Farewell Candyman: Horror icon Tony Todd dies aged 69

Tony Todd, the star of the Final Destination films, Night of the Living Dead, The Rock, and best known for his title role in the Candyman horror films, has died aged 69.

He died “peacefully” at his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, as confirmed by Todd’s rep.

In his four-decade career and more than 200 acting credits to his name on the big and small screen, he will be remembered for many memorable roles, including Platoon and roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. He also had a successful career on stage, including Broadway productions of The Captain's Tiger, Othello and the musical Aida, among many others.

Born in Washington DC in 1954, the actor became a household name and a horror genre icon for his role in 1992’s Candyman, in which he played the titular hook-wielding spirit of a 19th-century American slave. Based on Clive Barker’s "The Forbidden", Candyman propelled him to fame. He also starred in two sequels - 1995's Candyman: Farewell To The Flesh and Candyman 3: Day Of The Dead in 1999. Todd returned to the role in 2021 for Nia DaCosta’s Candyman, which co-written by Jordan Peele.

Virginia Madsen, his co-star in the horror series, paid tribute to Todd in a video posted on Instagram, saying: "I don't know what to say right now."

In her caption, she wrote: "My beloved. May you rest in power sweet to the sweet in heaven. 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."

In a later post, she called Todd a "truly poetic man" who had "a gentle soul with a deep knowledge of the arts".

Referencing Candyman, she said: "I will miss him so much and hope he haunts me once in a while. But I will not summon him in the mirror!"

Tony Todd – 1954-2024