Tony Todd, an actor known for his roles in the films Candyman, Final Destination, and the television show Star Trek: The Next Generation, has died. He was 69.
“Regretfully, I can confirm that my friend and client of over 30 years, Tony Todd, has passed away on Wednesday November 6, 2024, peacefully at his home in Marina Del Rey,” Todd’s rep Jeffrey Goldberg said in a statement to the media. “I am lucky to have been able to work with this amazing man and I will miss him every single day.”
No cause of death was given.
Todd was born on Dec. 4, 1954, in Washington, D.C, according to his IMDb page. He studied acting at the University of Connecticut and received a scholarship to the prestigious Eugene O’Neill National Theatre Institute.
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He made his film acting debut in Sleepwalk (1986), and was best known for playing the hook-wielding, bee-covered ghost in the iconic horror film Candyman (1992) from writer-director Bernard Rose.
In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Todd said he received additional pay for each bee sting while filming Candyman.
“I negotiated a bonus of $1,000 for every sting during the bee scene. And I got stung 23 times. Everything that’s worth making has to involve some sort of pain. Once I realized it was an important part of who Candyman was, I embraced it. It was like putting on a beautiful coat,” he explained.
Despite his decades-long career, Todd said it was the role most fans associated him with.
“I’ve done 200 movies, this is the one that stays in people’s minds. It affects people of all races,” he told the outlet.
Todd also had a role in the 2021 sequel from director Nia DaCosta. He additionally appeared in the classic films The Rock (1996), The Crow (1994), Lean on Me (1989), Night of the Living Dead (1990), and Platoon.
He shifted between film and TV, and had guest roles on Boston Public (2000), The District (2000), NYPD Blue (1993), Smallville (2001), Law & Order (1990), Homicide: Life on the Street (1993), The X-Files (1993), and he played “Kurn” in multiple series from the Star Trek franchise and video games.
The actor is survived by his wife, Fatima, and two children, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
