‘Muppet Treasure Island’ at 30: Tim Curry on Long John Silver

Brian Henson had only one actor in mind when he set out to adapt Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island for the Muppets: Tim Curry. Muppet Treasure Island turns 30 this month; the swashbuckling adventure opened in theaters on Feb. 16, 1996, later streaming on Disney+.

It was a modest box-office success and remains one of the most ambitious projects in the Muppets legacy. Curry, already known for flamboyant parts such as Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Pennywise, said his first motivation was his love of the Muppets and his affinity for Henson.

He took on Long John Silver, the duplicitous pirate and father figure to Jim Hawkins, played by Kevin Bishop, and later called the shoot the most fun he’d ever had on a movie set. He enjoyed singing live on set rather than miming to a recording, a freedom Henson remembered fondly, and Henson said he was struck by Curry’s star-like magnetism, especially during the showstopping number A Professional Pirate.

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