Tony Todd, the horror icon known for his roles in the Candyman movies and Final Destination franchise, died at age 69. The actor passed away in his Marina del Rey home in Los Angeles on Novemeber 6, 2024. According to TMZ, Todd died of natural causes.
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Several outlets also confirmed the news following his death. According to the New York Post, Jeffrey Goldberg - who also spoke with TMZ -, Todd's manager, confirmed the news to them. "I regretfully can confirm that my dear friend and client of over 30 years, Tony Todd has passed away," Goldberg said. "What an amazing man and I will miss him every single day."
The news shook the entertainment media as several fellow celebrities mourned Todd's passing. In a heartfelt Instagram post, Virginia Madsen who played Helen Lyle in the Candyman movies, expressed her love for Tony Todd. "My beloved. May you rest in power sweet to the sweet in heaven," she captioned the video. "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."
Fans were quick to react to the news, paying tributes to the actor. "This hurts so much. We lost such a wonderful gentleman. Our Candyman is gone," said one fan. "You both are so good in that movie. One of the best horror movies ever made and Tony as Candyman was bone chilling," wrote another user. A third one said: "I will watch this tonight again in his honor. He will always be our Candyman."
Remembering Tony Todd
Born in Washington, D.C. in 1953, Tony Todd went on to study theater at the Eugene O'Neill National Actors Institute and the Trinity Repertory Company. Thanks to his work on his craft, he was able to quickly establish a film legacy that spanned many iconic films, television series, theatre productions, and even voice acting.
His acting debut would be as Barrington Rutley III in Sara Driver's, Sleepwalk in 1986. However, in the same year, he went on to play Sargeant Warren in the Academy-award-winning Platoon, which established him as a Hollywood star. He went on to play iconic roles in movies such as George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, The Crow, The Rock, and television series such as 21 Jump Street, Matlock, Law & Order, and The X Files, among many others.
His legendary status will come from two movie franchises: Candyman and Final Destination. In the first, he would play Daniel Robitaille, also known as Candyman, Candyman's main antagonist. In Final Destination, Todd played William Bludworth, owner of Bludworth Funeral Homes, making appearances in Final Destination, Final Destination 2, Final Destination 5, and the yet-to-be-released Final Destination: Bloodlines.
He is survived by his two daughters.
