Tim Curry talks about his stroke, his role in Rocky Horror and his memoir Vagabond

Tim Curry has opened up about the stroke he suffered in 2012, sharing that he didn’t know anything was wrong until a masseuse suggested he go to the hospital.

The actor, known for his iconic roles in films such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue, Annie, It And Home Alone 2, gave an interview to Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz, which aired on CBS Sunday morning, where he shared the details of that fateful day.

“It was so strange,” he said. “I was actually getting a massage, and the guy giving me a massage said, ‘I’m worried about you. I think we should call a doctor.’ I felt good. I had no symptoms that I was aware of. I didn’t have any pain.

Curry found out he had had a stroke after being admitted to the hospital and immediately thought of his father, who had suffered a fatal stroke when Curry was 10 years old. “I was scared,” he said of his reaction to learning he was following in his father’s footsteps.

Afterward, Curry underwent brain surgery and rehabilitation. “I had to relearn how to speak,” he said. “It was very weird. I hated not being able to talk.” Additionally, the left side of his face became paralyzed. “My face kind of drifted,” he said.

From his role as mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter, “the sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania,” as he so memorably sang in Rocky horror, Curry said the role helps others who might have been afraid of being different.

“He had a lot of power – Frank. He gave a lot of teenagers permission to be different and I’m very happy that he had that power,” Curry said.

The actor has a new memoir, Vagabondbut told Mankiewicz that he preferred some secrets remain secret, so the book doesn’t reveal everything. “One of the keys is not to encourage one identity,” he said. “I tried to heal it. I protected it and I kept doing it.”

Curry also spoke about his mother, who he said suffered from bipolar disorder. She exhibited frequent mood swings and could be cruel to her son, Curry said. Despite her success, she “didn’t do much,” he said. “She was afraid of it. She told me later, ‘I thought your head was going to get too big’. She wished I had operated under the radar. … (But) I never did. I didn’t care about the radar.”

Nor does he wallow in sadness. “I don’t much admire self-pity – another legacy from my mother, I suppose,” he said. “That’s a question I’m grateful for. ‘Why are you so important that we have to pity you?'” he said with a laugh.

The actor, now 79, added that he was not afraid of dying.

“I’m not afraid of death. I try to avoid it,” he says with a laugh. “I think we all do, but I think ultimately I’ll welcome it. I think it can be very comforting to say goodbye, and I want to earn it,” he added with another laugh.