Today marks the 70th birthday of actor Tony Todd, who died on Nov. 8. A genre staple whose hundreds of credits included “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Platoon” and the “Final Destination” series, Todd was best known for his performance in writer-director Bernard Rose’s 1992 horror film “Candyman,” which he led as the eponymous hook-wielding ghost. Here, Todd is remembered by his co-star, Virginia Madsen, who recounts meeting the actor for the first time, their yearslong friendship and how they made the decision to return for director Nia DaCosta’s franchise revival in 2021.
My husband Nick worked with Tony on a movie in 2008 and I recently asked him what he remembered about Tony. He said Tony was so kind and generous, which is something you always hear about him. And one day he went up to Nick and said, “This is your first movie, isn’t it?” And Nick said, “Yes, it is. Do you have any advice?” And Tony said, “Stillness is power.” And it’s so true, because you look at the greatest actors, and they do stillness so beautifully. It’s the reason we lean in. Tony had that in his personal life and onscreen.
I believe Tony is one of the iconic greats, up there with Dracula — and when you think about the power they have, it’s not strength. It’s seductive and romantic and draws you in. On top of that, he had the most beautiful voice. He could just say “Hi,” and it would resonate through your whole body. I remember when “Candyman” came out some people asked me what they did to his voice to make it so smooth and powerful. I was like, “No, it’s just like that!”
I first met Tony at a lunch. I was originally going to play Helen’s best friend, Bernadette. Bernard’s wife at the time, Alexandra Pigg, was going to play Helen. But she got pregnant and they felt it was too grueling for her, so I stepped in as Helen. I think this lunch was a kind of chemistry read, or maybe we were just meeting because we were going to go through a lot together. He walked in and he was so tall and handsome and he had that wonderful smile. And I just knew he was 100 percent the right guy. And he was so kind. He could have dismissed me as some little starlet, but he treated me like an equal from the start.
Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen in ‘Candyman’ (1992)
©TriStar Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
We started prepping right away and we had to learn about bees — and I’m allergic to bees. But, in a strange way, that made me grow up not afraid of them because I knew all the protocols. But I think Tony was secretly scared of them. And at this training, he realized he would have to have them in his mouth and he really didn’t like that. He said he put it in his contract that he would get $1,000 for every bee string. He might have been exaggerating but he once said, “Virginia, I made such bank just by getting stung.”
We had an idea. We were working on something special at the time. In fact, it was the first time on a set I wasn’t allowed to take photos. I usually put together scrapbooks but I wasn’t allowed. It’s too bad because I don’t have many photos of us together. But there was an energy, a feeling that this would affect people. I remember, after “Candyman” came out, I ran into him in Hollywood and we decided to step into Musso & Frank to get a drink. We sat down and the whole room went silent. One guy’s eyes went as wide as saucers.
He had a great, sly sense of humor. I remember someone on set mentioning he played Wharf’s brother on “Star Trek” and he said, “No, that’s not me, that’s my twin brother.” Now, I am gullible but he’s also such a convincing actor that for years I thought he had a twin brother. Like, when I saw him, I would ask about how his brother was doing! It was only years later, thanks to Google probably, that I realized it was a joke. I mentioned this at a convention one time and how he tricked me. He just smiled slyly and said something like, “That’s not how I remember it.”
There was always talk of us working together or doing the origin story of these characters. One of the reasons “Candyman” is so powerful is that people loved and cared about the characters. They were invested in this story. In a way, our friendship was a love story of its own. To get to start out with someone you respect and appreciate so much and remain in touch with years later — it’s a rare thing in this business.
It was so wonderful we got a bit of a bonus round when [producer] Jordan Peele wanted us to be involved with the reboot and wanted to use Tony and use my voice. We spoke to one another and agreed that we would have to see a script. Because it’s part of our legacy, we wanted to protect and honor it. He took that very seriously and I would not have done it if he hadn’t. And Jordan was so respectful. He said “Candyman” was the movie that wanted to make him a filmmaker. So it was a decision we made together.
I know Tony will be remembered as a great actor, and it made me so happy to see people celebrating his career outside of “Candyman.” They talked about his work on Broadway and his love for theater and all his amazing voice work. He’ll also be remembered as a beautiful human being. I remember we’d be at a convention and people would see him and scream and run away. But he always got a kick out of it. He appreciated those fans in a way some people don’t and he was always up for posing for photos with the hook. People speak to him and they’ll all walk away saying, “What a great guy.” So, it’s likely he will always be remembered best as “Candyman.” And I think that would be alright with him. And I will always be proud to have been his Helen.
