Stargate SG-1: “The Fourth Horseman, Part 2”
Veteran actor Tony Todd has passed away at the age of 69, leaving behind an astounding film and television legacy.
Deadline reports that Todd died at his home in Los Angeles on November 6. A cause of death has not been revealed, his wife Fatima told The Hollywood Reporter that his death came after a long illness.
Todd was a phenomenal performer with a distinctive voice, who brought a depth and gravitas to his characters in what seemed to be an effortless way. He was born in Washington, D.C., in 1954, and studied acting at the Eugene O’Neill National Actors Theatre Institute before working at Connecticut’s Hartman Conservatory and the Trinity Repertory Company in Rhode Island.
His body of work stretches more than 250 projects nearly 40 years, beginning with the 1986 film Sleepwalk. He then played a drug-addicted soldier in Oliver Stone’s Oscar-winning Platoon. Perhaps his best-known (and most creepy) role on the big screen was the title character in the horror flick Candyman, which helped make him an icon in the horror genre. He returned to the role in director Nia DaCosta’s 2021 sequel. Other horror credits include the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead, and the Final Destination film series.
Tony Todd as Kurn (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
On television Todd established himself as a versatile guest performer throughout the 1980s and 90s, with appearances on such shows as 21 Jump Street, MacGyver, Night Court, Jake and the Fatman, Law & Order, and The X-Files.
His turn to science fiction came when Todd was cast as Worf’s Klingon brother Kurn on Star Trek: The Next Generation. In addition to reprising the character on Deep Space Nine, Todd also played an older Jake Sisko in the memorable DS9 episode “The Visitor.” Later he played a Hirogen warrior on Star Trek: Voyager, and co-starred as Earthforce Captain Leonard Anderson in the TV movie Babylon 5: A Call to Arms (which set up the short-lived spin-off Crusade).
Stargate fans knew Todd as Lord Haikon, leader of a secretive colony of Jaffa warriors known as the Sodan. His character made his debut in SG-1‘s ninth-season episode “Babylon,” and returned for a total of three appearances.
Tony Todd as Haikon, leader of the Sodan. From “The Fourth Horseman, Part 2”
Todd’s sci-fi and fantasy work also included appearances on Xena and Hercules, Andromeda, Angel, Smallville, and Masters of Horror. He played CIA Director Graham on Chuck, and voiced The Flash antagonist Zoom — as well as Darkseid in several Superman animated projects.
The actor’s IMDb page lists nearly a dozen rumored and confirmed roles that are still forthcoming, speaking to just how prolific Todd was throughout his remarkable career.
Tony Todd is survived by his wife and two children. Our thoughts are with them in this time of grief, with gratitude for his wonderful work over many years.