Tony Todd asked to return for horror sequel Final Destination: Bloodlines, which served as his final film role.
The actor commanded a 40-year career on our screens with unforgettable roles in Candyman, Night of the Living Dead, Colors and more before his death in November 2024, at the age of 69.
He had previously been diagnosed with stomach cancer but vowed to return as funeral home owner William Bludworth in the most recent Final Destination sequel – having appeared in four of the previous instalments.
Speaking to Metro ahead of the release, directors Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky revealed that Todd was ‘very clear’ that they shouldn’t ‘write him out over his health battles.
Unpacking those poignant scenes, Stein explained that they wanted to ‘give him a proper goodbye’, so asked him to forget the script for his last moments in front of the camera.
‘When he came to set, there was a hush that fell over everyone,’ the filmmaker told us. ‘It was such an honor to be able to work with him.
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‘He was sick, even at the time that we were writing and starting to shoot this movie, and we didn’t know if he would be able to participate. But Tony was very clear that he needed to be in this movie, and we better not write him out.
‘He was so excited when he got there. He was just so full of joy, he loved working with the rest of the cast, he loved bringing Bludworth back after so many years. But at the same time, his mortality, his situation, was hanging over everything.
‘It was very important to us to give him a proper goodbye in this film, because we didn’t know it would be his last film, but we were pretty sure it would be his last Final Destination film, because these movies take years to make.
‘In that moment where he’s saying goodbye to the characters in the scene, we asked him to put away the script and to just speak from the heart about what all this has meant. What is life all about? What does death mean?
‘[We said] “Talk from your heart, Tony, to the audience. What do you want to what do you want to leave your fans with?”
‘The take that’s in the movie is him speaking impromptu and really sharing his thoughts on life. I think that’s why it’s so emotionally impactful.’
Todd had become a staple of the franchise following his appearance in the first Final Destination movie, in 2000, and would regularly explain the mystery behind Death’s design– as well as offer advice on how to survive.
Without giving too much away about Bloodlines, those trying to outwit Death flocked to Bludworth’s workplace where he revealed that he was sick, and was retiring to enjoy his final days.
‘I intend to enjoy the time I have left. And I suggest you do the same,’ he said. ‘Life is precious. Enjoy every single second. You never know when…Good luck.’
Unsurprisingly, Todd’s castmates only had beautiful memories of sharing the set with the horror legend for the brief scenes.
Kaitlyn Santa Juana, who led the cast as Stefani Reyes, recalled: ‘I was so nervous to meet him that day, because you know him as Candyman, as this horror icon. So you’re like, “How is this person going to act in real life? Who is this person? He’s so scary.”
‘He was huge in real life, he really is that tall. But he’s the loveliest. My interactions with him, I’ll take those with me through the rest of my career. He is so kind, so lovely and so genuine, so thoughtful and caring.
‘He felt like a big, warm hug around everybody all at the same time. I think that’s the best I could describe it.’
Richard Harmon, who played Erik Campbell, added: ‘Goosebumps literally from the second he walked in. I think we all knew it was probably a hard time for Tony, but he came in with a smile on his face every day, and he just kept reminding us to have fun.
‘He was such a legend.’
Final Destination: Bloodlines is in cinemas now.
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