Tony Todd, best known for his role in the iconic 1992 horror film Candyman, has died at the age of 69.
The late actor passed away at his home in Marina del Rey on Wednesday, November 6 after a long illness, his wife, Fatima, told The Hollywood Reporter.
His representative Jeffrey Goldberg told TMZ that Tony died of natural causes, but he did not disclose his exact cause of death.
With a career spanning four decades, Tony also starred in the Transformers and Final Destination franchises.
New Line Cinema, which produced the Final Destination film series, paid tribute to Tony on Instagram following the news of his death.
“The industry has lost a legend. We have lost a cherished friend. Rest in peace, Tony, -Your Final Destination Family,” the post read.
His Candyman co-star, Virginia Madsen, shared a short video on Instagram, holding back tears as she struggled to express her grief.
“I just found out about Tony. I don’t know what to say right now… I will say more about my beloved Candyman,” she said, thanking fans for their “kind wishes”.
She expressed a similar sentiment in the video’s caption, writing: “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.”
© Getty ImagesTony also made several appearances on the small screen, landing roles in Charmed, 24, The X-Files, 21 Jump Street, Law and Order, Boston Public, Smallville, Beverly Hills 90210, Xena: Warrior Princess, and Murder, She Wrote.
He also played the Starship Enterprise’s Commander Kurn on multiple Star Trek shows, including The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.
However, it was his role as the hook-wielding killer in Candyman – and its follow-ups Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995), Candyman 3: Day of the Dead (1999) and Candyman (2021), that resonated most.
© Jellystone/Kobal/Shutterstock“I’ve done 200 movies; this is the one that stays in people’s minds. It affects people of all race,” he previously said. “I’ve used it as an introductory tool in gang-intervention work: what frightens you? What horrible things have you experienced?”
Tony was born on December 4, 1954, in Washington, D.C. but moved to Connecticut when he was three years old to be raised by an aunt.
“My mother was going through some issues. So, the family intervened,” he once explained to the Guardian.
© Albert L. Ortega/Shutterstock“And, you know, my mother has no memory of it to this day, and I respect her as the woman who birthed me. But, you know, I’m also glad that my aunt intervened and put me on the right path.”
His aunt nurtured his interest in acting and he went on to study for two years at the University of Connecticut before getting a scholarship for the Eugene O’Neill National Theatre Institute.
He made his film debut in 1986’s Sleepwalk and earned over 200 TV and film credits throughout his career.