Tim Curry Reveled in the Love for His “Wild Thornberrys” Character, Sir Nigel Thornberry, in One of His Final Instagram Posts

Angela AndaloroThu, August 27, 2026 at 3:48 PM UTC

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Tim Curry, Nigel ThornberryCredit: Getty;Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection -

Tim Curry voiced Sir Nigel Thornberry on Nickelodeon’s animated series The Wild Thornberrys from 1998 to 2004

The actor, who died at age 80 on Aug. 25, shared one of his last Instagram posts celebrating his time as the character

Curry also wrote about his fondness for the voice acting role in his 2025 memoir, Vagabond

Tim Curry‘s voice acting left a mark on many childhoods.

While some fans fell in love with characters the late actor portrayed in person and on screen, there was also a generation that got to know his artistry through his animated characters and voice roles. In one of Curry’s final Instagram posts before his death at age 80 on Tuesday, Aug. 25, he paid tribute to one of those characters — Sir Nigel Thornberry from Nickelodeon’s The Wild Thornberrys.

On Aug. 7, Curry reposted a video to Instagram that referred to Nigel’s nasal laugh as “instant serotonin.” In the accompanying caption he wrote, “Go on, treat yourself. Sound ON 🔊.”

Curry reflected on his time voicing the Thornberry family patriarch in the series, which ran from 1998 to 2004, in his 2025 memoir, Vagabond. In his recollection, he declared, “I felt so privileged to pour so much of myself into the esteemed Sir Nigel Thornberry. The character was a different kind of challenge, and so delightful; of all the voice roles I’ve taken on, this was one of the ones that meant the most to me.”

He continued, “I love that Nigel is so oddly naive, and he takes fatherhood so seriously and amusingly and rather sweetly. He adores his children and truly wants to be the best he can be for them, sort of like a Steve Irwin figure. I also felt deeply connected to him through our mutual love of nature and preservation, even if he was tackling the wild and I was primarily tackling weeds in my garden at home.”

Curry also remembered the joy that came when the entire cast of the show got together, so they could “really play up that family dynamic.”

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“My wife, Marianne, was played by the brilliant Jodi Carlisle; I just adored her, and found her to be so funny and so real. My daughters Eliza and Debbie were played by Lacey Chabert and Danielle Harris, with whom I shared a glorious working relationship. Flea, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Tom Kane were also in that cast. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that we were like a real family, but we really did get along like gangbusters whenever we were in a room together,” he fondly recalled.

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Darwin, Debbie, Donnie, Nigel, Eliza and Marianne in ‘The Wild Thornberrys Movie’Credit: Photo 12 / Alamy

Curry passed away peacefully at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, his manager told PEOPLE in a statement. The actor, born in the U.K. on April 19, 1946, was best known for his wide range of comedic — and often villainous — roles. Most famously, he played Dr. Frank-N-Furter in 1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a part he would reprise on stage.

Curry’s later on-screen work included parts as Rooster Hannigan in 1982’s Annie alongside Carol Burnett and Bernadette Peters, the role of Wadsworth, the butler, in the 1985 cult classic Clue and Long John Silver in 1996’s Muppet Treasure Island.

Curry also appeared widely on television, including playing the villainous Pennywise the Clown in Stephen King’s It, a 1990 miniseries adaptation of the classic horror novel. In his prodigious voice work, Curry won a Daytime Emmy for 1991’s Peter Pan and the Pirates.

His voice acting credits also include dozens of audiobooks. He also released three musical albums: 1978’s Read My Lips, 1979’s Fearless, and 1981’s Simplicity.

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”