Tony Todd, iconic ‘Candyman’ actor, passes away at 69

Tony Todd, well known for his roles in the Candyman horror flicks, died at the age of 69.

A spokesman for the actor confirmed Todd’s death. The actor did not reveal the reason for his death.

According to sources, the American actor died at his Los Angeles residence on Wednesday night.

Todd has been a consistent presence in horror films for four decades, with credits that include classic titles like Alex Proyas’ comic book adaptation “The Crow,” Michael Bay’s Alcatraz actioner “The Rock,” and the intricate killing-set-piece serial “Final Destination.” In his early thirties, he had one of his first cinematic appearances in Oliver Stone’s Oscar-winning military epic “Platoon.” Todd wore alien makeup in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” to portray Kurn, a commander in the Klingon Defense Force and Worf’s brother (played by series regular Michael Dorn).

Todd played Candyman from the initial film in 1992 to the follow-ups in 1995 and 1999, and he will return in 2021 for a fourth picture that is a direct sequel to the original.

Throughout his 40-year career, Todd appeared in hundreds of films, stage shows, and television dramas, including parts in the Transformers and Final Destination films.

Todd’s titular figure in Candyman is the spirit of artist Daniel Robitaille, a hanged black man from the nineteenth century.

In the 1992 film, a PhD student in Chicago, fascinated by the Candyman urban legend, unintentionally calls Todd’s persona to the real world, sparking a murderous spree.

Todd told the Guardian in 2019 that during the film’s iconic sequence in which Candyman is besieged by bees, he was stung 23 times and supposedly awarded a $1,000 extra each time.

In the same interview, he said of his Candyman persona, “I’ve done 200 movies, and this is the one that people remember. It affects individuals of every race. I’ve used it as an introduction to gang intervention work: What scares you? “What horrible things have you been through?”

In homage, Virginia Madsen, who played student Helen Lyle in Candyman, stated Todd “now is an angel.” As he was in life.

Todd’s legendary character returns to New Orleans in Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, a three-year sequel to the first film, where he meets a descendent of his daughter.

Candyman: Day of the Dead, the third film, debuted in 1999 and takes place in Los Angeles in 2020.

Todd and other cast members from the 1992 film returned for the 2021 release.

Todd praised the film’s director, Nia DaCosta, as “a fan of body horror” in 2020, calling it “brilliant.”.

In her dedication, Madsen complimented Jordan Peele, the film’s co-writer, for giving her and Todd the “gift” of “letting us live again as lovers.”.

Before Candyman, Todd’s first cinematic appearance was as Sgt. Warren in the military movie Platoon in 1986.