Tim Curry Dies at 80: How His Unhinged 'Space!' Delivery Became Gaming's Greatest Meme

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Electronic Arts assembled a staggeringly expensive ensemble for Red Alert 3. The production spent millions casting veteran actors who could handle Full Motion Video cutscenes without winking unprofessionally at the camera. Alongside Curry stood George Takei as the stoic Emperor Yoshiro, J.K. Simmons portraying US President Howard T. Ackerman, and Peter Stormare as Dr. Gregor Zelinsky.

While other performers played their characters with dry satire, Curry approached Cherdenko with classical theater discipline. He rolled his R's like a Shakespearean villain on a London stage. His performance honored the heritage of the franchise, which had previously featured Joseph Kucan as Kane and Udo Kier as Yuri. Curry understood the tightrope walk of camp acting: to make absurd dialogue land, an actor must deliver it with absolute, genuine conviction.