Actor and horror icon Tony Todd has died, aged 69.
Per Variety, Todd’s death was confirmed by a representative for the actor. He passed away this Wednesday (November 6) at his Marina Del Rey home, with a cause of death not yet confirmed.
He was best known for playing Candyman, the titular bogeyman that led a series of horror films in the 1990s. With his towering 6-foot-5 frame and on-screen intensity, he became a horror mainstay, appearing in Final Destination, Night of the Living Dead and The Crow.
As Get Out director Jordan Peele – who later co-wrote the sequel – recalled in a 2021 interview, up until Todd’s casting as the character, who appears after saying his name five times in the mirror, he had not seen a Black actor in a major horror role.
“I was a horror fan as a kid, but we didn’t have a Black Freddy Krueger or a Black Jason Voorhees,” Peele said. “Even though there are many examples of Black people in horror, this one felt particularly badass.”
His Candyman castmates have led tributes today, with Virginia Madsen (who played Helen Lyle in the 1992 film) paying tribute to Todd on Instagram, writing: “A truly poetic man. A voice that made it easy to swoon. Thanks to Bernard Rose, we really created a gothic romance. It’s why the film lives on. A gentle soul with a deep knowledge of the arts.
Tony Todd holds onto Virginia Madsen in a scene from the film ‘Candyman’, 1992. CREDIT: TriStar/Getty Images
“He enjoyed the fans and was never shy when it came to fans approaching, wanting photos. A rare actor who allowed himself to be open to the public attention. Wish I had seen him on the stage.
“I will miss him so much and hope he haunts me once in a while. But I will not summon him in the mirror! What a gift that Jordon Peele let us live again as lovers. He talked about a prequel using technology so that we, ourselves could tell the tale of how their love began. Imagine that. I do. My dear friend Tony, I do.”
Voice actor Troy Baker recalled Todd’s love of music in his tribute, saying he “knew jazz like it was a sport and every musician was a player on the team”. He said the late actor “could rattle off their stats like a ‘69 Mets fan”, and then “jump straight into a scene with full commitment.
“He was a fierce scene partner. Only cared about the work, the character…the story. I love you, man. You were a giant in every way. And I was honoured to be your friend.”
Last year, Tom Hardy took to Instagram to compliment Todd’s performance as Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, describing him as a “legend”.
The late actor also played characters in the Star Trek universe in the shows The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager, and appeared in a number of video games including Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Dota 2, Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2, Half-Life: Alyx, and Back 4 Blood.
He is survived by his wife, Fatima, and his two children, Alex and Ariana.
Check out more tributes below:
Most people will remember Tony Todd for his iconic performance as Candyman and rightfully so, but he'll always have an extra special place in my heart for his part as Grange in The Crow (1994). My biggest comfort film and he was no doubt one of my favorite characters 🖤 pic.twitter.com/XFDQYpbANf
— 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚜𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚛🦇 (@BrowseHorror) November 9, 2024
In Candyman (1992), Tony Todd was covered in REAL bees. He only agreed to shoot this scene if they paid him $1000 per bee sting. He earned $23,000.
RIP Legend 🐝
— NUFF (@nuffsaidny) November 9, 2024
English (US) · 