On Nov. 6th, Tony Todd’s wife, Fatima announces the Candyman star has quietly passed away. He lost his life to a long-term illness, peacefully fading in Marina del Ray.
Tony Todd’s Early Debut
Before Tony Todd stepped into the spotlight of terror, he studied theatre for two years at the University of Connecticut. His hard work earned him a scholarship from the Eugene O’Neill National Theatre Institute. From there, he mastered adapting various character archetypes and tonal shifts. In 1986, he landed his first movie role as Barrington in Sleepwalk.
Within the same year, Todd played a serious side as Sergeant Warren for Platoon. Taking place during the Vietnam War, Warren used heroin to keep himself awake. Then in 1989, Todd went on to co-star with Morgan Freeman in the biographical drama, Lean on Me. He played Mr. William Wright, the dean of security for East Side High. Freeman played the tough-love principal, Joe Louis Clark.
Becoming One With Horror
Tony Todd grew more recognizable when he stepped into horror films. He starred in the 1990 remake of Night of The Living Dead. He played in his first leading role, Ben, who is trapped in a house with strangers. This production presented how well Todd could play from a logical to a deranged man. In the “Got That Right” scene, Ben slowly becomes maniacal while bleeding to death. He laughs and uncomfortably smiles as the radio offers advice to living residents. Scared, he tugs his tie in frustration, laughing away the pain.
Two years later, Todd’s next horror film role became his most influential and terrifying, the Candyman. Directed by Bernard Rose, Candyman used themes of segregation, interracial romance, and unworthy love. It also was one of Todd’s most dangerous roles. During “The Candyman’s Congregation” scene, he and his co-star, Virgina Madsen worked with real bees. In 2019, Todd told The Guardian refused to have bees in his mouth unless he was compensated. He got paid $27,000 for suffering from 27 bee stings.
Todd’s Voiceover Work
When Tony Todd hid away from the big screen, he lent his gracious voice to animation and video games. His first confirmed gaming voiceover was for Star Trek: Elite Force II as Korban. And for his first animation gig, Todd voiced Asaroth for Batman: The Brave and The Bold. Because of his baritone voice and ability to play evil, Todd became the main voice for DC’s Darkseid.
In His Final Moments
For the past decade, Tony Todd became heavily involved with voice acting. Marvel’s Venom grew as one of his best character voiceovers in gaming. He also reprised his role as The Candyman for Nia DaCosta’s reimagined 2021 sequel. At the time of Todd’s passing, the Final Destination 3 crew sent their condolences on New Line Cinema’s Instagram account. He was remembered for his voiceover and performance as The Devil. Todd passed away at the age of 69 and will be dearly missed.
