From The Vault - Debut Film Roles Of Today's Horror Icons - Episode 1

Everyone always seems to be into those "Before They Were Stars" type shows, so I thought it would be cool to start a new little series on here where i'd find the earliest film or television roles, be it as a mere extra or an actual supporting role, of popular genre actors and upload the clips, pictures, and info here for all to see. I already did a piece about the early horror film roles of todays established mainstream stars here, but now let's take a look at the first on screen appearances of todays favorite horror actors!

In this premiere episode were gonna head into our time machines and travel all the way back to 1986 for Tony "Candyman" Todd's feature film debut!



While Todd's debut was actually alongside a young Steve Buscemi in a little known 1986 film called Sleepwalk, which is not even available on DVD, we're gonna take a look at his second role as Sgt. Warren in Oliver Stone's war epic Platoon, six years before his breakout performance as the hook handed bee spewing title character in Candyman!



While morphine addicted Sgt. Warren is mostly a background character, Todd does get a few lines to speak and he even gets to play with a little of the red stuff of which he would become so accustomed to in future roles. About an hour into the film, Warren is shot in the stomach by enemy fire and is later seen being helicoptered out of the war zone. Yes, folks, Tony Todd is one of the few to survive Vietnam! It should also be noted that an important scene of character development where Warren shoots up morphine was intended on being in the film, but didn't make the cut. Had this scene been in, he probably would have been a more stand out character. Instead, his morphine addiction is only really alluded to.

Check out Tony Todd in action in Platoon! Other than this scene, his only spoken words in the movie are "roger that."



Some of Todd's other early acting roles were in a 1987 episode of the television series 21 Jump Street, again alongside Platoon co-star Johnny Depp, and perhaps his second most memorable performance in the lead role of Tom Savini's 1990 Night of the Living Dead remake.

Leave comments and let me know what horror genre actors early works you'd like to see profiled in future From The Vaults!