Tim Curry recounts his impressive life and career in an autobiography called Vagabond, from Grand Central Publishing.
For the "memoir" (Curry doesn't fancy the term), the revered performer evades the personal matter of his sexual preference(s), with only a teasing allusion regarding his relationship with Miss Piggy, focusing instead on facets of his bittersweet upbringing, which cover his fondness for his father and sister and an anxious aversion toward his mother. His school years and early friendships are detailed in a breezy yet nuanced manner, which make the initial part of his reflection as relaxing as it's informative. This approach is enhanced by segueing, coming-of-age passages that later guided Curry's nomadic entrances into acting, singing, voice work (for cartoon and video-game animation), real-estate brokering, fits of stage fright and narcotic indulgences.
As should come as no surprise, Curry's commentary is packed with celebrity antidotes (some meaty, others brief and/or quippy), which encompass Queen Elizabeth, King (Prince) Charles, Princess Diana, Donald Trump, Ivana Trump, Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Chris Columbus, Diana Ross, Mick Jagger, Bianca Jagger, Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, Ridley Scott, Tom Cruise, Grace Jones, Sylvester Stallone, Marisa Tomei, John Landis, Rita Moreno, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Mike Nichols, Charlie Adler, Carol Burnett, John Huston, Bernadette Peters, Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, Meatloaf, Jonathan Lynn, Tommy Lee Wallace, Madeline Kahn, Patti LaBelle, Charlie Sheen, Brian Henson, Carly Simon ... and the short-fused, John Wood, with whom he "shared" the stage in Travesties.
Behind-the-scenes details are plentiful for The Rocky Horror (Picture) Show and its colorful antagonist, Dr. Frank-N-Furter (as would be only expected and demanded), but much the same can be said of the straight-and-narrow yet amusing Three Men in a Boat, the stage production of Amadeus (in which Curry portrayed the eponymous Mozart), a high-profile stage production of The Pirates of Penzance (as the Pirate King), Legend (where he endured hours of meticulous body casting and makeup applications by Rob Bottin and his crew to become the fearsome Darkness), the original adaptation of Stephen King's It (tackling the mind-tickling "clown," Pennywise), Annie (as "Rooster" Hannigan), Clue (as Wadsworth), Home Alone 2 (as Mr. Hector), The Three Musketeers 1993 (as Cardinal Richelieu), Muppet Treasure Island (as Long John Silver), Spamalot (as King Arthur) and Will Shakespeare, aka Life of Shakespeare (as the titular raconteur).
Other productions are referenced but not with as much time or analysis as one might desire (that includes Curry's excellent portrayal of Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist 1982, as well as his roles of Dr. Thornton Poole in Oscar and Herkermer Holmoka in Congo), with additional ventures only name-dropped or left unmentioned altogether (e.g., Charlie's Angels 2000, The Hunt for Red October, The Shadow and the science-fiction saga, Earth 2). Despite the occasional downplays and omissions, Curry's prime picks are in-depth enough to compensate for any skips and/or evasions.
On the flipside, he laments at length being fired from Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead: one of the book's saddest segments, even if tame compared to the arduous impact of his stroke, which dominates his chronicle's conclusion.
In addition to Curry's recommended text, his audio performance of such is a veritable treat. Though his voice grows strained on occasion, his underlying tonality maintains its mirth, trenchancy and pathos, which further highlights Vagabond's contagious candor.
For Curry fans, and those who relish stage and screen recollections in general, Vagabond (no matter which format one chooses) is worth the journey.
Vagabond can be purchased at
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=tim+curry+vagabond&crid=1DFBH1QKVIC5G&sprefix=tim+curry+vagabon%2Caps%2C261&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
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