Death is again after a new batch of unlucky individuals this week with the release of Final Destination: Bloodlines, which sadly also marks the final on-screen appearance of horror icon Tony Todd, following his passing last year.
The man who made viewers scared to say the name of Candyman five times in a mirror also appeared in five of the Final Destination films as William Bludworth, the mortician that advised each movie’s unfortunate bunch that, having cheated death, a balancing of scales by way of some wild and wonderfully grim accidents would ensue. According to producer Craig Perry, his last appearance in the role would undoubtedly be a bittersweet one for fans, but comes with an extra emotional punch thanks to the last-minute creative decision the film’s directors made in his scene.
“We all knew that he was obviously quite ill, and it was pretty clear that this was going to be the last role he would play in a movie,” Perry told Deadline regarding the actor’s final appearance in the franchise. “And the fact that it was one of the Final Destination movies made it that much more poignant.”
As a fitting departure from the legacy he’d started in the movie series all the way back in 2000, the directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein chose to let Todd truly have his moment and instead provide a deeper more meaningful insight to death that would in turn break the fourth wall and speak to the audience. “Zach and Adam, our directors, they made a very shrewd decision to take the last couple of lines that were scripted and say, ‘Tony, just say what you would want to say to the fans. What would you like to impart to them in this moment?’” Perry recalled. The result leads to more of a heartfelt goodbye from a screen legend.
“So, everything that makes that scene so emotional is authentic because that was just Tony talking through the camera to the very fans who supported him for so many years. So, it was a very magical moment on set. It was an impactful moment, and it’s one I’ll take with me until I go to the grave.”
You’ll be able to see Tony Todd’s last time on screen when Final Destination: Bloodlines arrives in theaters on May 16. Check out our list of the best horror films ever (some of which he appears in) here.
