and thrilled to bring Tim back to the movies and back to the big screen! His charm always radiates and shines through everything he does and we are so honored to have him a part of ‘Stream’!"

"He is someone I have idolized personally growing up and it is one of the major highlights of my life getting to work with him, especially on a project that means so much to me," Leavy added. "We can’t wait for fans to sit back and enjoy our movie in theaters and hopefully with a huge crowd having a blast together! This is the way horror films are meant to be seen and enjoyed. ‘Stream’ is here to entertain!”

While he has not shown his face on the screen for 14 years, he’s kept busy with various animated voice roles. He also appeared in the 2016 TV remake of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” on Fox.

While Tim Curry is known for his work in films such as "The Rocky Horror Show" and "Home Alone 2," the actor also provided his voice to various animated characters such as Nigel Thornberry in "The Wild Thornberrys" and Captain Hook in "Peter Pan And The Pirates," which he won an Emmy in 1991.

Curry also appeared on Broadway, playing Ebenezer Scrooge in a musical version of "A Christmas Carol" in 2001. "The theater there has 5,000 seats, and I was dreading it," he said, reflecting on how theater has changed over the years. "But I remember going out on stage at the beginning of the technical rehearsals and thinking, “You idiot, this is what you do”’.

He later returned to film and television work, appearing in "Attila," "Scary Movie 2," "Wolf Girl," and "The Scoundrel’s Wife."

Tim Curry suffered a severe stroke in July 2012, which left him with partial paralysis on one side of his body. "Tim had a stroke last July," the actor's rep told The Hollywood Reporter in 2013. "He has been going to physical therapy doing very well and still has his great sense of humor. He thanks everyone for sending good wishes."

Despite the challenges, he has shown incredible resilience, continues to work hard on his recovery with physical therapy, and has adapted to new ways of doing things.

By 2015, the actor had adapted to the significant changes in his life. "I’m doing well and I’m looking forward to it," the actor told Los Angeles Magazine ahead of the 19th annual Actors Fund Tony Awards Viewing Party in Los Angeles. "I’ve done a few benefits for the Actors Fund and I think it’s a marvelous organization. I hope not to have to use it."

Though he’s made fewer public appearances since, he did speak out about how his sense of humor has been crucial in helping him cope when he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

Although it's been a few years since Curry graced the big screen, he has remained active in the industry, recording over 60 audiobooks over the course of his career.

In his biography shared on his website, Curry explained, "Growing up in England, I was a child of what today would be considered austere surroundings. It was all radio; we had no TV until I was about 10."

"I believe, as a result, that I became a good reader of imagination, which is an enormous part of recording work," he continued. "I find there is something very intimate about being the voice in someone’s ear when they’re driving. I’ve received letters from people who’ve said, 'You took me all the way to Tuscaloosa.'" It’s you, the author and your own imagination, and you’re trying to engage the listener’s imagination. It’s a creative, lovely thing to do."

From Bram Stoker and Charles Dickens to Lemony Snicket and Danielle Steel, Curry's audiobooks cover a wide range of genres.