Tony Todd, who performed the titular serial killer within the Candyman horror franchise, died in Los Angeles on Wednesday night time aged 69.
He died of pure causes at residence in Marina Del Rey, based on his consultant Jeffrey Goldberg, who advised TMZ he didn’t have a particular reason behind demise.
Over the course in 4 many years in present enterprise, Todd lent his skills to a number of tentpoles, together with the Transformers and Remaining Vacation spot movie sequence.
He additionally performed the Starship Enterprise’s Commander Kurn on a number of Star Trek exhibits, together with The Subsequent Era and Deep House 9.
Todd additionally loved a diverse stage profession, together with a run within the Broadway manufacturing of the musical Aida with songs by Tim Rice and Elton John.
Tony Todd, who performed the titular serial killer within the Candyman horror franchise, died at residence in Los Angeles this Wednesday aged 69; pictured at 2023 Comedian-Con Worldwide San Diego
Born in Washington, DC in 1954, Todd was raised in Connecticut by an aunt who took him in when he was simply three years previous.
‘My mom was going via some points. So the household intervened,’ Todd defined cryptically to the Guardian many years later.
‘And, you recognize, my mom has no reminiscence of it to this present day, and I respect her as the lady who birthed me. However, you recognize, I’m additionally glad that my aunt intervened and put me on the suitable path.’
Todd’s aunt nurtured his curiosity in appearing and put him in courses in the course of the summers, earlier than he in the end studied drama on the Eugene O’Neill Theater Heart.
Certainly one of his early breaks within the films was the acclaimed Oliver Stone warfare drama Platoon, launched in 1986 as the primary a part of the director’s Vietnam trilogy.
Todd had a small half amid a glittering forged that included Charlie Sheen, Willem Defoe, Forest Whitaker and the younger Johnny Depp.
Reflecting on why Stone forged him, Todd mentioned: ‘The very last thing he needed was anyone that appeared like an actor. He needed actual faces. So it helped that I got here from the theatre and I got here from poverty.’
4 years later, Todd turned a star in his personal proper by enjoying the lead character Ben within the 1990 remake of Night time Of The Dwelling Useless alongside Patricia Tillman.
He achieved icon standing within the horror world in 1992, when moviegoers noticed him the title villainous function in Candyman, which he’s pictured in with Virginia Madsen
After the runaway success of the primary movie, Todd starred in two sequels, Candyman: Farewell To The Flesh in 1995 (pictured) and Candyman: Day Of The Useless in 1999
Certainly one of his early breaks within the films was the acclaimed Oliver Stone warfare drama Platoon, launched in 1986 as the primary a part of the director’s Vietnam trilogy
4 years later, Todd turned a star in his personal proper by enjoying the lead character Ben within the 1990 remake of Night time Of The Dwelling Useless alongside Patricia Tillman
‘To this present day, folks consider that function after they see me,’ Todd advised SciFi.radio practically three many years later. ‘That’s the attractive factor about horror. Horror followers are valuable. They maintain onto the recollections! And I preserve making new sh*t! And I believe someday, persons are going to appreciate the depth of the style.’
He achieved icon standing within the horror world in 1992, when moviegoers noticed him the title villainous function within the supernatural thriller Candyman.
Todd performed the homicidal ghost of a nineteenth century American slave who performed an affair with a white girl and was murdered consequently.
When anybody says: ‘Candyman’ 5 occasions in a mirror, the ghost emerges and savages whoever summoned him with a hook that has changed certainly one of his arms.
Virginia Madsen led the forged because the film’s heroine Helen Lyle, a Chicago graduate scholar who uncovers the reality behind the Candyman legend.
Other than being a fearsome presence on the display, Todd additionally emerged as a intercourse image of kinds by way of the smash hit horror characteristic.
After the runaway success of the primary movie, Todd starred in two sequels, Candyman: Farewell To The Flesh in 1995 and Candyman: Day Of The Useless in 1999.
When the Candyman franchise was revived for a 2021 film co-written by Jordan Peele, Todd returned as soon as once more to his most beloved function.
He additionally performed the Starship Enterprise’s Commander Kurn on a number of Star Trek exhibits, together with The Subsequent Era and Deep House 9 (pictured)
Within the Michael Bay movie Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, he supplied the voiceover for the antagonist robotic, The Fallen
Now a mainstay of the horror style, Todd acted in such movies as the unique Remaining Vacation spot in 2000, plus Remaining Vacation spot 2 in 2003 and Remaining Vacation spot 5 in 2011 (pictured)
Now a mainstay of the horror style, Todd acted in such movies as the unique Remaining Vacation spot in 2000, plus Remaining Vacation spot 2 in 2003 and Remaining Vacation spot 5 in 2011.
He additionally acted continuously on TV, with a recurring function as Kurn on Star Trek: The Subsequent Era, a personality he reprised as soon as on Star Trek: Deep House 9.
Todd performed two different Star Trek characters, certainly one of which meant that he additionally appeared on a 3rd present within the franchise – Star Trek: Voyager.
Within the Michael Bay movie Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, he supplied the voiceover for the antagonist robotic, The Fallen.
Todd’s baritone voice additionally lent itself to in depth work in video video games, together with Name of Responsibility: Black Ops II and plenty of Star Trek variations.
Nonetheless his past love remained the stage, and he acted in such performs as King Hedley II by August Wilson and such musicals as Elton John’s Aida.
‘In an excellent world, I would just do theatre,’ Todd confessed as soon as to Whoosh!. ‘Sadly it is arduous to make a dwelling doing full theatre. I attempt to do a play a yr.’
Todd continued working vigorously to the top of his life, and his IMDb lists a number of initiatives nonetheless to be launched, together with a rumored reprise of his function as funeral director William Bludworth within the upcoming film Remaining Vacation spot: Bloodlines.
His Candyman co-star Virginia Madsen reacted to the information of his demise by posting an emotional Instagram video confessing: ‘I do not know what to say proper now.’
In her caption, she wrote: ‘My beloved. Could you relaxation in energy candy to the candy in heaven. The nice actor Tony Todd has left us and now’s an angel. As he was in life. Extra later however I can’t proper now. I like you. #candyman’.
