Tony Todd, the actor best known for playing the scary ghost in the Candyman horror movies, passed away on Wednesday at his home in Marina Del Rey, California. He was 69 years old.
His death was confirmed by a representative, but the cause was not revealed.
Tony Todd was a well-known actor in horror and action films for over 40 years. He appeared in many famous movies, including The Crow, The Rock, and the Final Destination series. One of his early roles was in the war movie Platoon, directed by Oliver Stone. He also appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation as Kurn, a Klingon character.
Todd became famous for his role in the 1992 film Candyman, which was based on a story by Clive Barker. In the movie, Todd played Daniel Robitaille, a man who becomes a ghost with a hook for a hand, covered in bees. His character was a tortured soul who was killed because he was in love with a white woman. The film, which starred Virginia Madsen, explored serious issues like racism and gentrification in Chicago.
After hearing about Todd’s death, Virginia Madsen posted on Instagram: “My beloved. May you rest in power. The great actor Tony Todd has left us and now is an angel. As he was in life. More later but I can’t right now. I love you.”
The movie Candyman had both horror and artistic elements, and it explored important social themes. Although some criticized it for using racial stereotypes, it has remained a beloved film in the horror genre.
Tony Todd returned as Candyman in several sequels, including Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995) and Candyman: Day of the Dead (1999). In 2021, a new Candyman movie was made, which was a direct sequel to the original. Todd made a cameo in the film, which starred Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Tony Todd was born on December 4, 1954, in Washington, D.C. He studied at the University of Connecticut before moving on to the Eugene O’Neill National Theatre Institute. Todd trained to become a stage actor and even taught playwriting in Hartford. He had a strong career on stage, including his performance in August Wilson’s King Hedley II.
In addition to his famous movie roles, Todd appeared in many TV shows, including Boston Public, Law & Order, The X-Files, and 24. He also did voice work for video games and animated shows, including playing the villain Zoom in The Flash and Venom in the game Spider-Man 2.
Tony Todd had over 200 acting credits during his career, including roles in the Final Destination films, where he was one of the few actors to appear in multiple movies in the series. He also appeared in the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead.
Despite his fame, Todd continued to work in smaller roles in recent years, often in direct-to-video movies. His IMDb page lists several movies that have recently completed production.
Tony Todd is survived by his two children, Alex and Ariana.