Movies and TV Tony Todd "The Candyman" dead at 69 years old

**Tribal Warfare** · 04:40 AM

Virginia Madsen remembers her "Candyman" co-star Tony Todd, who has died at the age of 69.

"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." https://t.co/5JUNiJlwEf pic.twitter.com/Rqq5jGzGXB
— Variety (@Variety) November 9, 2024

Spoiler!

Tony Todd, an American actor known for leading the “Candyman” horror franchise as its eponymous hook-wielding ghost, died Wednesday at his home in Marina Del Rey, Calif. He was 69.

Todd’s death was confirmed by a representative for the actor. A cause of death was not disclosed.

A reliable presence in genre fare across four decades, Todd’s series of credits include iconic titles such as Alex Proyas’ comic book adaptation “The Crow,” Michael Bay’s Alcatraz actioner “The Rock” and the elaborate killing-set-piece series “Final Destination.” One of his earliest film performances came in his early thirties in Oliver Stone’s Oscar-winning war epic “Platoon.” On “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Todd donned alien make-up to play Kurn, a Commander in the Klingon Defense Force and the brother of Worf (played by series regular Michael Dorn).

But Todd secured his name in the genre pantheon with his performance in Bernard Rose’s “Candyman,” an early-’90s Americanized spin on a Clive Barker short story that brought a memorable supernatural spin on themes of gentrification and racism. At a towering 6’5”, Todd played Daniel Robitaille, aka Candyman, the tortured, bee-covered ghost of an African American artist and son of a slave who was murdered for his relationship with a white woman. The film starred Virginia Madsen as a Chicago graduate student preparing a thesis on the legend of Candyman by investigating inner-city Chicago.
Popular on Variety

“My beloved. May you rest in power,” Madsen wrote in a post on Instagram after learning of her co-star’s death. “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.”

“Candyman” positioned itself as a somewhat arty genre play, debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Midnight Madness section. Its handling of serious themes did not go unquestioned at the time, with some levying accusations that it trafficked in racist stereotypes. But the film has endured in critical and genre circles for its unblinking approach to serious matters, connecting America’s history of racism to the woes of contemporary urban life.

Todd reprised his role as the sympathetic slasher several times. He returned for the 1995 sequel “Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh” (which marked an early feature for later Oscar-nominee Bill Condon), as well as Turi Meyer’s “Candyman: Day of the Dead” in 1999. After decades in development, the property was revived at Universal by director Nia DaCosta in 2021 with the simply-titled “Candyman,” which functioned as a direct sequel to the 1992 original and was co-written by DaCosta, Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld. Todd reprised his role in the new entry, which starred Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as an artist who becomes drawn into the Candyman urban myth.

Born Dec. 4, 1954 in Washington, D.C., Todd studied at the University of Connecticut for two years before shifting to the Eugene O’Neill National Theatre Institute. Trained for the stage, Todd would practice playwriting himself and teach it to high school students in Hartford. He would go on to originate the title role of August Wilson’s “King Hedley II” with productions in Pittsburgh, Seattle and Boston. His performance “was a memorable tour-de-force,” Variety wrote in a review at the time.

Among Todd’s credits, totaling well above 200, the actor had a recurring role on “Boston Public” and made guest appearances on “Law & Order,” “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “The X-Files,” “Smallville,” “Psych” and “24.” He often voice-acted too, playing The Fallen in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” Zoom in The CW’s “The Flash” and, most recently, Venom in Insomniac’s PlayStation smash “Spider-Man 2.” He starred in the 1990 remake of “Night of the Living Dead” and was one of the few actors to recur in the “Final Destination” franchise, which would often kill off all its new characters by the end of each of its entries.

Todd never stopped working, often lending his gravitas and genre reputation to direct-to-video thrillers over recent years. His profile on IMDb currently lists more than nine titles that have entered post-production.

Todd is survived by his two children, Alex and Ariana.

BlackHelicopters · 11-09-2024, 04:33 AM

Never heard of this person.

**Tribal Warfare** · 11-09-2024, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackHelicopters

Never heard of this person.

You probably have his voice was iconic

Rasputin · 11-09-2024, 04:37 AM

Rasputin · 11-09-2024, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

You probably have his voice was iconic

I know he voiced Zoom in the Flash

493rd · 11-09-2024, 05:15 AM

Dang, RIP. Candyman is a cult classic for horror fans; really underrated and often overlooked imo. He was also in some of the Final Destination flicks. Todd had a helluva voice.

Jewish Rabbi · 11-09-2024, 06:02 AM

Lmao 69

Frazod · 11-09-2024, 06:54 AM

Mainly remember him as Worf's brother Kurn, a recurring character in Star Trek, both in Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. He was fantastic in that role. Also delivered one of DS9's best one-off performances as an older Jake Cisco.

RIP

ThaVirus · 11-09-2024, 07:10 AM

Loved him in Candyman. The voice was so iconic. “Heeeleeeeeeeeennn” and “Be my victim” still give me chills when I hear it.

He was also great as Ben in Night of the Living Dead. Shame how that one turns out, always pisses me off.

69 is far too young.

Garcia Bronco · 11-09-2024, 07:20 AM

He was the Rocket Man in the Rock as well.

Cheater5 · 11-09-2024, 07:48 AM

Never saw Candyman but remember him in a few movies or TV shows here and there. Always seemed to be the bad guy, I think. Yeah, 69 is old, but not that old. Wonder why they don’t say cause of death?

Anyway— RIP.

**notorious** · 11-09-2024, 08:15 AM

He was fantastic on Star Trek.

**notorious** · 11-09-2024, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frazod

Mainly remember him as Worf's brother Kurn, a recurring character in Star Trek, both in Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. He was fantastic in that role. Also delivered one of DS9's best one-off performances as an older Jake Cisco.

RIP

The first role I think about with him.

He was great.

KC_Connection · 11-09-2024, 09:36 AM

The Visitor is one of the best ST episodes ever made.

Wallcrawler · 11-09-2024, 11:52 AM

Voiced Venom in Spider Man 2 ps5.

He was supposed to reprise the role for the Venom standalone game as well.

Sucks.

11-09-2024, 04:29 AM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-1067187	Tony Todd "The Candyman" dead at 69 years old Virginia Madsen remembers her "Candyman" co-star Tony Todd, who has died at the age of 69. "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." https://t.co/5JUNiJlwEf pic.twitter.com/Rqq5jGzGXB — Variety (@Variety) November 9, 2024 Spoiler! Tony Todd, an American actor known for leading the “Candyman” horror franchise as its eponymous hook-wielding ghost, died Wednesday at his home in Marina Del Rey, Calif. He was 69. Todd’s death was confirmed by a representative for the actor. A cause of death was not disclosed. A reliable presence in genre fare across four decades, Todd’s series of credits include iconic titles such as Alex Proyas’ comic book adaptation “The Crow,” Michael Bay’s Alcatraz actioner “The Rock” and the elaborate killing-set-piece series “Final Destination.” One of his earliest film performances came in his early thirties in Oliver Stone’s Oscar-winning war epic “Platoon.” On “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Todd donned alien make-up to play Kurn, a Commander in the Klingon Defense Force and the brother of Worf (played by series regular Michael Dorn). But Todd secured his name in the genre pantheon with his performance in Bernard Rose’s “Candyman,” an early-’90s Americanized spin on a Clive Barker short story that brought a memorable supernatural spin on themes of gentrification and racism. At a towering 6’5”, Todd played Daniel Robitaille, aka Candyman, the tortured, bee-covered ghost of an African American artist and son of a slave who was murdered for his relationship with a white woman. The film starred Virginia Madsen as a Chicago graduate student preparing a thesis on the legend of Candyman by investigating inner-city Chicago. Popular on Variety “My beloved. May you rest in power,” Madsen wrote in a post on Instagram after learning of her co-star’s death. “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.” “Candyman” positioned itself as a somewhat arty genre play, debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Midnight Madness section. Its handling of serious themes did not go unquestioned at the time, with some levying accusations that it trafficked in racist stereotypes. But the film has endured in critical and genre circles for its unblinking approach to serious matters, connecting America’s history of racism to the woes of contemporary urban life. Todd reprised his role as the sympathetic slasher several times. He returned for the 1995 sequel “Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh” (which marked an early feature for later Oscar-nominee Bill Condon), as well as Turi Meyer’s “Candyman: Day of the Dead” in 1999. After decades in development, the property was revived at Universal by director Nia DaCosta in 2021 with the simply-titled “Candyman,” which functioned as a direct sequel to the 1992 original and was co-written by DaCosta, Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld. Todd reprised his role in the new entry, which starred Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as an artist who becomes drawn into the Candyman urban myth. Born Dec. 4, 1954 in Washington, D.C., Todd studied at the University of Connecticut for two years before shifting to the Eugene O’Neill National Theatre Institute. Trained for the stage, Todd would practice playwriting himself and teach it to high school students in Hartford. He would go on to originate the title role of August Wilson’s “King Hedley II” with productions in Pittsburgh, Seattle and Boston. His performance “was a memorable tour-de-force,” Variety wrote in a review at the time. Among Todd’s credits, totaling well above 200, the actor had a recurring role on “Boston Public” and made guest appearances on “Law & Order,” “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “The X-Files,” “Smallville,” “Psych” and “24.” He often voice-acted too, playing The Fallen in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” Zoom in The CW’s “The Flash” and, most recently, Venom in Insomniac’s PlayStation smash “Spider-Man 2.” He starred in the 1990 remake of “Night of the Living Dead” and was one of the few actors to recur in the “Final Destination” franchise, which would often kill off all its new characters by the end of each of its entries. Todd never stopped working, often lending his gravitas and genre reputation to direct-to-video thrillers over recent years. His profile on IMDb currently lists more than nine titles that have entered post-production. Todd is survived by his two children, Alex and Ariana. Last edited by Tribal Warfare; 11-09-2024 at 04:40 AM..
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11-09-2024, 04:33 AM	#2
BlackHelicopters Spiraling down the Drain Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Dante's Ninth Circle Casino cash: $1020588	Never heard of this person. __________________ "We're both part of the same hypocrisy, Senator, but never think it applies to my family." "Fredo. You are my brother, and I love you. But never take sides against the Family again. Ever." 2019 Adopt a Chief - Travis Kelce #87
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11-09-2024, 04:37 AM	#4
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11-09-2024, 05:15 AM	#6
493rd GDT Contributor Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: * Casino cash: $970400	Dang, RIP. Candyman is a cult classic for horror fans; really underrated and often overlooked imo. He was also in some of the Final Destination flicks. Todd had a helluva voice.
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11-09-2024, 06:02 AM	#7
Jewish Rabbi What's up braj? Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Placencia, Belize Casino cash: $133250	Lmao 69
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11-09-2024, 06:54 AM	#8
Frazod WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $1143385	Mainly remember him as Worf's brother Kurn, a recurring character in Star Trek, both in Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. He was fantastic in that role. Also delivered one of DS9's best one-off performances as an older Jake Cisco. RIP
Posts: 120,316	5 0

11-09-2024, 07:10 AM	#9
ThaVirus Grand champ Join Date: Sep 2007 Casino cash: $102369	Loved him in Candyman. The voice was so iconic. “Heeeleeeeeeeeennn” and “Be my victim” still give me chills when I hear it. He was also great as Ben in Night of the Living Dead. Shame how that one turns out, always pisses me off. 69 is far too young.
Posts: 45,645	1 0

11-09-2024, 07:20 AM	#10
Garcia Bronco No Keys, No Problem Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Denver Casino cash: $3413136	He was the Rocket Man in the Rock as well.
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11-09-2024, 07:48 AM	#11
Cheater5 Veteran Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Folly Beach, SC Casino cash: $3207550	Never saw Candyman but remember him in a few movies or TV shows here and there. Always seemed to be the bad guy, I think. Yeah, 69 is old, but not that old. Wonder why they don’t say cause of death? Anyway— RIP.
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11-09-2024, 08:15 AM	#12
notorious Supporter Join Date: May 2005 Location: Who knows? Casino cash: $945884	He was fantastic on Star Trek.
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11-09-2024, 09:36 AM	#14
KC_Connection Perpetual Mediocrity Join Date: Jan 2006 Casino cash: $3452783	The Visitor is one of the best ST episodes ever made.
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11-09-2024, 11:52 AM	#15
Wallcrawler How tall is this thing? Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Ground 0 for enema of US. Casino cash: $3682912	Voiced Venom in Spider Man 2 ps5. He was supposed to reprise the role for the Venom standalone game as well. Sucks. __________________ If shit could shit, it still wouldn't be as shitty as this sig.
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