I’m someone who grew up in the early 90s, going to The Rocky Horror Picture Show to Saturday midnight showings frequently. Sure, I can watch it whenever I want today with my Disney+ subscription, but it will never be like it was back then. It was a way to break me out of my suburban bubble and introduce myself to a whole different scene of lovable weirdos, both on screen and off. One of the weirdos, Tim Curry, gave one of my all-time favorite performances (and one of his best performances) in any film, as the sweet transvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the legendary cult film.
I’ve just learned recently that he was almost kicked out of the role he had originally developed for the London show in the mid-70s to a much bigger star of the time: none other than Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger. Now me too love The Stones, and if there was any rock star of the era who could play Frank, it’s Mick (or maybe David Bowie), but I’m so grateful Curry stayed in the role. That’s how it happened, according to Curry.
Tim Curry told everyone about the Mick Jagger story recently
Rocky horror It’s been a lot of news. Not only is it the best time of year to catch the musical horror film in theaters, as it is often revived for midnight showings like the old days around Halloween, but the film turned 50 this year. In a interview with the Los Angeles Times Recently, Tim Curry spoke about the making of the film and revealed how close Mick Jagger was to getting the role:
When the film was final, there were several big stars who wanted to play the role. Mick Jagger wanted to play it and would have done a great job if you saw ‘Performance’. But [director Jim Sharman] He said he wanted me to do it. I don’t think the studio was happy that he turned Mick down.
Refusing Jagger was a bold choice by the director. In the mid-70s, the Stones were still at their creative peak and there was no bigger band in the world. It’s also hard to deny that he would have been great as the androgynous Frank. I have no doubt that his performance would have been very different from Curry’s, but still wonderful. That being said, as much as I love Jagger and the Stones, no one could top Curry.
A different Frank means a different movie, but not a better one
Like I said, I love Curry’s performance in Rocky horror. When he got out of the elevator and started “Sweet Transvestite,” it’s by far my favorite part of the movie (and the best song in the film). I’ve always said that Curry should have won an Oscar for his performance (even though there was little chance of a film like this taking home awards). He had perfected the role in London’s West End for the original show, and having someone else play him would have provided a very different experience.
It’s easy to see that a Jagger version of Frank would likely be less campy and perhaps even more menacing. Curry walks the line between campy and mildly terrifying so perfectly that I can’t imagine anyone, including the lead singer of the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World, playing the role better. Although I admit, there is a part of me that would love to travel to the alternate world where this casting takes place.
In the end, Jim Sharman made the right decision to stick with the musical’s original star in the now-legendary cast of Rocky horror.
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