Tony Todd, veteran actor behind the ‘Candyman’ horror movie franchise and more, dies at 69

(CNN) – Tony Todd, the actor who played the eponymous phantom killer in the original Candyman horror franchise and other notable roles, has died at 69.The news was confirmed to CNN on Saturday by Todd’s talent agent, Dede Binder, of the Defining Artist agency. No additional details on the actor’s death were immediately available.Related Stories Todd was best known for his portrayal of Daniel Robitaille, also known as the Candyman, a killer who is summoned by saying his name five times in front of a mirror.Todd portrayed the character, originally based on a 1985 Clive Barker short story, in the original film franchise starting with the 1992 movie, and reprised the role in the 2021 reboot directed by Nia DaCosta.The actor’s second-ever screen credit was the character Warren in the Oliver Stone movie Platoon, which won Best Picture at the 1987 Academy Awards. Other notable film roles for Todd came in Clint Eastwood’s 1988 Charlie Parker biopic Bird, 1989’s Lean on Me and The Rock from 1996.But Todd made his mark primarily in the horror genre playing the character of Bludworth in the Final Destination franchise and appearing in movies like Night of the Living Dead from 1990, The Crow...