Rocky Horror Picture Show star Tim Curry, 79, revealed in his memoir, Vagabond(via People), that he “loathes” one of his most iconic characters.
Curry Made Rare Remarks About Pennywise
Curry was the first actor to depict Pennywise the Clown onscreen in IT, the 1990 television adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. But while the role has gone down as one of the actor’s most legendary performances, Curry himself was no fan of playing the part. While Curry admitted that he “loathes” clowns to this day, he cast doubt on infamous set reports that his costume was so fearsome he was unable to look at himself.
Admits the Role ‘Made Me Uncomfortable’
“Not quite to the extent that I literally couldn’t look at myself in the mirror, as has often been reported, but I certainly didn’t delight in my reflection,” he reflected. “In any case, the thought of embodying this killer clown made me feel simultaneously uncomfortable and like I would be pushing myself to take it on. So, with much uncertainty, the type of which confirmed I was still attempting to embrace my contradictions, I replied: ‘Yes, I’m interested.’”
TIM CURRY
Curry similarly cleared up misconceptions that he regrets taking the role or is otherwise embarrassed about it. “I haven’t had much to say about it publicly for many years, which many people misread as my carrying some sort of deep conflict about the role. That’s really not the case, but I didn’t revel in the role, either,” he wrote. “I have great respect for Stephen King and think it’s a strong adaptation, but it wasn’t exactly a Stoppard experience,” Curry said, referring to the legendary British playwright Tom Stoppard. “Nor did I expect it to be.”
Calls Pennywise Fans ‘Notably Odd People’
Much of Curry’s consternation regarding his role as Pennywise seems to stem from horror fans’ reception of the part. “The majority of people who want to talk to me about being Pennywise are either notably odd people, who sort of revel in his evilness, or else they want me to know that I’ve really traumatized them, or made it impossible to sleep, or something of that variety. I don’t blame them—one of my lines is literally ‘I’m your worst dream come true,'” he said. “But I’ve never really known how to respond to that. It’s not the most charming conversation starter, and invariably leads to a less-than-delightful discussion to navigate.”
TIM CURRY
