Actor Tony Todd, renowned for his iconic role in the Candyman horror films, has passed away at the age of 69.
Over his 40-year career, Todd portrayed the ghostly character of Candyman in the horror series. Candyman, known for having a hook for a hand, could be summoned by saying his name five times in front of a mirror. Todd originated the role in the first film released in 1992 and continued to play Candyman in sequels released in 1995 and 1999. He reprised his role in 2021 for a fourth film that serves as a direct sequel to the original.
Todd took on the iconic role of Daniel Robitaille, better known as Candyman—a tragic figure shrouded in mystery and pain. As a tortured ghost adorned with swarming bees, Candyman embodies the legacy of an African American artist and son of a slave, whose life was brutally cut short because of his forbidden love for a white woman.
The film features Virginia Madsen as a determined graduate student in the bustling city of Chicago. She immerses herself in the haunting legend of Candyman, delving deep into the heart of inner-city Chicago to uncover the chilling truths within the urban folklore surrounding this sinister character.
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In an Instagram post Madsen revealed her love for her former co-star; “My beloved. May you rest in power sweet to the sweet in heaven. The great actor Tony Todd has left us and now is an angel. As he was in life. More later but I can’t right now. I love you. #candyman”
Todd made a return to the iconic horror franchise in the 1995 sequel, ‘Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh,’ followed by his appearance in Turi Meyer’s ‘Candyman: Day of the Dead’ in 1999. After a lengthy period of development that spanned decades, Universal Pictures breathed new life into the series with the 2021 film ‘Candyman,’ directed by Nia DaCosta. This latest instalment acts as a direct sequel to the haunting original from 1992, and it was co-written by the talented trio of DaCosta, Jordan Peele, and Win Rosenfeld. In this fresh revival, Todd reprises his role, joining a new cast led by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who portrays an artist drawn into the chilling and mysterious world of the Candyman urban legend, exploring themes of legacy, identity, and the power of storytelling.
Before his role in ‘Candyman,’ one of Todd’s earliest film appearances was as Sergeant Warren in the 1986 war drama ‘Platoon.’ He subsequently starred in hundreds of films, stage productions, and television dramas, including roles in the ‘Transformers’ and ‘Final Destination’ franchises.
