PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Friday night, November 8th, I and many others were hit with the shocking news. Tony Todd, the actor behind Candyman and friend to many fandoms, including comics, Transformers, Star Trek and gaming; passed away at the age of 69. A few of us here at PopHorror wanted to get together and share what we could to remember how this legend impacted us.
Chris Filipowicz
I have a strange connection with Tony Todd. I won’t go as far to say we were friends, that would be weird and overstating the facts. Early on in my time working here, he was one of the first people in the Twitter horror community to follow me, and was always a fun presence. He and I messaged a few times, not enough for me to say we were close, but he was so cool and supportive. One time I put myself out there and asked if he would read a researched piece I wrote regarding Candyman, black history, and the necessity of accurately portraying history through critical race theory.
Not only did he read it, which shocked me for a constantly working actor, but he shared it on his own profile and encouraged others to read it. I was at a low point and struggling physically and emotionally, and this man supported something that meant a lot to me, I was stunned and so grateful. We didn’t talk often but he was always receptive the handful of times I reached out. He was progressive, he was kind, he loved his cats and good music on vinyl; and he constantly showed a wickedly good sense of humor. I will never forget him fully embracing the meme that was the PR bungle of Sony’s “18 inches of Venom” for the Spider-man 2 Collectors Edition statue.
Jennifer Bonges
What a tremendous loss this is, the passing of a true legend Tony Todd.
Candyman is an underrated horror icon in my opinion. He played that role so eloquently that you almost forgot he was the “bad guy”. That was my first experience with Tony Todd and still one of my favorite films to this day.
He starred in many films and television shows. He always was interesting to watch, no matter the role. He is one of those actors who is just great in anything. His aura and presence, no matter the role is unmatched.
I didn’t have an opportunity to meet him, but the people I know who did, say he was good to his fans.
Great person. Great actor. Tony Todd will be missed but will live on for generations through his roles.
Craig Lucas
Tony Todd’s movies were my nightmare fuel as a kid and I loved every minute of it. Whether he was tormenting people as a mirror monster, or portraying a legendary horror movie character fighting off the living dead. He nailed each and every role he was cast in.
There aren’t many actors with as many credits as Tony Todd. He will be remembered and missed by the entire horror community.
Kenn Hoekstra
So sad to hear of the loss of Tony Todd at just 69 years old. As a kid, I think I first noticed Tony in NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1990). His performance as Ben is among the strongest aspects of Tom Savini’s remake. Soon after he would appear on Star Trek: The Next Generation as Worf’s brother, Kurn. His voice and intimidating presence in that role were unforgettable.
Around this time, the core entries in the ‘Friday the 13th‘ and ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street‘ franchises were winding down after some disappointing sequels, so CANDYMAN (1992) was a breath of fresh air for the genre. This was, obviously, in no small part due to Tony Todd’s terrifying performance in the title role.
It wasn’t long before Tony became a genre icon, and I’ve now had the privilege of enjoying more than 30 years of his work from every corner of the sci-fi and horror universe. These are great memories. Core memories. To this day, I still can’t bring myself to say “Candyman” in the mirror five times. Rest in Peace, Tony Todd. You will be missed.
PopHorror sends well wishes and warm regards to Tony Todd’s family, friends, and fans during this difficult time.
