Tim Curry has portrayed memorable characters such as Dr. Frank-n-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Pennywise in It, but Tim Curry’s favorite movie role is Muppet Treasure Island. In the Brian Henson classic released 26 years ago, Curry portrayed the infamous Long John Silver amongst the Muppets cast. After he departed from the role, Curry continued to work with Brian Henson and even reprised his role as Long John Silver in the Muppet Treasure Island CD-ROM game.
Before stardom, Curry lied about his credentials in his first stage performance of Hair. When producers found out, they were too enamored with his talent to strip him from the role. From there, Curry went on to star in numerous stage, film, TV, and animated productions. In 1996, Curry was cast in Muppet Treasure Island, a musical adaptation of the 1883 book Treasure Island. The movie followed the journey of a young orphaned boy intent on adventure, a dream that became a reality when he was given a treasure map. During his quest, the boy met Long John Silver, who attempted to corrupt him and fully embrace life as a pirate.
Tim Curry’s role as a pirate hit close to him, as his father was a Naval Chaplain, and he even borrowed his grandfather’s West England accent for the role. Muppet Treasure Island is Tim Curry’s favorite role due to a combination of the personal relation to his upbringing, fulfilling his longtime dream of working with the Muppets and being a part of a positive and creative environment on set. In an interview (via Tim Curry’s official biography), Curry said, “It was one of the happiest sets I’ve ever been on. There’s a conspicuous lack of ego among the Muppets.” Additionally, Curry has consistently stated how much he enjoyed playing Long John Silver.
Long John Silver came to Curry after a few career setbacks, including being recast in Batman: The Animated Series. The role allowed Tim Curry to showcase his extravagant and boisterous personality, where he fit right into the absurd hilarity of the movie. While working with the Muppets, Curry said (via D23): “They trail all this charisma behind them and you feel you know them as friends. My big problem was that I was so fascinated by what they were doing that I often forgot to concentrate on what I was meant to be doing myself!”
Curry shaped how Brian Henson directed his performers in later films by performing his songs, “Sailing for Adventure” and “A Professional Pirate” live on set, resulting in Henson making singing live a standard for his films. Brian Henson also applauded Curry’s ability to mesh well with the cast, solidifying Tim Curry to the roster of iconic characters in the Muppet franchise. After filming wrapped, Curry was given a Muppet of himself in the likeness of his portrayal of Long John Silver. In behind-the-scenes footage of Muppet Treasure Island, there’s a mini-show called “Tim and Him” where Curry and his Muppet crack jokes together.
After Muppet Treasure Island, Tim Curry continued to work with the Muppets by contributing his recipe to the cookbook, In the Kitchen with Miss Piggy, and voicing multiple characters in the TV series, Dinosaurs. There’s no doubt starring in Muppet Treasure Island made a significant impact on Tim Curry, sharing in his official bio: “What’s extraordinary is that after the first day or two, you don’t think of them as Muppets. You think of them as characters – as fellow actors.”
