Tony Todd, star of “Candyman,” passed away at age 69.

Tony Todd, renowned for his terrifying performance as Candyman’s title killer and his performances in numerous other iconic movies, died at the age of 69, leaving Hollywood in mourning.

 

After a protracted illness, Todd passed away at his Los Angeles home on Wednesday, leaving behind a legacy that will live on in movie history, his wife Fatima confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter.

Todd, who was born in 1954 in Washington, DC, had a career that lasted more than 40 years and featured a variety of parts that highlighted his powerful presence and rich, rich voice.

As a heroin-addicted soldier named Sergeant Warren in Oliver Stone’s Vietnam War drama Platoon, he made a significant impression right away. His resume includes notable roles as the mysterious funeral home owner William Bludworth in the Final Destination series, opposite Nicolas Cage in The Rock, and with Brandon Lee in The Crow.

With roles in popular television series like 24, The X-Files, Law & Order, and Star Trek—where he most famously portrayed Worf’s brother, the Klingon Kurn—Todd had an equally successful career. Many video game and movie characters, such as Venom in Spider-Man 2 and the antagonist in Transformers: Rise of the Fallen, were given to life by his voice.

 

But Todd’s reputation as a horror legend was solidified by the 1992 horror movie Candyman. Not only was his portrayal of Daniel Robitaille, an angry ghost with a hook for a hand who haunts a Chicago housing complex, horrifying, but it also powerfully brought racism and social injustice to light.

As part of one of the most well-known moments in the movie, Todd famously consented to a live bee torment, earning an additional $1,000 for each of the 23 times he was stung.

Candyman served as a vehicle for societal criticism in addition to being Todd’s function. He continued to influence new generations by returning to this famous figure in Jordan Peele’s 2021 revival.

Off-screen, Todd devoted his time to community service, leading gang-intervention initiatives and teaching acting classes to impoverished children.

 

Reflecting on his most iconic role, Todd once said in an interview with the Guardian: “I’ve done 200 movies, this is the one that stays in people’s minds. It affects people of all races. I’ve used it as an introductory tool in gang-intervention work: what frightens you? What horrible things have you experienced?”

As the film industry and fans worldwide remember Tony Todd, New Line Cinema expressed its condolences, stating: “The industry has lost a legend. We have lost a cherished friend. Rest in peace, Tony, -Your Final Destination Family.”