Tony Todd’s Brutally Honest Thoughts on ‘Night of the Living Dead’ Legend Duane Jones, After His Own Stellar Performance in 1990 Remake
- Tony Todd starred in the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead.
- Todd expressed great admiration for Duane Jones who starred in the original movie.
- The 69-year-old Final Destination star recently passed away.
Tony Todd was widely known for his performances in the horror genre. He starred in a variety of projects whether it was in films and television shows or the Broadway. One of his most notable projects to date remains 1990’s Night of the Living Dead, which is a remake of the 1968 movie released in the same year.
Todd played the lead role of Ben in the remake. The character was portrayed by Duane Jones in the original movie. In an interview, the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen actor was asked about his relationship with his character in the movie. While responding to the question, he also expressed his thoughts on Jones.
Tony Todd’s Honest Feelings About Original Night of the Living Dead Star Duane Jones
Tony Todd began his professional acting career in the 1980s. The first film he had a credited role in was Oliver Stone’s 1986 Oscar-winning war epic Platoon. In 1990, he landed his first leading role as Ben in the horror film Night of the Living Dead, which follows the story of seven strangers as they meet and live together on a farmhouse struggling to survive a zombie apocalypse.
The movie is one of those that is criticized upon its release initially, but eventually begins garnering more positive reviews; for instance, another horror movie, The Shining. That said, this film was also commercially unsuccessful as it earned only a little more than its production budget. This was unlike the fate of the original movie which was very profitable.
When Fangoria asked Todd about his relationship with his character Ben in the movie, he gave an insight into his true thoughts about Duane Jones- the actor who originally played Ben.
I remember seeing the original at a drive-in, and it felt like a documentary, and as an African-American, I was given hope because Duane Jones was able to create a character from beginning to middle to end without any reference to his being African-American.
As an African-American himself, it must have been a proud and hopeful moment for Todd to see Jones portray a fully developed character without any direct reference to his race. The focus of Jones’ portrayal of the character was his heroism and journey, transcending racial stereotypes.
Tony Todd Has Bid Adieu to the World at 69 Years of Age
Recently, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Todd’s wife, Fatima Todd informed that the esteemed actor passed away at the age of 69. He breathed his last at his home in Marina del Rey and died after a long illness. The exact cause of his death has not been disclosed yet.
Todd was perhaps most widely known for his role as William Bludworth in the Final Destination films. He has more than 200 film and TV credits to his name; the list includes movies like Candyman, The Crow, and Hatchet II. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his two children, Alex and Ariana Todd.
