Tony Todd, “Candyman” horror icon also known for “Platoon” and “Star Trek,” dies at age 69

Tony Todd, the “Candyman” star who appeared in more than 240 films and television shows, died on November 6th. He was 69 years old.

The actor’s representatives confirmed news of his death to TheWrap; No information about the cause has been released. The actor is “a great man and I will miss him every day,” Jeffrey Goldberg, Todd’s manager for over 40 years, told TheWrap.

Todd played the killer in Candyman and the film’s sequel, but the actor’s prolific career included storylines in The Young and the Restless and 24, as well as episodes of Hawaii Five-0 and Xena: Warrior Princess. . ” and “Young Justice.”

Todd also appeared in several Star Trek series, including The Next Generation, Voyager and Deep Space Nine. In the Star Trek series, he is best known for portraying the Klingon Kurn, brother of Worf (Michael Dorn).

In an interview with Whoosh! from 1998 Todd said Star Trek was “the first show that gave me access to the fan world, so I’m always grateful to them.” He also admitted that he wasn’t happy with the direction his career had taken was dissatisfied even though he “didn’t wake up one day and try to become part of the science fiction/fantasy universe.”

Todd also enjoyed a successful career on stage after training at Trinity Rep Conservatory in Providence, Rhode Island. He told the outlet that he plans to do one play a year. “It’s honest work. It’s more direct and interactive,” he explained. “It’s just real. In contrast to television, where you basically have to rehearse alone, you have a six-week rehearsal period. On TV you just show up and do it. In theater you learn to invest more time in the material before you show up on set.”

The actor’s big break came when he was cast in Oliver Stone’s 1986 Vietnam War film Platoon. In 2020, he told The Guardian that it was difficult for any of his stars to make the film. “I won’t name names,” Todd said, “but I’ve seen grown men cry.” The film also starred Charlie Sheen, Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker and Willem Dafoe.

Todd reiterated that his background in theater helped him land the role of Sergeant Warren. He said Stone “wanted real faces.” Johnny Got His Gun at a Hell’s Kitchen.

He is best known for his role as Candyman in the 1992 film Candyman, which he starred in following the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead. He played the ghost of Daniel Robitaille, a man whose parents were enslaved. Robitaille was killed by a mob after he began dating a white woman; The site of his death eventually became the scene of a public housing project where several unsolved murders took place.

The character remained in the minds of audiences for years after the first film was released. While promoting the 2021 sequel, Todd told Dread Central that he considers his character to be “a gothic character.”

“I compare him to Phantom because he is a misunderstood character who is looking for love. Bernard [Rose] “And Virginia Madsen and I reinforced that through Gothic Arts,” he added. “We did horseback riding, we did fencing, we did ballroom dancing. We wanted to experience centuries of passion between us, centuries of regret, centuries of loss every time she and I were in the same setting.”

He also admitted that people were sometimes afraid when meeting him in person. “I’ve experienced this a few times when one of the couple’s partners came up to me and said, ‘Oh, my wife or husband is terrified of you!’ And the other partner will just stand there. So I say, ‘Well, it’s a character.’ Here I am.’ I think I’m one of the most approachable people I know and speak as a true sociopath. There is nothing to be afraid of. Come towards me.”

Tony Todd was born on December 4, 1954 in Washington DC and grew up in Hartford, Connecticut. He attended the University of Connecticut and studied theater at the Eugene O’Neill National Actors Theater Institute.

His other roles included The Crow, The Rock, the Final Destination series and Minotaur. He also appeared in several Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including “King Hedley II,” “No Place to be Somebody” and “Dark Paradise, Aida.”

Todd also played several characters in the Star Trek universe. These included Worf’s brother Kurn in The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, as well as the adult Jake Sisko in Deep Space Nine.

Tony Todd is survived by his children Alex and Ariana.

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