Who did Tony Todd play in The Flash? Role explored as actor dies aged 69
Night of the Living Dead star Tony Todd recently passed away on November 6, 2024, at the age of 69. The cause of death remains unknown, and the news was shared with People magazine by the actor's representative.
Todd gained recognition for his performances in various popular films and TV shows. He briefly appeared in the DC superhero series The Flash, where he voiced Zoom.
Furthermore, notable personalities from the entertainment industry took to social media platforms to express their grief over Tony Todd's sudden demise. Actress Virginia Madsen, who appeared with Todd in Candyman, posted a photo of them on Facebook. Madsen recalled the time working together and wrote:
"A gentle soul with a deep knowledge of the arts. He enjoyed the fans was never shy when it came to fans approaching, wanting photos. A rare actor who allowed himself to be open to the public attention. Wish I had seen him on the stage. I will miss him so much and hope he haunts me once in a while."
Apart from Candyman, Tony Todd was known for his appearance as William Bludworth in three films of the Final Destination franchise. Although he did not appear in the third and fourth installments, he voiced the sound of the devil on the roller coaster in Final Destination 3.
Actor Douglas Tait also shared a picture on social media, stating that he shared a close friendship with Tony ever since they collaborated on a film. He further stated:
"He was not only kind and a truly remarkable person, but also an exceptionally talented actor. The world will feel your absence, Tony. Godspeed."
Tony Todd played key role in The Flash for some time: Character and other details explained
Although the Washington D.C. native appeared in various projects over the years, he appeared for a brief period in The Flash, which aired on The CW. As mentioned, Tony Todd voiced Zoom, also known as Hunter Zolomon in the comics.
Zolomon was a meta-human living on Earth 2 who became a serial killer following the death of his parents during childhood. He obtained superhuman speed after being exposed to the electroshock therapy coming out of the dark matter from the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator explosion.
At one point, he enhanced his speed using the velocity serums, allowing him to break the dimensional barrier. He traveled to Earth-1, where he posed as a friend and mentor to Barry Allen after discovering him. Although he trained Barry to fight Zoom, his real plan was to increase Barry's speed and then take it for himself.
Tony Todd was cast in the second season of the series, and while speaking to Variety in 2015, executive producer Andrew Kreisberg stated that the character's appearance is similar to Venom from Spider-Man. He further stated:
"The Zoom outfit is much more organic than the Reverse-Flash suit. In a way, it's hard to tell if it is a suit or alive… There's no skin showing, for all you know there's a robot underneath, or dark energy."
The Flash premiered on October 7, 2014, and managed to leave an impression on critics and audiences. It continued for eight more seasons, concluding in May last year.
Tony Todd was a part of many other shows, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, where he made a guest appearance as Kurn. He voiced multiple characters for shows like Masters of the Universe: Revelation and Dota: Dragon's Blood.
He was even cast for important roles in films like The Rock, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Bulletproof 2, and more.