Vale Tim Curry. The actor had a rare gift for making even the smallest role feel like it had its own little spotlight – give him a villain, a butler, a pirate, a radio DJ or a cartoon dad and, somehow, he'd find a way to steal the scene.

Following his passing, we're looking back at 13 of his most memorable film and TV roles, from the gloriously unhinged Frank-N-Furter to the deeply disturbed Pennywise, with plenty of Wadsworths, Richelieus and Nigel Thornberrys in between.

1. The Rocky Horror Picture Show

He had already originated Frank-N-Furter onstage, but watching Curry strut into that castle in a corset and platform heels, completely committed to every outrageous second of it, you can see why the role became inseparable from him.

2. Charlie's Angels (2000)

Playing sinister tech billionaire Roger Corwin, Curry gets one of those gloriously silly villain parts where he can mostly stand around looking expensive and suspicious (or getting an extra-firm massage from Lucy Liu).

3. Annie (1982)

Opposite Carol Burnett's Miss Hannigan, Curry's Rooster Hannigan plays perfectly the shamelessly crooked brother of that family.

4. It (1990)

It really is the way that Curry switches Pennywise from goofy clown to genuinely frightening monster – almost without warning – that makes the performance so effective. That disturbing smile perfectly passed the baton to future Pennywise Bill Skarsgård.

5. Times Square (1980)

As late-night radio DJ Johnny LaGuardia (epic name by the way), Curry fits beautifully into the film's grimy, punk-era New York, bringing just the right amount of louche theatricality to a role that could easily have faded into the background.

6. Clue (1985)

Few roles make better use of Curry's comic timing than Wadsworth, an impeccably composed butler who eventually gets to tear through the mansion's final explanation at such speed that it's easily the film's funniest stretch.

7. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

At the Plaza Hotel, Mr. Hector becomes increasingly convinced that Kevin is up to something, and the fact that he treats this tiny child like a full-blown security emergency makes the whole performance wonderfully deadpan. Let's ignore some of the other cameos in this one...

8. Legend (1985)

Under Rob Bottin's extraordinary makeup, Curry's Lord of Darkness looks unrecognisable – until those eyes appear and that unmistakable voice cuts through. It definitely makes the cut as one of the most spectacularly over-the-top villain performances on screen.

9. Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

Rather than playing down to his puppet co-stars, Curry really threw himself into the whole thing as Long John Silver. His total commitment (as always) is exactly why this remains one of our top 10 celebrity Muppet cameos.

10. Tales From the Crypt "Death of Some Salesman" Episode (1994)

For sheer Curry excess, this episode is hard to beat: he plays all three members of the same grotesque Brackett family – Pa, Ma and Winona.

11. The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002)

That ridiculous voice does most of the heavy lifting as Nigel, turning the eccentric wildlife documentarian into such a wonderfully committed oddball.

12. The Three Musketeers (1993)

Disney's Cardinal Richelieu gives Curry plenty of room for that elegant, theatrical villainy he's so good at. And he clearly relishes it, delivering every silk-robed threat with a perfectly arched eyebrow.

13. FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)

Even the embodiment of pollution gets the Tim Curry treatment. Such is his range. He plays the silky voiced Hexxus, complete with a manically wicked laugh and a sprinkle of musical-theatre energy.