Celebrity deaths can hit us hard and fast, as no one was likely expecting legend Tony Todd to pass away so suddenly at age 69. Voicing Venom in Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Todd’s likely most recognized performance is his role in the Candyman film series. The 1992 classic might have been one of the first horror films many have ever watched, with Tony leaving a notable and respected impression in the horror community. In other words, his character might have been in your nightmares as a child!
“Crap, this hurts. Candyman was one of my first scary movies…,” says the top comment in a subReddit post covering Tony Todd’s death. “Rest in peace, Candyman aka. Mr. Todd. A true star and gentleman of the horror community, who will be missed,” echoes another.
Insomniac Games Senior Community Manager tweeted to X their sad condolences for the loss of an “incredibly kindhearted soul.”
“Tony Todd was such an actual gem of a human. Last year, he was so eager and willing to do some fun stuff with us to hype up MSM2. He improvised recordings and made our Comic Con experience *that* much more fun for us. The world lost an incredibly kindhearted soul today.”
While Candyman might have been Tony Todd’s most notable acting performance, many might also recall his role as William Bludworth in the Final Destination franchise. He also appeared in several Star Trek episodes, as well as other video games, such as the abovementioned Spider-Man 2 and Half-Life Alyx, among others. These include Layers of Fear 2, Back 4 Blood, Star Trek Online, Dota 2, and several more.
Some have compared Tony Todd to Lance Reddick, someone with “one-of-a-kind talent” who left a strong impression wherever he appeared. For the horror community, he worked hard to leave his mark across dozens of scary movies and various series, including Night of the Living Dead, The X-Files, 24, and many, many more.
It goes without saying that Tony Todd will be greatly missed, and his performances can never be replaced. Of course, with AI these days, some studios might attempt to replicate his likeness in future films or video games, but hopefully, it doesn’t come down to that. Many actors have strongly spoken against AI replication after one’s death, such as Robert Downey Jr., who claimed he was willing to sue executives from the dead who attempted to copy him.
Instead, it would be better for Tony Todd’s Candyman to remain as a horrifying yet cherished nightmare in our dreams, an individual who’ll go down in history as one of the legends in horror classics. And for video game enthusiasts, who’ve likely heard his iconic voice once or twice, Todd will certainly be someone who none of us will ever forget.
