Filed under: Interviews
While he's been in numerous films and has appeared on several TV series, Tony Todd will mostly be associated with the horror films he's done, such as 1980's remake of 'Night of the Living Dead,' the cult favorite 'Candyman,' and the 'Final Destination' series, where he was involved in the first three films.
The Washington, D.C. native was also the voice of The Fallen in Michael Bay's 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.'
Todd will next reprise his role as Rev. Zombie in 'Hatchet 2,' the sequel to the 2006 horror film.
Written and directed by Adam Green, the sequel picks up at the exact moment that 2006's Hatchet ends, wherein the quiet but hot-tempered Marybeth (played by Danielle Harris) is in a small boat in the Louisiana swamps, screaming for her life as she tries to free herself from the clutches of the deformed, swamp-dwelling killer Victor Crowley (played by Kane Hodder). Crowley has murdered Marybeth's family and other fellow vacationers who had come together on a tourist excursion in the swamplands outside of New Orleans.
Marybeth escapes from Crowley and manages to make it back to civilization, where she once again encounters voodoo shop proprietor Reverend Zombie (played by Tony Todd), who had helped to arrange Marybeth and company's earlier, ill-fated tour of the area. To help Marybeth and also serve his own secret agenda, Reverend Zombie recruits a hardened pack of hunters to head back into the swamp to seek revenge on Victor Crowley. Black Voices caught up with Todd as he spoke about his love for the horror genre, comin back to this slasher film, and the holdup on bringin 'Candyman' back to the screen.
You've got a new film coming with 'Hatchet 2'. What is it about the horror genre that you love doing?
Tony Todd: Well, I'm an actor and I got my master's degree in this stuff and I like getting paid. I like doing work. That's what I trained for and fortunately I'm lucky enough to keep getting asked. It's not like I wakeup everyday and say, "You know what, I need to do a horror film." Statistically it's only like forty percent of my output but it's a great ride and the fan base is really dedicated and that's always cool. When you're lucky enough to be in a good one it's fantastic.
Although you've done a lot of projects, most people are familiar with your work in thriller or horror films. Would you say that this forty percent has kept you mostly employed?
TT: Sixty percent has kept me mostly employed, thank God. No. I grew up a single kid and so my whole childhood was spent in my backyard dealing with imaginary circumstances and role playing and stuff. So as an adult the fact that I'm getting paid to do what I did as a child, not only does that keep me young at heart but keeps me energized in my life no matter what goes on politically, and globally in the world. As well as I've raised two kids; my daughter is enjoying her second year at Wesleyan. I'm really proud of that and my son is an aspiring musician. So it's a good position and all my friends have mad respect for me, all the friends that grew up with me.
What was the attraction with 'Hatcher II' that made you come back for another film?
TT: Well, when I signed up for the first one I knew the second one was going to be made which is why I took the cameo in the first one. I actually had to be convinced to do it. Monetarily people had to call and lobby me to do it because theater is my first love. So if I have a theater offer that's where I'm at. That's where I came from and it doesn't pay as much as movies and TV does but once I got to meet with Adam Green who's the director and the creator of 'Hatchet' and I saw his enthusiasm and his genuine love of the medium I was convinced. Adam can be called "a Fanboy" who actually had the chutzpa and the energy and the creativity into what he wanted to do. I have respect for that.
What do we learn about your character in the second film that we didn't get to see in the first movie?
TT: Well, I carry the narrative in this film. I mean, I'm literally in almost every frame. Adam is a genius at assembling a very eclectic group of people. Basically, I gather different swamp hunters together and we go into the Bayou to search for Victor Crowley. And from AJ Bowen to R. A. Mihailoff, some other supporting people and then I get to work with Danielle Harris and Kane Hodder again - so it's just a good time. We had an eighteen day film schedule and then another five day pickup with under a $1 million budget and I think we pulled it off. We had our debut about a month ago at Fright Fest in London with sixteen hundred screaming Brits. I'd never seen that kind of wall to wall enthusiasm.
I recently just saw you on 'The Event'. Is that a recurring role or was it just a guest spot?
TT: That's yet to be determined. We'll see. We shall see. TV's landscape has changed. If they're not satisfied with the numbers by the third episode it's gone. There's an old adage that says theater feeds the soul, movies buy the house and TV pays for the furniture. Hopefully I can get a few coffee tables.
At least you had a good run on '24.'
TT: Yeah. I don't think there's much of a comparison between 'The Event' and '24', but they're finding their way and we'll see where it goes. Right now TV is dictated by the corporate boardroom. There are people who don't even have any business being in the business that are controlling things. I don't mean to talk myself out of a job but it is what it is and I've learned the less respect that you give them the more respect that they give you.
I see that you've signed on for 'Final Destination 5?'
TT: Yes. I'm going to do 'Final Destination 5' next month. It'll be my third physical time in that movie. I did a voice over for them in the third one.
What can we expect this time? Is it going to be 3-D?
TT: 3-D, yeah. I guarantee you it'll be better than the fourth one. Our director is Steve Quale who's James Cameron's second unit director on 'Avatar' and 'Titanic'. So this is his first directing project and I think he's coming to the table with enthusiasm and energy. I know New Line, Warner Brothers plan to reboot the franchise, whatever that means, and then I'm just happy to be along for the ride. The weird thing, man, to be honest with you, I'm working on this film for weeks and I think that I have like four scenes in the movie and they're paying me a truckload of money to do it. That allows me to finance myself.
That's because your name sells.
TT: Well, I don't know if it's all that. I just think that they lost their opportunity to use me in the fourth one and they wanted to get it back.
What can we expect from your character?
TT: He's in more than one scene. I'm not supposed to talk about the film. All I can say is that the first twenty minutes is on a bus.
Did you ever think that this franchise was going to go this far?
TT: Never. Who would've thought that? I thought there would've been like six 'Candyman' by now, personally. But a film with a black lead is harder to get green lit.
Is 'Candyman' dead and buried at this point? What's the status there?
TT: I went through a period about five years ago where I never wanted to hear the name again but I've come to accept that it allows a window of dialogue particularly with young Black males in particular. I do a lot of gang intervention work and it allows me to be able to sit down and start talking. Not a day goes by when someone comes up [about it], but unfortunately 'Candyman' was a victim of greed because of the three different owners of the film. They never allowed any one party to go ahead and do another version. We all know that they will ultimately do a remake of it. The rumor that hurt me the most though was a couple of years ago, two years ago it was rumored that they were going to do it with a white actor and we all know if you did that...well, I stand by what we did. Why go that route? It's stupid, but they didn't do that. Who knows what they're going to do with it.
What's next on your plate after 'FD5'?
TT: Right after 'FD5' and I'm doing an independent film called 'Unbroken' and then I'm off for the year and then next year is a whole mystery which is one reason why I'm in this business. I know the phone will ring. You never know who it is and whether you're going to hang up or high five. Ultimately I do want to direct and hopefully I can get that off the ground. I've done a hundred films. I think I can talk to actors or at least know that the bullshit won't be tolerated.
What do you say to Black actors who get called to do horror films?
TT: I say to any Black actor to spend their time in school because that's the only actor that I can really respect. I don't really believe in reality acting. If you want to be an actor you have to pay your dues and study. Any job that you get offered is a stepping stone to the next phase of your career. I almost turned down 'Platoon' only because I was raised by a single woman and she didn't want me to go to the Philippines. I thought about it. I said, 'This is my first movie offer. I've got to do it.' I'm so glad that I did. Without 'Platoon' I wouldn't be here. Let me qualify that, I'd be in another phase. You never know how it's going to happen. You have to have ultimate belief in yourself, particularly in America in 2010.