Tim Curry says his skull was ‘smashed in’ during emergency surgery after 2012 stroke
In 2012, actor Tim Curry suffered a severe stroke that left him partially paralyzed, a fact he kept private for almost a year. The life-threatening event occurred while he was receiving a massage, and his quick-thinking massage therapist called 911, a decision Curry credits with saving his life.
At the hospital, he underwent an emergency craniectomy. In his new memoir, “Vagabond,” Curry reveals that surgeons had to remove a piece of his skull because his brain was inflamed and filled with blood.
This piece of bone was stored in his abdomen to keep it alive while his brain recovered. Curry describes the surgeon as “incredible,” acknowledging that his survival was not guaranteed.
Following the successful surgery, he had to wear a protective helmet because his brain was exposed. He reflects that his “skull had been smashed in to save (his) life.”
Now 79, Curry spent years in physical and speech therapy. Despite the drastic change, he has continued to work in show business.
Looking back over a decade later, he feels a remarkable sense of calm. He is able to reflect on how extraordinary it is that he survived the ordeal.
Curry expresses profound astonishment at having lived through the experience, a sentiment he can now process with a sense of detachment and gratitude.
