Mick Jagger Wanted To Play Tim Curry's Career-Defining Role

Some actors land roles that are so iconic that it overshadows the rest of their career. Anthony Perkins immediately springs to mind; he did plenty of other stuff after Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho," but he never escaped the shadow of Norman Bates. Linda Blair fared even worse after playing Regan in "The Exorcist," her adult career dwindling into B-movie hell. As for Tim Curry, he did okay — he got to play Pennywise in "It" and gained another cult favorite in "Clue," but he will always be remembered for playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." And it was a career-defining role that Mick Jagger wanted for himself.

Still touring as recently as 2024, the Rolling Stones have become the granddads of rock 'n' roll with the surviving principal members (Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood) all around the 80-year-old mark. Their age and characteristics have made them something of an affectionate punchline, particularly Richards' longevity after his wild drug-fuelled exploits and Jagger's distinctive vocals and dance moves — Hell, Maroon 5 even did a song about it. From that perspective, Jagger might not seem like the most likely candidate to step into Tim Curry's trademark platform heels and stockings. But he not only actively sought the role, he also had the credentials to pull it off. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times to celebrate the 50th anniversary of "Rocky Horror," Curry recalled:

"When the movie was a definite thing, there were several big stars who wanted to play the part [...] Mick Jagger wanted to play it and he would've done a great job if you saw 'Performance.' But [director Sharman] said he wanted me to do it. I don't think the studio was happy that he turned down Mick."

So how did the flamboyant Stones frontman become interested in paying the debauched party-loving mad scientist, and would he have been any good?

"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" came from humble beginnings. Richard O'Brien was an unemployed actor when he started writing a raunchy musical homage to old sci-fi pictures and B-movies to keep himself busy. His friend, theater director Jim Sharman, loved it and staged the first production in a tiny 60-seat performance space in Sloane Square, London. It premiered in the summer of 1973 and was an instant success, with lead actor Tim Curry drawing rave reviews for his performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter.

The buzz meant that Sharman and his troupe could upgrade to a 500-seater venue, while record producer Lou Adler quickly bought the American stage rights. Curry reprised his role as the show made its Stateside debut in the following year, playing at the famous Roxy Theater in Los Angeles. "Rocky Horror" was a hot, hot ticket from day one, with big stars like Jack Nicholson, John Lennon, and Mick Jagger attending the premiere.

The Stones singer was evidently enamored with the show, and his people made inquiries about buying the film rights. Jim Sharman didn't need Jagger's clout to make a movie version, however. Gordon Stulburg of 20th Century Fox also saw the show and offered him $1 million to adapt it for the screen, which meant Sharman could keep Curry in the lead role and also direct the picture himself.

"Rocky Horror" was a flop on its initial release but found its natural home at midnight screenings, becoming the quintessential cult movie and the perfect cinematic sanctuary for freaks. Prop-filled sing-a-longs with fans dressing up as the characters are now the stuff of legend, and thanks to a loophole, the movie has become the longest continually-running theatrical release of all time, grossing over $170 million to date. Not bad for something that Richard O'Brien wrote while kicking his heels between jobs!

I first saw "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" back in the early '90s, and, over three decades later, Tim Curry's outrageous turn as Dr. Frank-N-Furter is still one of my favorite film performances of all time. Several other actors have played since with varying degrees of success: Anthony Head won plaudits in the 1990 West End Revival, and Tom Hewitt received a Tony Award nod for his performance in the Broadway Revival 10 years later. In more recent years, transgender actor Laverne Cox was the only decent thing about the dreadful 2016 TV remake. How might Mick Jagger have fared?

He certainly had Frank's anarchic streak. Back in the '60s, the Rolling Stones were not only the Beatles' main rival, but they were also viewed as the rebellious alternative to the clean-cut lads from Liverpool. They cultivated a bad boy image, wearing outrageous (for the time) fashions and courting controversy with suggestive lyrics and references to satanism. He also had the style; like many androgynous rock stars of the late '60s and early '70s, Jagger regularly flaunted fashions that led more conservative observers to clutch their pearls about cross-dressing. During a drug bust in 1967, the police officer who arrested the singer felt compelled to note that Jagger appeared to be wearing makeup at the time.

In the late '60s, Jagger started dabbling with a film career and made his screen debut in "Performance," playing a hedonistic rock star opposite James Fox's East End gangster. Nicolas Roeg's film was controversial for its sex, drugs, and gender-bending themes, and there are definitely some very Furter-esque mannerisms to Jagger's characterization. Overall, he had the musical ability, the look, the attitude, and the notoriety to make a very interesting Dr. Frank-N-Furter. I'm still glad we got Tim Curry, but it would have been fun seeing Jagger in full flow.