A Sweet Transvestite of a Memoir

Published in October 2025 by Grand Central Publishing, Vagabond: A Memoir by Tim Curry is a delightful surprise and an unexpectedly charming read.

I've always liked Tim Curry, even if it took this autobiography to make me realize quite how much. Sure, Frank-N-Furter is iconic, but Vagabond reminded me just how many corners of popular culture Curry has occupied over the decades: the deliciously sinister concierge in Home Alone 2, Rooster in the 1982 film version of Annie, King Arthur in Spamalot, and countless stage roles I had either forgotten or never knew about in the first place. I certainly wasn't expecting stories involving Tom Stoppard plays or performing Mozart alongside Ian McKellen.

Curry's voice on the page is erudite, witty, and wonderfully self-aware. Perhaps most surprising is the vitality that shines through the memoir. Given the stroke he suffered several years ago, I had assumed some of that energy might be absent. Instead, the book feels animated by his curiosity, humor, and unmistakable personality.

He is quintessentially British in the best possible way: understated, dry, and slightly reserved in his reminiscences, which only adds to the book's appeal. Even when gently tossing a few people under the bus — Donald Trump and Tom Cruise among them — he does so with such impeccable manners that the criticism arrives wrapped in a figurative "please" and "thank you." The barbs land, but they never feel cruel or bitter.

Fans looking for scandalous revelations or celebrity gossip may come away disappointed. Those looking to spend a few hours in the company of an intelligent, funny, and deeply civilized raconteur will find Vagabond a thoroughly enjoyable companion.