Tony Todd’s Million-dollar Strategy To Create Venom’s Voice For Spider-Man 2 Will Even Inspire Tom Hardy
- Tony Todd crafted Venom's voice for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 by studying the character through comics.
- Unlike Todd, Tom Hardy created Venom’s voice by drawing inspiration from his dog and mixing elements of hip-hop artists.
- Known for iconic roles in movies, shows, and games, Todd’s work also extended beyond acting into community service.
It is always a difficult task to portray iconic characters on screen, especially if the fans of that character are familiar with his on-paper dialogs but nobody knows for certainty how he should sound. However, it looks like Tony Todd mastered the art of voice acting, giving life to many characters with his deep, resonant voice.
Todd took on the challenge of portraying Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Although the earlier adaptations of the antihero had their own sound and approach, Todd’s unique approach might surprise even Tom Hardy.
How Tony Todd Crafted Venom’s Voice
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was released on October 20, 2023, on PlayStation 5. According to Sony Interactive Entertainment, Spider-Man 2 became the fastest-selling PS Studios game in PS history in 24 hours. The game features Venom as the villain/antihero of the title superhero.
Tony Todd made significant contributions to the entertainment and gaming industry in his long career, and one of his major recent contributions came in with his portrayal of Venom in the game. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Todd revealed his approach toward the character.
The first thing I did when I got the job, I went to Golden Apple (comic book store in Los Angeles) and said, “Give me your best 20 Venom books.” That was my foundation, just getting the different visual aesthetics of it. I didn’t want to hear any voice samples, so I avoided the movies. I just wanted to make it my own. And then with help of the whole Spider-Man 2 staff, we were able to nail it down.
Todd’s methodical work resulted in one of his most extensive voice-acting projects. This role demanded more recording sessions than any other role he had ever done. On the other hand, Tom Hardy, who portrayed Venom in the films, adopted a different approach.
In an interview with Jake’s Takes, Hardy shared that he actually based Venom’s voice on his dog and hip-hop artists. He said,
I used that voice for my dog, when I’m doing impressions of my dog talking to me, like at home…sort of a variable a variant of that and that’s kind of a mixture of Busta Rhymes and Method Man and James Brown a little bit of Richard Burton.
Todd said in his The Hollywood Reporter interview that he “wanted to make him (Venom) more human than just a character.” Todd worked along with Spider-Man 2 development staff and came up with a balance between chaos and control that made his Venom scary yet compelling.
Tony Todd Says Goodbye at 69
Tony Todd sadly passed away on November 6, 2024, at the age of 69. The reasons for his death are still not confirmed. However, his fans will continue to remember him for his varied range of work and contributions.
Many of his fans might be aware of the fact that Todd was quite into gaming. In his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he revealed,
I always go to NBA 2K. Right now, I’m digging the Mamba Moments in 2K24. Otherwise, one of my favorite games is Persona 5.
Todd also “spent a whole six months playing Final Fantasy VII” with his son when he was young. His career as a voice actor in video games too was commendable. Apart from Venom, Todd voiced in famous franchises like Call of Duty and Half-Life.
He also gave life to Darkseid in various DC animated movies, voiced Zoom in CW’s The Flash, and portrayed The Fallen in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. However, Todd’s work did not end with the recording booth alone.
He was involved in various social work, provided acting seminars for needy children, and participated in gang outreach programs. In an interview with The Guardian, Todd said,
I’ve done 200 movies, this is the one that stays in people’s minds. It affects people of all races. I’ve used it as an introductory tool in gang-intervention work: what frightens you? What horrible things have you experienced?
From his first movie acting credit in Sleepwalk, released in 1986, to his upcoming posthumous release Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Todd’s almost 40 years of work in shows, movies, and games will keep on inspiring the upcoming generation of artists.
