Angus Scrimm

Angus Scrimm
Scrimm in November 2011
Born
Lawrence Rory Guy

(1926-08-19)August 19, 1926
Kansas City, Kansas, U.S.
DiedJanuary 9, 2016(2016-01-09) (aged 89)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Southern California
Occupations
  • Actor
  • author
Years active1973–2016

Angus Scrimm (born Lawrence Rory Guy; August 19, 1926 – January 9, 2016) was an American actor, author, and journalist, known for his portrayal of the Tall Man in the 1979 horror film Phantasm and its sequels.

Early life

Scrimm was born in Kansas City, Kansas, to Alfred David and Pearl Guy.[1] Scrimm graduated from the University of Southern California, where he majored in drama.[1]

He was originally a journalist and wrote and edited for TV Guide, Cinema Magazine, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner and many other publications. He also worked for Capitol Records, writing liner notes for many LPs and CDs for artists ranging from Frank Sinatra to the Beatles, as well as Arthur Rubinstein and Itzhak Perlman.[2] Scrimm won a Grammy (credited as Rory Guy, as were his early film roles) for his liner notes to the 1974 album Korngold: The Classic Erich Wolfgang Korngold.[1]

Career

Scrimm had several minor supporting roles in the early 1970s before being cast as the Tall Man, the chief villain in Don Coscarelli's independent horror film Phantasm (1979). Scrimm stood approximately 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m).[1] To appear even taller when playing the Tall Man, he wore suits that were several sizes too small and platform shoes.[citation needed] His Phantasm role led to a steady acting career in horror films, as well as theater and television. Scrimm had a recurring role as an SD-6 agent on Alias.[3]

Death

On January 9, 2016, Scrimm died at the age of 89 in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California.[3]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1973 The Severed Arm Mailman Uncredited
1973 Sweet Kill Henry As Rory Guy
1973 Scream Bloody Murder Doctor Epstein As Rory Guy
1976 Jim the World's Greatest Jim's Father As Rory Guy
1977 A Piece of the Action Monk As Lawrence Guy
1979 Phantasm The Tall Man As Angus Scrimm
1980 Witches' Brew Carl Groton
1984 The Lost Empire Dr. Sin Do/Lee Chuck
1986 Chopping Mall Dr. Carrington As Lawrence Guy
1988 Phantasm II The Tall Man
1989 Transylvania Twist Stefan/The Tall Man
1990 Subspecies King Vladislas
1992 Mindwarp The Seer
1993 Deadfall Dr. Lyme
1994 Munchie Strikes Back Kronas
1994 Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead The Tall Man
1997 Wishmaster Narrator
1998 Phantasm IV: Oblivion The Tall Man
2004 The Off Season Ted
2005 Masters of Horror: Incident On and Off a Mountain Road Buddy
2006 Automatons The Scientist
2006 Satanic Dr. Barbary
2008 I Sell The Dead Doctor Quint
2009 Hollywood Horror
2009 Satan Hates You Dr. Michael Gabriel
2012 John Dies at the End Father Shellnut
2014 Disciples Winston
2015 Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story Percy Angus Scrimm
2015 Tales From Beyond The Pale Podcast: The Tribunal of Minos Theodore Dade Voice Actor
2016 Phantasm: Ravager The Tall Man Released posthumously
2017 Dances with Werewolves Neumann Released posthumously

References

  1. ^ a b c d Leovy, Jill (January 13, 2016). "Angus Scrimm dies at 89; cult horror icon starred in 'Phantasm' movies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
  2. ^ Barton, Steve (August 23, 2012). "Angus Scrimm Talks I Sell the Dead, a New Phantasm, His Violin Playing, and More". Dread Central. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  3. ^ a b Collis, Clark (January 10, 2016). "Phantasm star Angus Scrimm dies at 89". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
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