Tony Todd, the legendary actor behind Candyman, Final Destination, and Star Trek, has died at the age of 69.
I have very sad news to report tonight. It has been announced that Tony Todd has died at the age of 69. The legendary actor is best known for his roles in Candyman, Final Destination, Platoon, The Crow, Night of the Living Dead, and his many appearances in the Star Trek franchise. He was a massively talented actor whose incredible baritone voice made every project so much better. This is a huge blow.
Todd’s wife, Fatima, told THR that he died on Wednesday at his home in Marina del Rey after a long illness. New Line Cinema, the studio which produces the Final Destination franchise, wrote on Instagram: “The industry has lost a legend. We have lost a cherished friend. Rest in peace, Tony, -Your Final Destination Family.“
After studying theater at the Eugene O’Neill National Actors Theatre Institute, Todd made the leap to the silver screen, making one of his first appearances in Oliver Stone’s Platoon as Sergeant Warren. He also played Ben in Tom Savini’s Night of the Living Dead, but he became a true horror icon after playing Daniel Robitaille in Candyman. His terrifying yet touching performance scared the hell out of a generation of movie fans, something the actor was continuously surprised by. “The genuine terror that people have towards it. I do conventions and people [wait] in line only to tell me that I scared the bejesus out of them when they were kids,” Todd told /Film in 2021. “And that used to bother me because I went back to Bernard [Rose, director of “Candyman”]. I said, “Did we make a kids’ movie?” And he says, “Tony, anybody that saw the film when they were young will remember it forever.” He reprised the role in Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh and Candyman: Day of the Dead, and also returned for Nia DaCosta’s Candyman movie.
More to come…
