Legendary horror actor Tonny Todd dies at 69.

Tony Todd, best known for his role in the “Candyman” horror film series, has passed away at the age of 69. 

The American actor died at his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, according to reports.

Todd portrayed the title character in the horror series, which features the ghostly figure Candyman, who has a hook for a hand and can be summoned by saying his name five times in front of a mirror. 

He starred in the original film released in 1992 and continued his role in sequels released in 1995 and 1999. 

Todd also reprised the role in 2021 for a fourth film that serves as a direct sequel to the original.

Throughout his 40-year career, Todd appeared in hundreds of films, stage productions, and television dramas, including roles in the “Transformers” and “Final Destination” franchises.

 In “Candyman,” Todd’s character is the ghost of an artist named Daniel Robitaille, a Black man who was lynched in the 19th century. 

The 1992 film depicts how his character is accidentally summoned to the real world by a graduate student in Chicago who is intrigued by the urban legend of the Candyman, leading to a series of tragic and violent events.

In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Todd recalled a famous scene in which Candyman is swarmed by bees. 

During filming, he was stung 23 times and reportedly received a $1,000 bonus for each sting. “Everything that’s worth making has to involve some sort of pain,” he remarked.

In the same interview, Todd shared his thoughts on the lasting impact of his character, saying, “I’ve done 200 movies, but this is the one that stays in people’s minds. 

It affects people of all races. I’ve used it as an introductory tool in gang intervention work: what frightens you? What horrible things have you experienced?”

Virginia Madsen, who starred as graduate student Helen Lyle in “Candyman,” paid tribute to Todd, saying he “now is an angel, as he was in life.” 

She described him as a “truly poetic man” with “a deep knowledge of the arts.” 

Madsen expressed how much she would miss him and added, “I hope he haunts me once in a while, but I will not summon him in the mirror!”

The sequel to the original film, “Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh,” released three years later, features Todd’s iconic character returning to New Orleans, where he meets a descendant of his daughter. 

The third instalment, “Candyman: Day of the Dead,” was released in 1999 and set in Los Angeles in 2020. 

Todd, along with other cast members from the original film, reprised their roles in the 2021 iteration.

In 2020, Todd referred to that version of “Candyman” as “brilliant,” attributing praise to director Nia DaCosta for being “a fan of body horror.” 

Madsen, as part of her tribute, acknowledged the “gift” that co-writer Jordan Peele had given her and Todd by allowing them to “live again as lovers.” 

Before his role in “Candyman,” one of Todd’s earliest film appearances was in the 1986 war drama “Platoon,” where he played Sgt. Warren.

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