Horror iconTony Toddhas died. Famous for his looming presence and echoing, Stentorian voice, Todd was a familiar face from his roles inCandyman,Final Destination, andThe Crow.Deadline reportsthat Todd died at his Los Angeles home at age 69.
Born in Washington DC on August 20, 2025, and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, Todd studied theater at the Eugene O’Neill National Actors Theatre Institute and Trinity Rep Conservatory. Instantly recognizable thanks to his 6'5" height and deep voice, he made one of his first screen appearances inOliver Stone’sPlatoon.
Other roles followed in films likeColors,Bird, andLean on Me. However, in 1990, Todd made his first foray into the genre that would come to define his career. He stepped intoDuane Jones' shoes as Ben, the capable, level-headed leader of a group of survivors weathering a zombie uprising inTom Savini’s 1990 remake ofNight of the Living Dead.
Who Was Tony Todd Beyond ‘Candyman’?
Todd went from character actor to horror legend when he was cast as the lead inBernard Rose’s 1992 horror movieCandyman. He playedDaniel Robitaille, a painter who was mutilated and murdered by a racist mob in the 19th century for the crime of miscegenation, only to haunt Chicago for decades thereafter as a legendary spirit. The film was a critical and commercial hit, and Todd’s haunting performance was widely praised. He went on to play the character in two subsequent sequels, and appeared inNia DaCosta’s 2021 reimagining of the franchise.
He subsequently carved out a career in horror, appearing in films likeThe Crow,Wishmaster,Hatchet, and several films of theFinal Destinationfranchise. In the latter films, he played recurring character William Bludworth, a mortician with a deep insight into the ways of death. Todd continued to appear in horror projects up to his passing; some more recent entries includeWerewolf Game,Hell Fest, and this year’sStream.
However, despite his ubiquity in the genre, Todd was not limited to horror. He was frequently seen on television, and had a number of roles in theStar Trekfranchise; they included Worf’s brother Kurn onThe Next Generation, and an aged version of Jake Sisko in the classicDeep Space Nineepisode “The Visitor”. He recurred onHomicide: Life on the Street,Chuck, andScream. His powerful voice made him an in-demand voice actor, as well; he voiced the ancient Decepticon The Fallen inTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and recently played Venom in the popular video gameSpider-Man 2.
Todd is survived by his two children and by his sister, actorMonique Dupree. He will live on whenever horror fans hear his inimitable voice, and feel a shiver up their spines. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family.
