Angus Scrimm
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.
Angus Scrimm | |
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![]() Scrimm in November 2011 | |
Born | Lawrence Rory Guy August 19, 1926 Kansas City, Kansas, U.S. |
Died | January 9, 2016 89) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged
Alma mater | University of Southern California |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1973–2016 |
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. 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 of prostate cancer 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 | |
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
- Leovy, Jill (January 13, 2016). "Angus Scrimm dies at 89; cult horror icon starred in 'Phantasm' movies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
- 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.
- Collis, Clark (January 10, 2016). "Phantasm star Angus Scrimm dies at 89". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
External links
![](../I/Wikiquote-logo.svg.png.webp)
- Angus Scrimm at IMDb
- Angus Scrimm at AllMovie
- The Phantasm Archives Unpublished Interview from 1992
- Phantasm website
- PHANTASMAGORIA
- Totalscifionline.com