Tony Todd, Candyman Star and Star Trek TV Veteran, Dead at 69
Veteran actor Tony Todd, who played the titular villain in the Candyman horror movie franchise, has died at the age of 69.
Todd died Wednesday at his Los Angeles home, our sister site Deadline reports. No cause of death has been officially released.
Todd had memorable roles in films like the 1986 Oscar winner Platoon and a 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead before starring in the 1992 horror classic Candyman, playing the bloodthirsty ghost of a murdered Black man who wore a hook for a hand and terrorized a Chicago public housing project. (He went on to play Candyman again in a number of sequels, including 2021’s Candyman, produced by Jordan Peele.) His other film credits include The Crow, The Rock and the Final Destination series.
On the small screen, Todd played Worf’s brother Kurn in three episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, later reprising the role in an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He also recurred as reporter Matt Rhodes on Homicide: Life on the Street and played CIA director Langston Graham on Chuck, along with roles on 24 and Stargate SG-1, among others. More recently, he provided the voice of sinister speedster Zoom on The CW’s The Flash.
“You remember this moment… You remember this line,” The Flash‘s Teddy Sears posted in an Instagram tribute to Todd. “The way it sounded — that metallic, demonic voice somewhere between a snarl and a growl, deep and gravely and gruff. Eyes roll to black. The line is delivered. “You can’t. Lock up. The darkness… There is no Zoom without that voice, and there is no voice without the iconic Tony Todd. You were one of a kind. Flash fans remain in your debt.”
Star Trek’s official Facebook page also remembered the actor, writing, “StarTrek.com is deeply saddened by the loss of Tony Todd, whose contributions to the Star Trek franchise will never be forgotten.”
He skipped death so many times. You know it’s gonna come for him. Has he not seen Final Destination?
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I kid. R.I.P
Fantastic actor.
“We’re mercenaries and mercenaries get paid, NOW I WANT MY F’N MONEY!”
Sad. He was one of a kind.
RIP Tony Todd. Thank you for all your work. You made Zoom one of the most fearsome villains in DCTV live-action in The Flash. My condolences to his family and loved ones.
Tony Todd. Tony Todd. Tony Todd… it didn’t work. So it is a sad day after all. RIP, Tony :(
I keep seeing obits mentioning his turn as Kurn in Star Trek… but everyone knows his best appearance was as adult Jake Sisko in “The Visitor.”
He was a great actor I enjoyed watching him in Candyman I will be praying for his friends and family.
RIP Candyman.
Sad to hear this – great actor. And younger than I thought. I mostly knew him from Star Trek. In addition to Kurn, he also gave a beautifully heartbreaking performance as an older Jake Sisko in one of DS9’s best episodes. RIP.
He also played an Alpha Hirogen on Voyager, in the episode Prey.
Horror legend.
On the local news, they said his wife had revealed he died after a long illness. I met Tony Todd at a convention in 2006. Very nice man.
Magnificent actor and will be greatly missed RIP sir
He also played Cecrops in the Xena Warrior Princess episode, The Lost Mariner. A man who had been cursed to sail the seas until he learned an important lesson about love.
That was the first time I saw him! And it’s one of my favorite episode.
May he rest in peace
I really liked Tony Todd and all his work. He will be surely missed and people don’t mention he was in The Witcher with Henry Cavill.
Gonna miss his character in many many more films..
Rest easy Tony…
I thought death replaces life let’s do on his life, what an iconic face like Freddy Tony Todd will live in horror infamy.
I was lucky enough to meet him in person . He gave both my husband and I autographed photo. Very nice man. Great actor and person. You will be missed.
I remember watching Tony Todd as Candy Man as a young boy. He scared me the daylights out of me. I’m 50 now and still a fan Mr. Todd you sir are The King Of Fright. You will truly missed on and off the screen.
Besides starring in Deep Space 9’s The Visitor (one of the great Star Trek episodes of all time of any series, and his performance is a major reason why), Todd also co-starred with Christopher Reeve in the Black Fox series of tv movies about half-brothers who move West after the Civil War (I think they’re still on tubi). He was a horror and science fiction legend, but a Quick Look at his filmography, and all the roles he played that we forgot about it because he worked so often, he could do anything. I saw him on stage twice and he was incredible. Also, he was the voice of Zoom on The Flash, but I don’t think he was ever credited on screen for it. They didn’t need to. Everyone knew it was him.
Enjoyed watching him in Star Trek NG and DS9. I thought he had such a distinctive voice that made his role even better. So young I pray Gods mercy and love surround his family and friends. RIP.