EDITORIAL ROUTING 12-8-92

TO:

BNTBRTAINMENT

T3

Staunch supporter

Cut+y prefers the sidelight for now

By Frank Lovece

It's the single best visual moment in "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York": There's Dr. Seuss' Grinch, from the classic cartoon "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," grinning his evil, endless, face-cracking grin. Then we cut to British actor Tim Curry, the movie's imperious hotel concierge, wearing much the same huge, ghastly smile. It's almost like some "Terminator 2" special effect, the way Curry's liveaction face somehow does what it normally takes a cartoon character to
do.

bad movies," the actor reflects. "I

"I'd sort of rather do supporting roles in gcod movies than lead roles in

movd to California because I wanted to concentrate on movies, and I'm just

wanted to play American characters, and they let me play Amerir-rn characters in cartoons. So it's been a way for me to work on my American
accents""

sort of trying to work with the best

people I can, you know? And if 'Home Alone 2'reaches the audience we hope it will, that will be very helpful." In that respect, help is on the way: The

cally trained Curry earned a

drama

less a task than

Despite his distinctive voice, that's it seems the classi-

movie's $31.1-million opening weekend set a record for a non-summer

opening.

mingham University before landing a role in the West End production of the musical hit "Hair." A string of theater

':rd English

degree

at

dual

Bir.

Ironically, Curry got

real-life

"I wasn't aware the Grinch was even in there,n Curry says, chuckling, his purring voice flowing like malevolent molasses. "I had an English actor
called Alastair Sim very much in
mind; he had a very memorable grin." The cut from the Grinch's memorable

taste of what young Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) enjoys in the film - a free ride at the Plaza Hotel, where many of the scenes were filmed.

grin to his own wasn't in the script, Curry recalls - 'It was a device of Chris (Columbus, the director).I loved it when I saw it; I thought it was very
himself. On this particular day, however, he's dressed all in black and
elegant and very funny." Which pretty much describes Curry

'l'd rather do supporting roles in good movies than lead roles in bad movies.t

sporting a goatee for his role in Broadway's "My Favorite Year,"

looking less elegant and funny than elegant and sinister - very much the perfect choice for the concierge, or the demonic clown Pennywise in Stephen King's "It" (ABC, i990), or even - dare we mention it - the sexually dangerous Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the "They'd brought me in for rain cover," Curry says, reierring to the practice of keeping actors nearby and on-

still plays to p.-ked midnight-movie crowds almost 20 years later. Curry himself even showed up once at New York City's Waverly Theater, the sort of
adaptation, which
un-Grinchlike grin. "In fact, the first time I tried to see it was when (the 'Rocky Horror'culr,7 was f irst l,appening - and I was thrown out because
"Rocky Horror" flagship. "Yes, yes," Curry recalls with an

roles followed - including the infamous Dr. Furter of "Rocky Horror." "I'd heard about the play," Curry recalls, "because I lived on Paddington Street, off Baker Street, and there was an old gym a few doors away. I saw lpiaywright) Richard O'Brien in the street, and he said he'd just been to the gym to see if he could find a muscleman who could sing. I said, 'Why do you need him to sing?- Curry remembers, laughing "And he told me that his musical was going to be done, and I should talk to (director) Jim Sharman. He gave me the script, and I thought, 'Boy, if this works, it's going to be a smash.That it was - especially the film

call to shoot interior

doors. "But

cult-classic film "The Rockv Horror Picture Show" (1975 anci still playing).

Mephistophelean mien, Curry, 46, seems a charming and good-humored sort. Of ten cast in fussy or autocratic roles quite unlike his corset-clad, outer-space transse>: ual in "Rocky Horror," Curry remains riveting even when doing voice-overs for cartoon series like TBS's "Captain

In spite of his

(Schneider, who plays the bellhop)."

it only rained once, and then they did scenes with Rob

scenes, in case bad weather prevents shooting out-

With nothing Lo do but hans around, Curry says, "I actually got very bored with room service at the end - I'd

they thought I was an imposter!

O rss: xItwsPAPm
ENTEnPRISE AssN.

tried it alll It was a very rich

and

Mmm, yes," he adds a moment later, "it is true."

strange experience. Finally they gave me a beeper, so I could whiz about and get Christmas presents rather bet-

Planet" and ABC's new "Wild West C.O.W. Boys of Moo Mesa." Yet, de-

lur

presDts than last year because I

spite an impressive variety of roles from the nervous doctor in "The Hunt for Red October," to the manipulative record company owner in several episodes of "Wiseguy," to his 1981 Tony Award-nominated turn as Mozart in

al cartoon series, as well as an episode of "Dinosaurs." "One of the reasons

was, of course, working!" Curry doth protest too much: Aside from the musical "My Favorite Year," he'll soon appear in the film "National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1," he recently starred in an ABC sitcom pilot, and he does voice-overs for sever-

STAR VIEW
FRANK LOVECE

Broadway's "Amadeusn - Curry finds himself doing supporting roles

I started

doing

more often than not.

cartoons," Curry explains, "is I really