‘Candyman’ Star Tony Todd Paid $1K Per Bee Sting For Classic Horror Film

The horror film Candyman was released 30 years ago, with leading actor Tony Todd reflecting on the film in a new interview. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, the veteran actor shared details of his contract, which allowed an estimated $1,000 per bee sting while on set.

“The bees were the worst nemesis,” recalled the 67-year-old talent.

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“I had a great lawyer at the time and we got paid,” Todd explained. “So I didn’t mind it, I’m going like, ‘Bring it on!’ And it only totaled to 27 [stings].”

He continued to detail, “It could have been worse if it were not for an unusual object repurposed just for the scene. We had a dental dam so they couldn’t go further down [my mouth].”

Virginia Madsen, who also starred in the film as Helen, shared her experience with the bees on set as well. Her extreme allergy to the insect caused apprehension.

“But the bees that were on me were baby bees so they can sting but they said they are less likely to,” she shared after expressing her lack of confidence in on-site paramedics. “Then you had to sit for a good 20-25 minutes while [the bee wrangler] vacuums them off you.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Todd discussed the personal impact of starring in Candyman.

“It was well worth it and not just the bonus check, but being one of the first African Americans in a horror film that does not enslave us,” he remarked. “When I first read it, I looked for those traps. I wanted to make sure that if you’re going to be one of the first significant Black actors in a horror film, you better make sure that it’s complete, that it tells a story from beginning to middle and end, and that’s what I saw in the script.”

Candyman was given two sequels, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh in 1995, and Candyman: Day of the Dead in 1999. The classic story was reimagined by Nia DaCosta in a history-making Candyman issued in 2021.

Marsden did not play a role in either of the 1990s-era sequels, however she reprised her role of Helen with a voiceover in the contemporary film. Todd, however, played Candyman in every installment.

Watch the trailer for the 2021 version of Candyman below.

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