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The leadman behind the Candyman horror franchise, Tony Todd, passed away on Wednesday, November 6, aged 69. His death was confirmed by his representative, who also revealed that he died in his Marina Del Rey, California, residence. The cause of death was not disclosed at the time of writing this article.
Tony Todd was best known for his lengthy acting credits that spanned 40 years. Born on December 4, 1954, Todd starred in numerous hit films and television series, including 21 Jump Street, Night Court, Jake and the Fatman, Law & Order, NYPD Blue, Beverly Hills 90210, She Wrote, Xena: Warrior Princess, and more.
He was best known for playing the ghost Daniel Robitaille in the 1992 horror film Candyman. The movie follows Robitaille, who becomes an accomplished painter after his parents are enslaved in the 1800s.
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He proceeds to fall in love with a white woman whose father sends a lynch mob after him to kill him, subsequently leading to a series of unexplained murders occurring in the area where he was murdered.
A sequel directed by Nia DaCosta made it to theaters in 2021 as well.
As per Celebrity Net Worth, Tony Todd boasted a net worth of four million dollars by July 17, 2024.
Tony Todd appears to have made most of his fortune through his acting career
The Washington, D.C.-born actor started his professional acting career in the mid-1980s after graduating from the Eugene O’Neill National Actors Theatre Institute and Trinity Rep Conservatory. His first jab at acting was through the role of Sergeant Warren in the Oliver Stone-directed Platoon.
Tony Todd acted both in the theaters and on screen. Some theater productions he starred in included King Hedley II, The Captain’s Tiger, No Place to be Somebody, Othello, Zooman and The Signe, Aida, Levee James, and Dark Paradise, among others.
Not only was he known for taking on the role of Daniel Robitaile in the horror film, but he also took on other horror film roles, including home owner William Bludworth in Final Destination and its multiple sequels. He also starred as Grange, the right-hand man of Top Dollar, in the 1994 film The Crow, which also starred Brandon Lee.
Speaking about taking on eerie roles throughout his career, Todd said in a 2022 Deadline interview:
“You gotta have audience sympathy for the character in some way or another. There’s gotta be something attractive about the character that makes people want to root for them but at the same time feel repulsed by the idea. And for me personally, for every film that I do, I create a backstory for all my tortured people and my heroes alike.”
Some other movies Todd starred in included Murder-Set-Pieces, The Prophecy: Forsaken, Minotaur, Shadow: Dead Riot, Hatchet, Dark Reel, Bryan Loves You, The Graves, Are You Scared 2, Penance, and Nite Tales: The Movie, among others.
Adding to his lengthy resume, Tony Todd also voice-acted in several video games like Legend of Dragon, Star Trek: Elite Force II, Dota 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Back 4 Blood, and more.
His Candyman co-star Virginia Madsen took to Instagram to pay tribute to Todd. She wrote in the caption:
“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.”
Tony Todd is survived by his children Alex and Ariana.
