Luke Evans has paid tribute to Tim Curry after Curry’s death aged 80, sharing a letter he wrote to him shortly before finishing his Broadway run as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Evans said Curry’s original portrayal of the character in The Rocky Horror Picture Show remained unmatched and had shaped his own Tony-nominated performance, underlining Curry’s enduring influence on actors and audiences.

Evans’ Broadway engagement ended on 23 August, and he said he sent the letter with three weeks of the run remaining. In it, he stressed that he had not tried to imitate Curry, but to honour the character while finding his own interpretation; Curry was best known for playing Frank-N-Furter in the 1975 film, as well as roles including Wadsworth in Clue.