The world of horror lost another iconic face this weekend as Phantasm's Angus Scrimm, better known in the films as The Tall Man, died on Saturday aged 89.
Scrimm, born Lawrence Rory Guy in 1926 in Kansas City, Kansas, studied theatre at USC in Los Angeles, originally intending to forge an early career as an actor. But after failing to find much work in the field, he switched to journalism, writing for the likes of TV Guide and the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. He also penned liner notes for Capitol Records, producing copy for acts such as The Beatles and Frank Sinatra, winning a grammy for his work.
He got his acting break in 1972's Sweet Kill, but it was landing a role in J_im, The World's Greatest_ that would turn his life around, as the collaboration with writer/director Don Coscarelli led to his casting as villainous icon The Tall Man in 1979's Phantasm. It launched a regular gig, with franchise entries arriving in the 1980s and 1990s, and a fifth, Phantasm: Ravager, due for release this year. The performance also spurred a healthy genre career for Scrimm featuring appearances in films including Chopping Mall, Deadfall, Wishmaster, Satanic, I Sell The Dead and John Dies At The End. On TV, he made several appearances on Alias thanks to J.J. Abrams' love of the Phantasm films and his character, and a restoration of the original, spurred by the Force Awakens director, is due in cinemas later in 2016.
“Angus Scrimm passed away peacefully tonight surrounded by his friends and loved one,” Coscarelli wrote on Facebook. "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."