In 2000, Final Destination landed in cinemas, bringing a mix of disaster and destruction to the horror genre. The film – about a group of high school students who cheat death, only to find it coming back for them in unexpected ways – was directed by James Wong, proved to be a huge hit with audiences, and kick-started a very successful horror movie franchise.
If you’ve not watched the film yet, or any of its sequels, then you really should check it out. Final Destination, as well as its follow-ups, is a whole heap of fun, not to be overlooked.
Now, when it arrived, Final Destination starred a cast of young actors, many of whom were appearing on television shows or other films at the time of the movie’s release; including Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith, Seann William Scott, and Brendan Fehr. However, one of the most recognisable faces to appear in the movie belonged to horror legend, Tony Todd, who is perhaps best known for playing Candyman in the Candyman movie series.
Todd didn’t take a huge role in Final Destination; but he did pop up in the form of a small cameo. However, his part proved significant as he provided a few hints about the sinister side of the story, and was important enough to come back for the sequel.
In fact, Todd didn’t just come back once, he came back multiple times. Of all the actors to appear in the Final Destination franchise, Todd has appeared the most, essentially becoming the consistent face of the series.
But how many times does Tony Todd appear in the Final Destination films? Answer: Perhaps more than you remember.
Tony Todd plays a role in four of the Final Destination movies: Final Destination (2000), Final Destination 2 (2003), Final Destination 3 (2006), and Final Destination 5 (2011). The only film he does not appear in, is The Final Destination (2009) aka Final Destination 4.
With regards to Final Destination, Final Destination 2, and Final Destination 5, Tony Todd appears on-screen, playing the role of coroner, William Bludworth. In the movies, Bludworth has a detailed knowledge of fate and death, and comes to represent a sort-of all-knowing ‘Grim Reaper’ figure in the films.
However, it should be noted that his role is largely ambiguous across the series, so he is not actually depicted as a hero or a villain in the movies. His intimate knowledge of life and death suggests he is possibly supernatural, or at the very least he knows more than most mortals, but there is no clear explanation for who he is or how he comes to know such things.
As for Todd’s part in Final Destination 3, he does not appear on-screen, but instead takes a voiceover role, which can be heard twice: Once linked to a devil on a rollercoaster ride, and once on a subway train. Both voices are implied to be from the same entity, which in itself is thought to be Death or the Devil.
However, once again this is all ambiguous. While the audience can hear Todd’s voice, it is implied that it could be a voice which only the lead character of Final Destination 3 (Wendy Christensen) can hear.
But regardless of who he really is, Todd is the longest-serving actor to appear in the Final Destination movies. This is because the majority of the characters who are featured in the series tend to be killed off with each new entry, and he plays the only notable character not to die on screen.
So, next time you watch the Final Destination movies, be sure to keep an eye (or an ear) out for Tony Todd. He’ll be there, lurking in the shadows.
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about the Final Destination movies – I hope it has proved useful. For more posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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