Tm Curry’s life was turned upside down when he suffered a stroke in 2012, which left him partially paralyzed. He kept the stroke a secret for almost a year, and during surgery, it wasn’t certain he would live. In his new memoir, Curry reveals new details about the 2012 stroke and how surgeons had to ‘smash’ his skull in during surgery.

In May 2013, actor Tim Curry revealed that he had suffered a stroke a year prior. The actor and singer underwent years of physical and speech therapy. Although his life changed drastically, he has continued to work in show business.

Now he’s releasing his new memoir, Vagabond, in which Curry shares several raw details about the stroke that nearly killed him. Tim Curry recalled having a massage when he got his stroke.

As he felt “A little out of sorts,” his massage therapist insisted on calling 911. The actor wrote that he “probably owe his life” to him as he ignored what Curry said and “went with his instinct.”

Once at the hospital, things took a dramatic turn. Tim Curry was sedated and underwent an emergency craniectomy by a brain surgeon whom he describes as “incredible.”

“It turned out that my brain was inflamed enough, or filled with enough blood that bone from my skull had to be removed and implanted into my abdomen to keep my brain, and me, alive,” Tim Curry wrote in Vagabond, per Fox “Thankfully the operation was successful (which was by no means guaranteed).”

Tim Curry says his skull was smashed in to safe his life after 2012 stroke

Curry continued, “When I emerged from the hospital, I had to wear a sort of protective helmet as my brain was literally exposed to the elements. It really wasn’t my best look but at least there wasn’t an abundance of people looking at or judging me.”

“My skull had been smashed in to save my life,” he continued. “That’s plenty to process. I needed the rest and slept a lot.”

The now 79-year-old  recalled being informed that he had a serious stroke with two blood clots being removed from his brain. When reflecting on the life-saving surgery, Curry stated, “If there was anything impressed on me in the aftermath, it was just how remarkable it was that I was still alive,”

“I can say that now, because it’s been over a dozen years, which is a sufficient amount of time to be able to reflect back calmly, and perhaps with a healthy dose of disassociation,” he wrote. “At the time, if I’m being honest, I was just astonished to be lying there.”

We’re so glad that Tim Curry is still with us. Please share this article to honor the Rocky Horror Picture Show star!