Tony Todd, the star of Candyman, has tragically passed away at his home in Marina Del Rey, California, aged 69. The sad news was confirmed by one of Tony’s representatives, although no cause of death has been revealed yet.
Tony had been a familiar face in Hollywood for over four decades, featuring in major films such as Alex Proyas’ comic book adaptation of The Crow, Michael Bay’s action-packed The Rock, and the spine-chilling horror franchise Final Destination. Despite starting his acting career later in life, with his first film roles in his early thirties, Tony made a significant impact – especially with his distinctive voice.
One of his earliest roles was in Oliver Stone’s Oscar-winning war film Platoon. He also starred in Star Trek: The Next Generation as Kurn, Commander of the Klingdon Defense Force and brother to Worf, played by Michael Dorn.
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However, it was his iconic role in the early 1990s Clive Barker film Candyman that truly defined his legacy and revolutionised the horror genre. In the film, Tony portrayed Daniel Robitaille, aka Candyman, the ghost of an African American artist and son of a slave who was killed for having a romance with a white woman.
Actress Virginia Madsen co-starred alongside Tony in the film, playing a Chicago graduate student investigating the Candyman legend for her thesis, reports the Mirror US.
Virginia took to Instagram to express her sorrow over Tony’s passing, posting: “May you rest in power sweet to the sweet in heaven,” and adding, “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.”
On TV, he had a recurring role in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Kurn.
Tony previously shared how he credited his aunt Clara Elliston – who took custody of him when he was three as his mother was going through “some issues” – for putting him on the pathway to being an actor.
He moved to Hartford, Connecticut, where she worked as a maid and Clara used to bring him on cleaning jobs with her, where he would read books while she worked.
He told The Guardian: “She would bring me to some of her places, and I would stay in the library while she cleaned the house. I loved books at an early age, so I was content.”
He had a turbulent childhood, which he believed drove his career.
Tony said: “That all fuels me as an actor. Because it is part of my DNA, part of my pain, my pleasure, my intellectual zone, my comfort and my discomfort.”
Fans have also been sharing their tributes on social media with posts on X, which was formerly known as Twitter. One user commented: “Tony Todd was a titan of the horror community, and I’m not talking about his height,” while another said, “From Candyman to The Crow to Final Destination to Scream (the tv series)… what a horror legend… RIP Tony Todd.”
Another fan praised: “Tony Todd wasn’t just a great actor, who played so many great roles, who made everything he was in better just by his presence. He also made the community we have here better by his presence, always interacting with his fans and being just so positive. I’ll miss him so much.”
Tony is survived by his wife Fatima and two children, Alex and Ariana.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
