By Angus Scrimm, the actor best know for portraying The Tall Man in the Phantasm films, died yesterday in Los Angeles. He was 89 years old. Phantasm director Don Coscarelli emailed the following statement to Entertainment Weekly:
Angus Scrimm passed away peacefully tonight surrounded by his friends and loved one. [His] performance as the Tall Man is a towering achievement in horror film history. He was the last in a long line of classic horror movie stars. He was a terrific actor and an even better friend. He will be missed.
Scrimm (who was 6’4″, in case you were wondering) worked as a journalist and editor at various publications before becoming an actor. He’s best known as playing the otherworldly mortician in the Phantasm series, though he appeared as a character actor in a number of other genre films and TV shows.
The Phantasm series has always been a personal favorite since discovering the first two movies in high school on VHS. I wish I’d had an opportunity to meet Angus Scrimm at a convention. As Michael Gingold of Fangoria notes, Scrimm was funny, kind, and a true gentleman. In Fangoria’s obituary, there are a few great anecdotes about Scrimm joking around and just plain being a good person.
Flixist sends our condolences to his family and loved ones.
[via Entertainment Weekly, Fangoria]