Transexual Transylvania

The Many Faces Of “Rocky Horror’s” Dr. Frank-N-Furter, From Tim Curry To Laverne Cox

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This week, we got our first look at Laverne Cox’s Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Fox’s upcoming live musical remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show courtesy of Entertainment Weekly. Cox says her version of the character, originated by Tim Currry—who appears in the reboot as the film’s Narrator—has been compared to Grace Jones and David Bowie. “It’s way more elaborate and couture,” she tells Entertainment Weekly. “[Director] Kenny Ortega had this vision that Frank was at this old theater and found these old burlesque costumes and is, like, using them and wearing them now but has altered them a bit.”

Here’s the full photo:

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It’s certainly a departure from the cult classic, immortalized by Tim Curry:

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The Orange Is the New Black star isn’t the first performer to reinterpret this sweet transvestite. Let’s do the “Time Warp” again and have a look back at the many faces of Dr. Frank-N-Furter:

Amber Riley

Casting Glee‘s aspiring soul diva Mercedes in Curry’s role in the show’s very special Rocky Horror episode was a little unexpected—but definitely not as unlikely as a high school production of the risqué musical.

Jim Parsons

7087b26b6ae256db3d5d38cac12c38d1In 2013, Parsons slipped into the requisite fishnets to play Frank-N-Furter alongside his Big Bang Theory co-stars in at A Night at Sardi’s benefitting the Alzheimer’s Association.

Anthony Head

Anthony Head
Probably best known as tweedy librarian Rupert Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Head was altogether less buttoned-up when he starred in the West End’s 1990-1991 revival of The Rocky Horror Show.

Related: PHOTOS: Lost Original “Rocky Horror” Polaroids Were Discovered In NYC Subway

Tom Hewitt

livingrockyhorror2_t440 (1)This Broadway star dispensed with the wig when he starred in the 2000 revival alongside Joan Jett and Daphne Rubin Vega.

The Divas of Drag Race

10696434_961506520529759_6750191153447619843_n (1)It’s pretty much become a tradition for RuPaul’s Drag Race alums and regulars alike to appear in San Antonio’s Woodlawn Theater’s annual staging of Rocky Horror. Everyone from Michelle Visage to Bianca Del Rio has done the “Time Warp” on the Lone Star stage. Alaska, Sharon Needles, and Courtney Act have all brought their own radically different interpretations to the character of Frank-N-Furter.

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Meanwhile, Manila Luzon’s gave us a spikier interpretation of Frank on this 2011 Next Magazine cover:

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