Pirate Tim Curry Appreciation Post

The blog is back! And the blog might be a little late to the party, but after the loss of Tim Curry in August, it would be remiss in not acknowledging Tim Curry’s pirate roles. First, here’s Curry with the cast of the 1982 Drury Lane production of “The Pirates Of Penzance.” Pirates of Penzance 1982:

 

Somehow I’d missed Muppet Treasure Island before now, even though it was released in 1996, and upon watching it recently, I thought, “No, Tim Curry is the dashing Pirate King, how is he Long John Silver?” After all, the original Silver was described by Robert Louis Stevenson as “very tall and strong, with a face as big as a ham—plain and pale, but intelligent and smiling.” And then I remembered that Silver’s success, such as it was, was because he could appear humble and unassuming—and then crank up the charm to convince whoever he was trying to dupe that he was being truthful. Plus Curry had the ability to tease out the more sympathetic parts of a morally-gray character as well as deliver a line with the “coolest insolence” of Stevenson’s literary creation. A role perfect for him, in other words.

 

Curry loved the role and loved performing with the Muppet cast, so much so that he was named one of only eleven “Honorary Muppets,” along with luminaries like Robin Williams and Dolly Parton. As far as the literary Long John Silver, he was inspired by William Henley, a friend of Stevenson’s whom he described as a great, glowing, massive-shouldered fellow with a big red beard and a crutch; jovial, astoundingly clever, and with a laugh that rolled like music; he had an unimaginable fire and vitality; he swept one off one's feet." My guess is Henley would have gotten a kick out of Tim Curry playing the role he inspired. You can read more about Henley here.