Tony Todd, the actor renowned for his leading part in the Candyman horror series, has passed away at the age of 69.
The father of two succumbed to natural causes at his residence in Los Angeles on Wednesday evening.
He was featured in the Final Destination and Transformers franchises, in addition to portraying Commander Kurn of the Starship Enterprise on various Star Trek installments throughout his four-decade career.
Todd also made appearances in films such as The Crow, Night of the Living Dead, and The Rock. He had a flourishing career on stage as well, including a stint in the Broadway musical Aida.
Tony Todd in May. Pic: Albert L Ortega/Shutterstock
Born in Washington, D.C., in 1954, one of his early breakthrough roles was in the 1986 Oliver Stone war film Platoon, featuring Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, and Johnny Depp.
However, it was his portrayal of the spirit of a 19th-century American slave in Candyman in 1992 that propelled him to stardom. He also starred in two sequels: Candyman: Farewell To The Flesh in 1995 and Candyman 3: Day Of The Dead in 1999.
Todd reprised the iconic role in 2021 for a film co-written by Jordan Peele.
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Virginia Madsen, his co-star from the horror series, honored Todd in a video shared on Instagram, stating: “I don’t know what to say right now.”
In her accompanying caption, she expressed: “My beloved. May you rest in strength, sweet to the sweet in heaven. The remarkable actor Tony Todd has departed, and now he is an angel. Just as he was in life. More will come, but I cannot right now. I love you.”
In a subsequent post, she described Todd as a “truly poetic man” who possessed “a kind heart with a profound appreciation for the arts”.
Referring to the Candyman film, she noted: “I will miss him immensely and hope he visits me from time to time. But I will not call on him in the mirror!”
Todd’s manager, Jeff Goldberg, also paid tribute, stating: “What an incredible individual; I will miss him every single day.”
