RIP Tony Todd, horror icon and Candyman star

Tony Todd has died. A seasoned actor with a deep, resonant voice to match his towering stature, Todd amassed nearly 250 credits over his 40-year film and television career. But while he’s played superheroes, supervillains, Klingons, soldiers, jazz musicians, preachers, cops, assassins, doctors, monsters, gangsters, generals, aliens, Transformers and more, Todd will inevitably be remembered for one role above all else: his title role in the horror hit 1992 Candyman. (Referred to in mock silence as “The It was the film that catapulted Todd into the blood-soaked spotlight and put him on a first-name basis with other horror icons like Kane Hodder and Robert Englund; It is the film that most clearly showcases his twin gifts of charisma and menace. It was also just one part of a career that stretched Oliver Stone from the jungles of the Philippines to the far corners of space for his many missions in space Star Trek Franchise and to a hundred other points in between. Per deadlineTodd’s death on Wednesday was confirmed by his representatives this evening. He was 69.

Born in Washington DC, Todd became involved in acting from a young age, earning a master’s degree in his field and working as an acting teacher in the early days of his career. An appearance at the New York theater caught the attention of casting directors working for Oliver Stone, and in the mid-’80s Todd was offered his first film role: a small part in Trainwhere Todd traveled around the world to film in the Philippines with a cast of soon-to-be big stars. A leading role in Tom Savinis Night of the Living Dead The remake a few years later further increased his profile and he became a fixture, taping individual episodes on television – including a rare guest star distinction in Stephen Bochco’s deeply bizarre film Cop Rock. (“I failed to get the numbers,” Todd recalled in a 2010 interview about his career. “I failed to get the ratings. But boy, was it fun!”) Remarkably, that Todd was the first to get what would happen during this time, eventually making several appearances in star Hike; After I kept auditioning for the producers of Star Trek: The Next GenerationHe finally landed the role of Kurn, the Klingon brother of Michael Dorn’s Worf. Over time, Todd would appear in three of them in different roles Hike Series, including in Deep Space Nine“The Visitor” is widely regarded as one of the best hours in the series – not least because of Todd’s portrayal of the aging, grief-stricken Jake Sisko.



In 1992, however, we come to the dividing line in Todd’s career; it’s all pre-Candymanor postalCandyman. Todd had to fight like hell to get the role, even though he wasn’t initially sure what the film was supposed to be. (“I get a call from my agent saying, ‘This director wants to see you, just wants to meet you about this movie called.’ Candyman.’ I thought he was fucking kidding. I mean, what is that? Sammy Davis thing? What is that?”) But director Bernard Rose was convinced that Todd was the man to play the murdered vengeful Daniel Robitaille, a role that required an actor as seductive as he was frightening, a figure as sympathetic as she was downright horror. (Todd, acknowledging the influences: “I was a big fan of the whole Dracula, Phantom of the Opera thing.”) The resulting film was only a modest box office success, but it penetrated deeply into the American psyche, fueled by something unique to it Interpretation of urban legends, the rarity of a black icon in horror, and Todd’s own power on screen. (Also the bees.)

From then on, Todd was “Candyman“Tony Todd” made the rounds at horror conventions, appeared in dozens of small-budget horror films, and returned to the franchise three more times. (Most recently with Nia DaCosta’s update on the franchise in 2021.) But he also refused to be reduced to a caricature and continued to deliver performances that required his seriousness, warmth and professionalism, from micro-budget horror films to huge Michael Bay blockbusters. (It’s not surprising that Todd became a prolific voice actor in his later years; except that a man with a voice like… The It took him so long to get into the field.) He collected memorable roles in shows like The X-FilesHe was in regular use 24in what is probably his most famous recurring role outside of it Candymanappeared in most Final destination Movies as the only guy who usually not Be blown away by the different Rube Goldberg murder methods of death.

As an actor firmly rooted in the world of horror, we would never deny that Tony Todd wasn’t there much of B-grade or lower films, low-budget offerings that probably spent more on the casting of Tony Todd than on visuals or scripts. But us would argue that he rarely, if ever, gave a B-movie appearance. Even in something like Tubi Original Hellblazer– one of his last film appearances – you see a man who takes his craft seriously, creating characters and giving them dignity and power. You never got anything less when you hired Tony Todd.