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 1970's before being cast as the Tall Man, the chief villain in Don Coscarelli's independent horror film Phantasm (1979). Scrimm stood approximately 6 feet and 4 inches (1.93 meters).[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 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[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | The Severed Arm | Postal deliverer | Uncredited |
| Sweet Kill | Henry | As Rory Guy | |
| Scream Bloody Murder | Doctor Epstein | ||
| 1976 | Jim the World's Greatest | Jim's Father | |
| 1977 | A Piece of the Action | Monk | As Lawrence Guy |
| 1979 | Phantasm | The Tall Man | |
| 1980 | Witches' Brew | Carl Groton | |
| 1983 | 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 | |
| 1994 | Munchie Strikes Back | Kronas | |
| Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead | The Tall Man | ||
| 1997 | Wishmaster | Narrator | |
| 1998 | Phantasm IV: Oblivion | The Tall Man | |
| 2004 | The Off Season | Ted | |
| 2006 | Automatons | The Scientist | |
| Satanic | Dr. Barbary | ||
| 2008 | I Sell the Dead | Doctor Quint | |
| 2009 | Hollywood Horror | ||
| 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 |
| 2016 | Phantasm: Ravager | The Tall Man | Released posthumously |
| 2017 | Dances with Werewolves | Neumann |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Quincy, M.E. | 2nd Executive | Episode: "Gone But Not Forgotten" |
| 2000 | Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction | Pete Ringwald | Episode 22 |
| 2001–2005 | Alias | Clive McCullough | 6 episodes |
| 2005 | Masters of Horror | Buddy | Episode: "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" |
| 2011 | Femme Fatales | Dr. Chandler | Episode: "The Clinic" |
Audio drama[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Tales from Beyond the Pale: The Tribunal of Minos | Theodore Dade |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Leovy, Jill (January 13, 2016). "Angus Scrimm dies at 89; cult horror icon starred in 'Phantasm' movies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ Thebellefromhell (March 29, 2010). "Angus Scrimm Talks I Sell the Dead, a New Phantasm, His Violin Playing, and More". Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved on August 19, 2021.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Collis, Clark (January 10, 2016). "Phantasm star Angus Scrimm dies at 89". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on January 10, 2016.
External links[]
- Angus Scrimm at Wikipedia
- Angus Scrimm at the Internet Movie Database
- The Phantasm Archives – Unpublished Interview from 1992
- Phantasm website – Official Phantasm Website
- Phantasmagoria at Fear Carnival
- Angus Scrimm Talking Tall at Total Sci-Fi Online
- Angus Scrimm at Find a Grave
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