RIP Tony Todd – ‘Candyman’ star dies aged 69

All of us here at Bloody Disgusting are devastated to learn that horror icon Tony Toddthe legendary actor who played the title character in the Candyman (1992) and its sequels, died on November 6 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 69. Deadline first reported the news.

The prolific actor amassed more than 240 film and television credits spanning his four decades career. While the actor’s big break came when he was cast in Oliver Stone’s 1986 Vietnam War epic Plato, he would secure his name in the genre pantheon just a few years later.

Todd starred in Tom Savini’s 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead as Ben, the role Duane Jones played in George A. Romero’s iconic 1968 original. Todd’s warm, commanding performance was one of the primary reasons this remake was so successful, and it was a precursor to his turn as Candyman . Despite having less than 10 minutes of total screen time, Candyman’s presence is felt through the original horror classic that spawned several sequels – that’s all thanks to Tony Todd’s iconic performance.

When speaking at Salem Horror Fest in 2023, the actor traced his love of acting back to a high school English teacher who introduced him to William Shakespeare’s The storm. “It was like a light bulb went off. From that moment on, I knew it my whole life would be dedicated to portray deep, enriched characters and represent my people who did not come with me or was stuck in a groove. So it’s not just me sitting up here; it is everyone I’ve ever known.”

Todd also had an influential role in Final destination film as forensic scientist William Bludworth, who fans speculate is either The Grim Reaper or Satan himself. His mysterious, charismatic, yet brief performance resonated with horror fans and earned him a base in the franchise. So much so Final destination 6 is speculated to dig into Bludworth’s backstory.

It’s clear that Todd loved the genre as much as the fans, and its fans loved him. Some of his other notable genre credits include wishmaster, The crowAdam Green Axe franchise, Hell’s partyFreeform’s Dead of SummerMTV/VH1’s Screamand so much more.

We’d also be remiss not to acknowledge his signature deep voice, which led to numerous voice acting roles, including Darkseid in the DC Animated Movie Universe and Venom in Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

Tony Todd provided no shortage of memorable moments through his acting work in theatre, television, film and video games, and he will be sorely missed.

We send our thoughts and prayers to all off Tony’s friends and family. He is immortal for all of us.