Tony Todd, star of Candyman, dies aged 69 | Movies

Tony Todd, the actor who performed the titular killer in basic horror movie Candyman, in addition to showing in Closing Vacation spot, The Rock and Platoon, has died aged 69.

Todd died on Wednesday at residence in Los Angeles after a protracted sickness, his spouse, Fatima, confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter on Friday.

Born in Washington DC in 1954, Todd had a whole bunch of tv and film credit to his title in a 40-year profession. One among his first roles was the heroin-addicted Sergeant Warren in Oliver Stone’s Oscar-winning battle drama Platoon; he additionally appeared in 1996’s The Rock reverse Nicolas Cage, performed funeral residence proprietor William Bludworth within the Closing Vacation spot franchise, and Grange in 1994’s The Crow, with Brandon Lee.

On tv Todd appeared in lots of standard collection, together with 24, Murder: Life on the Avenue, The X-Information, 21 Bounce Avenue, Night time Court docket, MacGyver, Matlock, Regulation & Order, Beverly Hills 90210, Xena: Warrior Princess and Homicide, She Wrote. He additionally performed a number of roles in Star Trek, most prominently because the Klingon Kurn, brother of Worf, in Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology and Deep Area 9.

He was additionally a prolific voice actor, taking part in characters within the Name of Responsibility and Half Life video games, in addition to Venom within the movie Spider-Man 2 and the villain in Transformers: Rise of the Fallen.

Within the 1992 movie Candyman, Todd performed the titular hook-handed killer, who’s summoned when somebody repeats his title 5 instances earlier than a mirror. The horror basic explored racism and social class; Todd’s character Daniel Robitaille was lynched by a white mob on the spot the place a public housing undertaking is later constructed, which he haunts.

In 2019 Todd advised the Guardian that he was paid $1,000 additional every time he was stung by a bee in one of many movie’s most well-known scene. “And I received stung 23 instances. Every thing that’s value making has to contain some type of ache.”

Todd reprised his function in Jordan Peele’s 2021 Candyman reboot.

The actor used his fame for social work, in gang outreach and placing on appearing seminars for underprivileged children. Of Candyman, he stated: “I’ve achieved 200 films, that is the one which stays in folks’s minds. It impacts folks of all races. I’ve used it as an introductory device in gang-intervention work: what frightens you? What horrible issues have you ever skilled?”

“The trade has misplaced a legend. We’ve got misplaced a cherished good friend. Relaxation in peace, Tony, -Your Closing Vacation spot Household,” New Line Cinema, which produced the horror franchise, wrote on Instagram.