Publishers Weekly
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In this charming debut autobiography, British actor Curry offers a peek behind the curtain of his prolific screen and stage careers. Born in 1946, Curry moved frequently due to his father’s posting as a Royal Navy Chaplain. The experience forced him to develop “a strong relationship with myself and with the scope and powers of my own imagination.” At boarding school, Curry fell in love with theater, where he learned to “be comfortable playing a range of parts—personally and professionally—and trying to embrace them all, even if they seem discordant or incompatible.” That philosophy guided his stage career, which began in the 1968 London production of Hair (a gig he landed by lying about his professional experience during his audition). He broke out five years later with the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, the film adaptation of which became a cult smash and teed Curry up for memorable turns in other movies, including Clue and Stephen King’s It. Curry dedicates much of the account to his love of craft, but he’s never pretentious. Along the way, he weaves in personal reflections on the aftermath of his 2012 stroke and maintains an infectious enthusiasm. Even those unfamiliar with the actor’s work will be delighted. Agent: Jon Michael Darga, Aevitas Creative Management. (Oct.)

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Curry looks back at a half-century on stage and screen in a witty and candid account of his life and career. It is not, he tells us in no uncertain terms, a Hollywood tell-all, a master class in acting, or a lurid account of love affairs. Instead, it’s a collection of stories about the amazing variety of roles he’s played, including Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, King Arthur in Spamalot, Tristan Tzara in Travesties, Mozart in Amadeus, Pennywise in It, and Rooster Hannigan in Annie. Curry is one of those actors who will tell you that playing a villain is more fun than playing a hero. Later in his career he made a switch to voicing animated films and television programs and series. In 2012, he suffered a catastrophic stroke, and now does voice work almost exclusively. In conclusion, he notes that being a vagabond is “about adopting a certain attitude toward life.” That sums up this delightful memoir in a nutshell. Film and theater fans will find this a rollicking read.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Curry's iconic characters have captured generations of movie-goers' imaginations; so will his first book.

Library Journal
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Curry marks the 50th anniversary of his breakout role as Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show by penning a memoir that reflects on his life in theater, television, and film. He began his career playing bit parts on the English stage and television. A chance meeting with playwright Richard O'Brien, whom he'd worked with in Hair, led to his auditioning for O'Brien's Rocky Horror play. He played the role on the London stage, Broadway, and in the 1975 movie. Curry's instant success geared his focus to film work. He discusses most of his memorable film roles, including Pennywise in the Stephen King miniseries It, Wadsworth the butler in Clue, and alongside the Muppets in Muppet Treasure Island. He also returned to stage acting, notably in Amadeus, The Pirates of Penzance, and Spamalot. He has also been a prolific voice actor for numerous animated films and series. Curry's memoir warns early on that it won't be sharing the "lurid details" of his love affairs, but he does discuss recovering from a stroke in 2012. VERDICT An engaging look at Curry's childhood, his most iconic roles, and how he restarted his career after his stroke.—Phillip Oliver

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Recollections of an iconic career on stage and screen. Though his appearance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter inThe Rocky Horror Picture Show is likely the first thing people think of when they think of Tim Curry (“I had the legs for it”), it is only one of many landmark roles on a distinguished résumé. Beginning with his appearance in the 1968 London production ofHair (they were looking for “hippies who could sing”) and continuing at a breakneck pace for over 50 years, Curry offers readers a backstage pass to the stage and screen productions he has been involved with, fromAmadeus andTravesties toMuppet Treasure Island (“I cannot overstate how much I enjoyed working with the Muppets”). Though he doesn’t think much of acting method—as he tells John Huston on the set ofAnnie when asked for his thoughts on his part, “I thought I would show up”—he does pose a psychological question about the roots of his storied performances in villainous roles: “Was I able to play Pennywise—the murderous clown ofIt—or the malevolent, alluring Cardinal Richelieu ofThe Three Musketeers because of terrifying childhood memories of my mother?” Included in myriad fascinating tidbits aboutRocky Horror is this typically brusque and funny passage: “People often ask me for my opinion about why audiences keep coming back to this outrageous film. How has it proven to have such endurance, which has allegedly changed people’s lives? What made it such a sensation?” His answer: “Nobody fucking knows”—though the still-ongoing midnight showings, he points out, are a guaranteed weekly party for which you don’t need an invitation or a date. He candidly details the downs as well as the ups, with details of his failed music career in the 1990s and the 2012 stroke that left him paralyzed on the left side. Look for cameos from Carol Burnett, Princess Diana, David Bowie, Grace Jones, Truman Capote, and Charlie Sheen (“not the sharpest pencil in the drawer”). Regarding his love life (and, by extension, his sexuality), he asserts that it is “respectfully—none of your fucking business.” Entertaining, briskly paced, and well worth reading. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.