The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Whatever Happened To The Cast?

In the grand pantheon of Hollywood history, there truly has never been another film quite like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." A financial flop with mediocre reviews upon its initial theatrical release in 1975, in the years since then the Jim Sharman-directed camp freak-out flick has grown beyond anyone's wildest dreams into the original "midnight movie," a groundbreaking experience in audience participation, and an unprecedented phenomenon. 

Back in the mid-'70s, after a middling film concluded its theatrical run, you wouldn't hear much from it again. But much like Rocky himself, this was a film with newfound life — one that began with late night showings in arthouse theaters, becoming increasingly raucous and elaborate over time, eventually blooming into a unique moviegoing experience, equal parts film and live performance. 

In 2020, after receiving continuous showings around the world for more than 40 years, "Rocky Horror" earned the title of the longest continually running theatrical movie of all time. This isn't just a cult film. It's *the* cult film; a full-blown subculture.

Although "Rocky Horror" featured some brilliant young actors who would go on to spend multiple decades populating everything from "Bull Durham" to "Clue" to "Fight Club" to "Phineas and Ferb," a lot of the film's cast did not go on to become household names. If you're wondering what happened to Magenta, Riff Raff, Columbia, and all the rest, don't worry. We see you shiver with antici ... pation, so let's catch up with the cast of the film to see where their lives have taken them, all our favorite sweet transvestites and creatures of the night.

Without a doubt, the most iconic performance in the "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" has to be Tim Curry's portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the sexy, villainous mad scientist from outer space who disregards all known human laws of science, morality, and gender. Frank ended up being Curry's breakout role, kickstarting a monumental, eclectic acting career.

Across the decades that followed "Rocky," Curry went on to portray a wide variety of similarly unsavory characters in both television and film, such as Darkness in the movie "Legend," Wadsworth the butler in "Clue," Hexxus in "Fern Gully," Long John Silver in "Muppet: Treasure Island," and Pennywise in the 1990 television miniseries "It." Outside of film, Curry has also had an active career in live theater, music, and audiobooks. He has earned three Tony nominations for his work on the stage, released three solo rock albums, and was even nominated for a Grammy for his work in the multi-voice cast audiobook of "A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning."

However, Curry's life has not been without its struggles. After suffering a stroke in 2012, the actor now uses a wheelchair. Since then, he's cut back on his on-screen acting work substantially, though he does still perform regular voice work. Curry also showed up in the 2016 remake of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," this time in the role of the Criminologist.

After Brad and Janet's car breaks down, they seek refuge at a strange castle, and the door is opened by gaunt man with a vile, smoldering stare. This is Riff Raff, Frank-N-Furter's butler and handyman. At first he seems awkward and assuming, but when the music kicks in, this odd fellow shows that he can deliver some smooth dance moves and killer screaming vocals.

Riff Raff's actor is Richard O'Brien, and as if his triple threat performing talents weren't enough, he also wrote the original stage show that "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" was based on, and co-wrote the film adaptation. After "Rocky Horror," O'Brien continued to appear in both stage musicals and cult films, with roles in movies like "Flash Gordon," "Spice World," "Dark City," and "Elvira's Haunted Hills." He also wrote and appeared in the oft-forgotten semi-sequel to "Rocky Horror," the 1981 film "Shock Treatment." From 2007 — 2015, he voiced the dad on "Phineas and Ferb."

Also notable is that, in recent years, Richard O'Brian came out as queer — or, in his words, "third sex." On his gender identity, he has said: "I believe myself probably to be about 70% male, 30% female." That being said, nowadays some members of the queer community aren't all that eager to praise O'Brien as a paragon of progressive values. In multiple interviews, the actor has repeatedly claimed that he does not believe that transgender people can ever truly become the gender they identify as. In 2016, for instance, he said, of trans women, "That is a huge jump and I have all the sympathy in the world ... but you aren't a woman." It seems as though as time goes on, as much as we love both O'Brien and his work, sadly both contain a few outdated views, and both are slowly becoming somewhat more problematic faves.

As Brad and Janet continue to explore Frank-N-Furter's castle, one of the many peculiar denizens they encounter is a scorned former lover of Frank-N-Furter named Columbia, referred to in the credits as "Columbia (a groupie)." Though Frank might not remember her, audiences could never forget Columbia with her big vulnerable heart, her quirky soprano singing voice, and her sparkling gold top hat, all making her a highlight of the film.

The actress playing Columbia is Australian actress/singer Nell Campbell. In addition to her solo music career, Campbell has quite a few acting credits to her name, appearing in films like "Jubilee," "The Killing Fields," "Shock Treatment," and the 1998 version of "Great Expectations." She also had a part in another  movie musical that's every bit as iconic as "Rocky Horror," the 1982 film version of "Pink Floyd — The Wall," and funny enough, in that film she is also credited as "a groupie." She's also appeared in numerous stage productions, including the 2003 revival of the Broadway musical "Nine."

In 1986, Nell Campbell became a small business owner when she opened her own nightclub, a trendy little hole in the wall called Nell's. In an interview, Campbell described the club as "elegant and romantic in a faded way — not unlike myself." The club was a fixture of the New York scene in the 80's and 90's. Nell's was even name-dropped as a favorite hangout of the fictional Patrick Bateman in the novel "American Psycho." But sadly, the club did eventually close, in 2004.

In some ways, he was the true star of the show: the titular Rocky Horror himself. Created by Frank-N-Furter to be his newest plaything, Rocky is a big muscular man with blond hair, tan skin, and tiny golden shorts. Although Australian singer Trevor White supplies the voice for Rocky, the body comes via a man named Peter Hinwood — and what a body it is. If you're wondering why you haven't seen Hinwood in anything else, that's because, unlike the rest of the main cast, shortly after he appeared in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" he decided to quit acting forever.

There seems to be no big dramatic reason why Peter Hinwood decided to call it quits. According to a 2015 People magazine article, he simply didn't think that he was a particularly great actor, and one day realized he'd rather live a life outside the spotlight. Nowadays, he works as an antique dealer in London. In total, he has only four acting credits to his name, all from the 60's and 70's. Much like the life of his character in the film, Peter Hinwood's acting career was miraculous, beautiful, and far too brief.

Periodically throughout "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," we take a short break from the action of the film for interludes with an unnamed man in a suit and tie, referred to in the credits as "the Criminologist." In these segments, the Criminologist reflects on events that have transpired with a detached academic coldness, foreshadowing upcoming doom for our heroes. Given the degree to which these short scenes seem at odds with the rest of the film's madcap tone, you may find yourself asking, who the heck is this weirdo?

The weirdo in question is none other than beloved British actor Charles Gray. Though not as well known by modern audiences, Gray would have certainly been one of the bigger stars in the cast at the time of filming. He got his start in British theater and television in the 1960's, then made his way into the mainstream with roles like General Herbert von Seidlitz-Gabler in the WWII film "The Night of the Generals" and Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever."

After "Rocky Horror," Gray went on to appear in a wide array of film and television projects, mainly as various old fuddy-duddy authority figures. Famously, he played Sherlock Holmes' stuffy brother Mycroft twice in two unrelated productions — once in the movie "The Seven-Per-Cent Solution" and again in the series "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." Gray was also one of several "Rocky Horror" actors to return in "Shock Treatment."

Charles Gray died at the age of 71 on March 7, 2000.