Rocky Horror's Icy Ordeal: Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon's Chilling Tales

Two years ago, in September 2025, Rocky Horror Picture Show star Tim Curry made a rare public appearance to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the beloved cult classic. During a Q&A session at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, Curry shared some behind-the-scenes anecdotes that shed light on the challenging conditions the cast and crew faced during the film's production back in 1974.

Curry recalled that the cast was left "shivering" after filming a pivotal pool scene, as the water was bitterly cold. His co-star, Susan Sarandon, who played Janet, was hit even harder by the frigid environment. Sarandon revealed that she contracted pneumonia from the damp, unheated studio where they were filming. Despite her illness, the Oscar-winning actress continued working, wearing her illness "as a badge of honor."

The crew's efforts to keep Sarandon warm between takes, however, led to an unexpected incident. They set up a screen with space heaters, but the makeshift setup ended up catching fire, forcing them to abandon the plan. Sarandon joked that the crew was not "very happy" to hear about her health issues, as they were perceived as the "American diva."

Despite the challenges, the Rocky Horror Picture Show went on to become a beloved cult classic, celebrated for its LGBTQ+ themes and message of self-expression. Curry acknowledged that the film's embrace by the LGBTQ+ community "means a lot" to him, and that it has "given anyone permission to behave as badly as they really want to, in whatever way, and with whom."