When it comes to inhabiting unforgettable, show-stopping characters, few performers in the history of cinema delivered quite like Tim Curry. The legendary actor possessed a rare and enduring gift for making even the smallest supporting roles the absolute highlight of a film, elevating modest projects to a level that compelled audiences to rewatch them again and again. Whether viewers were first introduced to Curry as the charismatic, corset-clad Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the nightmare-inducing dancing clown Pennywise in the television adaptation of Stephen King’s IT, or know him best as the menacing, suspicious hotel concierge at the Plaza Hotel in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, the odds are high that his unforgettable presence has been a staple of popular culture and personal entertainment orbits for decades.
That deep, long-standing connection made his passing in August 2026 feel remarkably personal to millions of fans worldwide—almost like losing an old, theatrical friend who had accompanied them through generations of cinematic adventures. Thanks to the expansive, wonderfully eccentric, and occasionally terrifying cast of characters Curry brought to life throughout his illustrious career, a vast collection of his body of work remains available to entertain and inspire generations to come. And while his cinematic output is rich enough to warrant year-round viewing, for many enthusiasts, his filmography maintains a particularly potent and sacred connection to the Halloween season.
Naturally, viewers turn to his most mainstream, widely celebrated hits when October arrives. Classics like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, IT, Legend, and the board-game-turned-whodunit Clue immediately radiate the perfect spooky, atmospheric vibe required for autumn viewing. However, amidst this heavy rotation of beloved hits, there is one particularly brilliant project from Curry’s filmography that tends to be overlooked during the most sacred time of the year. That forgotten gem is the 1986 musical made-for-television adaptation of The Worst Witch.
Based on Jill Murphy’s classic 1974 children’s book of the same name, the narrative centers around Mildred Hubble, a young and earnest witch who is a student at Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches. Mildred has a persistent, almost uncanny penchant for messing up spells, flying brooms, and navigating academic life. In short, as the title makes abundantly clear, she is "the worst witch" at her prestigious academy—or at least, that is how the vast majority of her strict instructors and competitive classmates consistently make her feel. It is a timeless underdog story that ultimately culminates in Mildred proving her worth, not only to the skeptical authorities around her, but more importantly, to herself.
The central question for fans of theatrical oddities is how Tim Curry manages to factor into this magical equation. Curry inhabits the role of the Grand Wizard Egbert Hellibore, a figure who is spoken about and lauded numerous times throughout the story in a nearly God-like sense of reverence by the faculty and students alike, before he finally makes a brief, highly anticipated appearance at the very end of the film. Yet, despite having a remarkably small amount of screen time, the actor—operating in classic, unfiltered Curry fashion—totally steals the entire show with an incredible, larger-than-life musical number that truly has to be seen to be believed.
The musical centerpiece of the film is a track titled “Anything Can Happen on Halloween.” In the sequence, Curry appears wearing a stylish cape and a fabulous bat bowtie, fully committing to the whimsical chaos as a series of wonderfully dated, Halloween-related visual effects fly across the screen. Are the primitive 1980s computer graphics and floating pumpkins the most terrifying part of the musical number? Absolutely. Given the era in which the television special was produced, viewers tend to gently forgive the limitations of the special effects department. But does that technical primitiveness take away from Curry’s electrifying performance? Not a single chance.
Curry was an artist who always thrived in theatrical chaos—the wackier and more unrestrained the backdrop, the better his performance tended to be. There is a particularly memorable moment during the song where he appears to be staring directly into the viewer’s soul with a piercing gaze, striking that delicate balance that only Curry could pull off: making a performance equal parts charming, campy, and genuinely unsettling.
It stands as such a memorable, standout moment in the film that audiences can almost forgive the fact that Curry is completely missing from approximately ninety-five percent of the movie. Almost. So, when the time comes each year to dust off your collection of seasonal favorites and settle in for an evening of nostalgic autumn viewing, be sure to add this broadcast beauty to the rotation. Tim Curry’s singular, unforgettable contribution to the festivities will make the journey more than worth your while.
