Rocky Horror star Tim Curry says he ‘owes his life’ to masseur who defied him and called 911 during 2012 stroke

Tim Curry said his chiropractor saved his life when he suffered a stroke in 2012.

The legendary Rocky Horror Picture Show star, 79, suffered a stroke after fainting at his California home in 2012, leaving one side of his body partially paralyzed and his speech affected.

He described this experience in his new memoir: RascalShe explained that she was getting a massage when the incident occurred.

‘I didn’t fade to black. I didn’t feel bad or feel like something was terribly wrong. “In fact, I had no idea anything was wrong,” the actor wrote.

Although the chiropractor was unsure of a medical emergency, he did notice some alarming changes in the actor’s body that alerted him that something was wrong.

When she expressed her intention to call 911, Curry initially told her not to call and thought she was ‘overreacting’.

The legendary Rocky Horror Picture Show star (pictured) suffered a stroke at home in 2012, leaving one side of his body partially paralyzed and his speech affected.

‘I probably owe my life to him ignoring me, acting on instinct and calling an ambulance.’

‘Even as he was loading me in I was thinking that my masseur was overreacting and that we were doing a ridiculous and unnecessary exercise.’

After evaluation, doctors decided that the actor needed a craniectomy.

He did not learn the true severity of his condition until the procedure was completed.

‘Only after the surgery was completed was I informed that I had suffered a serious stroke which sent blood clots to my brain, two of which were removed.’

‘Biologically, these types of clots really clog things up; “in other words, you’re not getting enough blood flow, so your brain isn’t getting the oxygen and the oxygen it needs,” he shared.

“If anything struck me afterwards, it was how remarkable it was that I was still alive,” he continued.

‘I don’t know if I could respond out loud at that stage; All I could really remember was: “But I didn’t feel anything.”

The actor shared that he still suffers from lingering physical effects as the stroke was a ‘paralysis’.

She described the experience in her new memoir, Vagabond, explaining that she was getting a massage when it happened and had “no idea that everything was wrong.”

When the chiropractor expressed his intention to call 911, Curry initially told him not to call and thought he was ‘overreacting’; The actor was spotted in Los Angeles in September

‘I probably owe my life to him ignoring me, acting on instinct and calling an ambulance,’ the actor added; The picture was taken in 2005

He added that he was ‘very grateful that this wasn’t a speaking stroke’ and that it would have been ‘devastating’ if he had lost his verbal ability.

He said not being able to speak for several weeks while recovering was “hell” but he was “confident the language will return in time.”

Since his stroke, Curry’s life has “changed dramatically” and he has transitioned into voice acting; He played Emperor Palpatine in the animated Star Wars series The Clone Wars and Terrence the Toucan in the animated film Ribbit.

Her memoir, Vagabond, is now available in bookstores.

In September, she opened up about her health during a special screening honoring the musical film’s 50th anniversary.

Speaking to an audience at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, Tim said: ‘I still can’t walk so I’m sitting in this stupid chair and it’s very restrictive.

‘So very soon I won’t be singing and dancing. ‘I still have serious problems with my left leg.’

The legendary actor has largely remained out of the public eye and is rarely seen since suffering a stroke at the age of 66.

An ischemic stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is blocked or reduced, according to the Mayo Clinic.

This prevents brain tissue from receiving oxygen and nutrients. Brain cells begin to die within minutes.

Another type of stroke is hemorrhagic stroke. It occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or bursts and causes bleeding in the brain. Blood increases the pressure on brain cells, damaging them.

Tim is best known for his role as the brilliant mad scientist Dr Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

He first appeared in the original 1973 London production and went on to star on Broadway before reprising the character in the 1975 film.

Tim became famous for his role as Dr Frank-N-Furter in the musical comedy The Rocky Horror Picture Show (seen in photo)

She had a stellar career on stage and screen, appearing in productions such as Annie (1982), Home Alone 2 (1992 – pictured) and Charlie’s Angels (2000).

Speaking about the film’s lasting impact, he said, according to The Hollywood Reporter: ‘I’m very excited about this and very honored to have this presentation of our film by the Academy, which has been around for 50 years.’

Tim had a stellar acting career before his health scare, catapulting him to fame in 1975’s The Rocky Picture Show.

Reflecting on the role that catapulted him to stardom, he told Los Angeles magazine that he viewed the film’s success with “astonished tolerance.”

He continued: ‘This is neither a blessing nor a curse. ‘I was lucky to get it.’

Tim went on to have a stellar career on stage and screen, appearing in films such as Annie (1982), Home Alone 2 (1992) and Charlie’s Angels (2000).