Written 26th August 2026 | Subscribe to our Christmas newsletter
Tim Curry has died at the age of 80, leaving behind an incredible career and one particularly memorable role that Christmas fans return to year after year.
For millions of people, Curry will forever be remembered as Mr. Hector, the wonderfully suspicious concierge at the Plaza Hotel in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
Tim Curry's long battle with ill health
In July 2012, Curry suffered a major stroke that dramatically changed his life.
The stroke left him unable to walk and he subsequently used a wheelchair. Curry later revealed that he was unable to speak for several weeks after the stroke and underwent a lengthy period of rehabilitation. Despite everything he went through, he gradually returned to work, particularly through voice acting, and continued to make occasional public appearances.
In a 2025 interview, Curry spoke openly about the lasting effects of the stroke. He still had very limited use of his left arm, experienced problems with short-term memory and relied on carers for day-to-day support. He had also been diagnosed with an abdominal aneurysm.
His health struggles meant that the Tim Curry fans saw in later years was very different physically from the energetic performer remembered from films such as Home Alone 2, but his famous humour and personality remained.
Although his long-term health problems have naturally been mentioned in reports of his death, it would be inaccurate at this stage to say that the 2012 stroke was his cause of death. His exact cause of death has not yet been announced.
The Home Alone character Christmas fans will never forget
Released in 1992, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York has become one of the most-loved Christmas films ever made, and Curry's performance is a huge part of its charm.
He played Mr. Hector, the concierge at New York's famous Plaza Hotel who becomes increasingly suspicious after Kevin McCallister checks himself into the hotel using his father's credit card.
It wasn't one of the biggest roles in the movie, but Curry made almost every moment memorable.
His suspicious glances, perfectly timed facial expressions and increasingly exasperated attempts to work out exactly what Kevin was doing turned Mr. Hector into one of the most recognisable supporting characters in the entire Home Alone franchise.
Even more than three decades later, Christmas fans can instantly picture that unmistakable grin.
Home Alone 2 will feel different this Christmas
For many families, watching Home Alone 2 isn't simply watching another film.
It's a Christmas tradition.
Every December, Kevin arrives in New York, wanders through the Plaza Hotel and inevitably finds himself being watched by Tim Curry's increasingly suspicious Mr. Hector.
Those scenes haven't changed.
But this year, they will undoubtedly feel a little different.
There will be something particularly poignant about seeing Curry back behind the Plaza Hotel desk, looking exactly as generations of Christmas fans remember him.
The jokes will still be funny. Kevin will still cause absolute chaos. And Curry's facial expressions will still steal almost every scene he appears in.
But there will now be another layer of nostalgia attached to them.
After everything Curry endured following his stroke, his determination to keep working and engaging with fans made his later life particularly remarkable.
And every Christmas, millions of people will continue seeing him exactly as he was in 1992.
Rest in peace, Tim Curry — 1946–2026.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York simply wouldn't have been the same without him.
And this Christmas, it's going to hit a little differently.
