'Candyman' and 'Final Destination' Star Tony Todd Dead at 69 After Illness

Tony Todd

Tony Todd, best known for his roles in the Candyman and Final Destination franchises, has died at age 69.

Todd died on Wednesday, November 6, at his home in Marina del Rey, California, after a long illness, which his wife, Fatima, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. Further details about Todd’s health condition have not been publicly shared.

“The industry has lost a legend. We have lost a cherished friend. Rest in peace, Tony,” New Line Cinema, which produced Final Destination, wrote via Instagram on Friday, November 8.

Todd is survived by his wife and their two children, Alex and Ariana.

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The legendary character actor has appeared in the likes of Beverly Hills, 90210, Night of the Living Dead, Platoon, The Rock and more.

“I’m a character actor. So my goal in life is to make sure each job is different from the last, which goes back to my theater training,” Todd told MovieWeb in a 2023 interview, promoting his appearance in All Gone Wrong. “This one really struck a chord. And I love working with independent filmmakers. They are the future.”

He added, “All films are a collaboration. You hire talent and directors. He has a floor plan and a doorway entry, but it’s up to the actor to embellish characters.”

Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen

For Todd, he always enjoyed “playing a kaleidoscope of characters.”

“That’s why you’ll never see me on a TV series. I can’t. I don’t want to be the same guy every week,” he quipped to the outlet. “The world is vast and complex, a kaleidoscope of different kinds of people. That’s all I want to plug into. Which is why my first love is theater. Theater is where I started. I have a master’s in theater. That’s what I love doing.”

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Todd had also told MovieWeb that it was difficult to pick one standout moment in his career because “you can’t put one child above the other.”

“There are more memorable moments. I’ll never forget my first film [Platoon], which was flying to the Philippines working with Oliver Stone, and that wonderful cast, becoming lifelong friends with Forest Whitaker and Keith David,” he recalled last year. “So that’s the standout and of course, Candyman. You know, one secret to longevity, and people don’t understand it, if you are honored to be selected in the film, why not become friends with people that are involved? You’ll find I do a lot of repeat business with some of my favorite directors in the world.”