Tim Curry is a legendary actor who has played a bigger role in most of our childhoods (and adulthoods) than most of us realized. He’s a triple threat, being a talented actor, a dedicated voice actor, and even a singer. Realistically, Tim Curry is famous for so many roles, ranging from Dr. Frank-N-Furter (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) to Wadsworth (Clue) and everything in between. His acting style and voice do a solid job of making him stand out, but you may be surprised to learn (or remember) some of the animated roles he’s lent his voice to. So sit down and get ready for a walk down memory lane.
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Let’s be real, Tim Curry is one of the most talented creatives around. He’s fantastic at bringing characters to life and has openly admitted how much fun he’s had with the villains in particular. Unsurprisingly, that applies to animated roles as well, especially when those villains get to sing. We couldn’t possibly list every role that Tim Curry has lent his voice to, so if we missed one of your favorites, be sure to shout it out in the comments!
1) Nigel Thornberry (The Wild Thornberrys)
Who here remembers The Wild Thornberrys? This animated series aired from 1998 to 2004 and followed one family, the Thornberrys, as they traveled across the globe. Eliza (Lacey Chabert) is the protagonist of the series, gaining the enviable ability to communicate with animals. As far as this list is concerned, though, Sir Nigel Archibald Thornberry is the MVP. Voiced by Tim Curry, Nigel is part of the reason why the family travels so much, as he and his wife are creating wildlife documentaries.
Nigel Thornberry is the face of those documentaries, and his unique voice probably helped draw in a large audience. We’d certainly watch any documentary voiced by Tim Curry. Nigel is a kind and loving father who doesn’t always get his daughters, though he does try. He’s upbeat and happy, even in the face of great danger. That happiness doubles if you offer him some kippers.
The Wild Thornberrys is available to stream on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video.
2) MAL (Captain Planet and the Planeteers)
Up next is Captain Planet and the Planeteers, which most of us probably remember hearing about, even those of us who didn’t watch it. The ’90s show follows the Planeteers, a dedicated group who go above and beyond to try to save the planet. Naturally, Captain Planet is their leader, and he stands out in a crowd. They have many antagonists, most of whom are meant to teach us about different dangers (waste, limited resources, etc.).
That brings us to Dr. Barbara Blight, a classic mad scientist who creates new technology without a thought. At her side is MAL, her AI henchman and husband (yes, really). MAL was originally voiced by David Rappaport, but Tim Curry took over the role in 1991.
Captain Planet and the Planeteers is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
3) Hexxus (FernGully: The Last Rainforest)
FernGully: The Last Rainforest is a magical animated adventure that has a dark underbelly. On the surface are adorable critters and amazing fairies, but they’re all in danger when loggers set their sights on the rainforest. Worst, pollution allowed a dangerous new enemy to rise up. Crysta (the fairy) and Zak (the human) are the protagonists, and counter to them is Hexxus.
You can probably guess where we’re going with this one: Hexxus is voiced by the amazing Tim Curry. Hexxus is the result of pollution, literally. He’s as malevolent as they come, though he does love a good song. Tim Curry really put his all into “Toxic Love,” as that song hits as hard today as it did in 1992.
FernGully: The Last Rainforest is available to stream on Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu.
4) Zimbo (AAAHH!!! Real Monsters)
AAAHH!!! Real Monsters is a quirky, strange, and admittedly gross animated series from the ’90s, but kids loved it. The story followed a group of three monsters: Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm, as they attended monster school and learned how to be the perfect little monsters. Living in a dump, these guys embraced the whole gross aesthetic, even using a currency based on toenail clippings.
The Gromble is both their teacher and their occasional antagonist, as he is quick to discipline his students as needed. That discipline usually comes in the form of the Snorch. More importantly, the Snorch’s best friend (can you call him that?) is Zimbo, a little bee-like monster. He has the body of a bee, with a humanoid face and foot. It’s strange. Voiced by Tim Curry, Zimbo is pretty jealous and plenty petty.
AAAHH!!! Real Monsters is available to stream on Paramount+ and The Roku Channel.
5) Drake (The Pebble and the Penguin)
The Pebble and the Penguin is a 1995 classic about the mating traditions of one group of penguins. The film has a lot of familiar voices, so rewatching this film is a strange nostalgia trip. It stars Martin Short, Annie Golden, and Jim Belushi. The story follows Hubie, a shy and stuttering penguin willing to go to great lengths to prove his love for Marina.
As it turns out, it’s a good thing Hubie is so dedicated because Drake also has his sights set on Marina. If you guessed that Drake is voiced by Tim Curry, you win the prize. Drake is a massive penguin (who really doesn’t look like the others) with a mean spirit. Tim Curry leans into the villainous voice here, with his big song being “Don’t Make Me Laugh.”
The Pebble and the Penguin is available to stream on Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, and The Roku Channel.
6) Leichliter (Hey Arnold!)
Hey Arnold! is another classic show from the ’90s, though it was fortunate to run until 2004. At the center of the show is the titular character, Arnold Shortman, known as Football Head to some. He and his friends live in the city of Hillwood, and it’s safe to say they get up to all sorts of adventures. Some happen around the block, while others are more of a school-time problem.
Enter Mr. Leichliter, an infamous critic and stage director. Since he’s voiced by Tim Curry, you already know he’s not going to be a good guy. He’s the type of person who actually looks forward to roasting kids in his reviews, which explains why he was even watching a 4th-grade production. He would later direct and produce another show (Eugene, Eugene!) and expect those same kids to give it their all. Ironic.
Hey Arnold! is available to stream on Paramount+ and The Roku Channel.
7) Big Brother (Johnny Bravo)
Johnny Bravo is another hit, this time from Cartoon Network. The show ran from 1997 to 2004. The titular character is based on a mixture of Elvis Presley and James Dean, and it shows. Johnny Bravo is blond, muscular, dumber than a brick, and a hundred times more determined than that.
Believe it or not, Tim Curry voiced a role for Johnny Bravo. He played Big Brother, a tyrannical dictator of the world. He hosts his own show (The Big Brother Comedy Hour), which may or may not be intentionally mind-numbing as a means of control.
Johnny Bravo is available to rent through Amazon Prime Video.
8) Mutro Botha (Batman Beyond)
Next up is Batman Beyond, a sequel to the beloved Batman: The Animated Series. This story jumped forward in time to a point when Bruce Wayne had been forced to retire. That opened the door for a new kind of Batman to arrive, Terry McGinnis. Terry is smaller and more agile, but what he lacks in strength, his more advanced Batsuit can help make up for. Plus, he’s got the one and only Bruce Wayne acting as his man in the chair.
Unsurprisingly, Terry faces many new enemies throughout his series. That includes a few one-off characters, such as Mutro Botha. Mutro Botha is the last surviving member of the classic Society of Assassins. He’s a survivor and a killer in equal measures. He’s also voiced by Tim Curry, so his voice is going to stand out among the rest.
Batman Beyond is available to stream on HBO Max.
9) Slagar the Cruel (Redwall)
Redwall is an animated series that ran from 1999 to 2002. It’s based on the novel series of the same name, as written by Brian Jacques. Totaling three seasons, each one covers a different book in the series (Redwall, Mattimeo, and Martin the Warrior, respectively). The novel series was a huge hit, especially back in the day, though some fans may have missed that there was an animated adaptation.
Tim Curry’s role doesn’t appear until the third season, during Mattimeo. He voices Slagar the Cruel, who is obviously an antagonist of this arc. He’s a masked fox with a dark backstory that fans of Redwall will be familiar with.
Redwall is available to rent through Amazon Prime Video.
10) Dr. Slicer (Recess)
Recess is an animated series that focuses on six different elementary school students. It’s not hard to guess why the show was called Recess, with most of the fun happening during their breaks between lessons. The story is surprisingly dense, with a more satirical take on human society as a whole (government, class systems, etc.). The school even has unwritten laws and a monarch.
Don’t worry, Tim Curry isn’t the monarch of the school. He’s Dr. Slicer, a strict and militant teacher. That sounds more in keeping with his acting preferences. He only appeared once in the series, but his antagonistic behavior ensured that fans would remember him.
Recess is available to stream on Disney+.
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