Angus Scrimm obit

Angus Scrimm dead: Phantasm star was 89

 

He was not on the list.

Angus Scrimm, the veteran character actor best known for playing the terrifying “Tall Man” in the Phantasm horror franchise, has died at the age of 89. His other credits included the 2008 film I Sell the Dead, the TV show Alias — on which he had a recurring role — and the spooky audio play series Tales From Beyond the Pale.

EW was informed of Scrimm’s death by his friend and longtime collaborator Don Coscarelli, who directed Scrimm in 1979’s Phantasm and its three subsequent sequels, among other projects.

Scrimm was born Lawrence Rory Guy in Kansas City, Kansas, and studied theater at USC in Los Angeles. However, he found it difficult to make a living as an actor and instead spent years working at Capitol Records where he wrote the liner notes for an array of musical acts, including Frank Sinatra and the Beatles.

Scrimm first worked with Coscarelli on the 1976 film Jim, the World’s Greatest but it was his menacing character in the Phantasm series which elevated the actor to the status of a genuine, and much beloved, genre icon. Scrimm recently reprised the role of the Tall Man again in a fifth film, Phantasm: Ravager, which is set for release later this year. Fans will also soon be able to see the actor in a restored version of the franchise’s first film overseen by Star Wars director, and diehard Phantasm aficionado, J.J. Abrams.

“Angus Scrimm passed away peacefully tonight surrounded by his friends and loved one,” Coscarelli wrote, via email. “[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.”

Actor

Joe Hollow in The Devil's Disciples (2024)

The Devil's Disciples

9.1

Winston

Azazel

2024

 

Dances with Werewolves (2017)

Dances with Werewolves

5.6

Neumann

2017

 

A. Michael Baldwin, Reggie Bannister, and Angus Scrimm in Phantasm: Ravager (2016)

Phantasm: Ravager

4.9

The Tall Man

2016

 

Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story (2015)

Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story

4.7

Percy

2015

 

Disciples (2014)

Disciples

2.3

Winston - Azazel

2014

 

The Trick Is the Treat

5.8

Short

1

2013

 

Clancy Brown, Paul Giamatti, Glynn Turman, Rob Mayes, and Chase Williamson in John Dies at the End (2012)

John Dies at the End

6.3

Father Shellnut

2012

 

Tanit Phoenix in Femme Fatales (2011)

Femme Fatales

5.9

TV Series

Dr. Chandler

2011

1 episode

 

Tales from Beyond the Pale (2010)

Tales from Beyond the Pale

6.0

Podcast Series

The Grandfather

2010

1 episode

 

Satan Hates You (2010)

Satan Hates You

4.0

Dr. Michael Gabriel

2010

 

Spaceman on Earth (2009)

Spaceman on Earth

7.7

Short

Mr. Grouch

2009

 

Ron Perlman, Eileen Colgan, Larry Fessenden, Joel Marsh Garland, James Godwin, Dominic Monaghan, Angus Scrimm, John Speredakos, Brenda Cooney, and Daniel Manche in I Sell the Dead (2008)

I Sell the Dead

6.0

Dr. Quint

2008

 

Michelle Belegrin in Red 71 (2008)

Red 71

7.7

Coroner

2008

 

Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead - Deleted Scene (2007)

Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead - Deleted Scene

Video

The Tall Man

2007

 

Christine Spencer in Automatons (2006)

Automatons

4.5

The Scientist

2006

 

Robert and Theresa

5.6

Short

William

2006

 

Satanic (2006)

Satanic

3.0

Dr. Barbary

2006

 

Hollywood Horror (2005)

Hollywood Horror

6.3

2005

 

Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! (2004)

Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!

6.4

TV Series

Magistrate (voice)

2005

1 episode

 

Masters of Horror (2005)

Masters of Horror

7.4

TV Series

Buddy

2005

1 episode

 

Jennifer Garner in Alias (2001)

Alias

7.6

TV Series

Calvin McCullough

2001–2005

6 episodes

 

The Off Season (2004)

The Off Season

2.8

Ted

2004

 

Coupling (2003)

Coupling

3.6

TV Series

Manny

2003

1 episode

 

Michael Galeota, Courtnee Draper, Theo Greenly, and Jermaine Williams in The Jersey (1999)

The Jersey

7.2

TV Series

Merlin

2003

1 episode

 

Legend of the Phantom Rider (2002)

Legend of the Phantom Rider

4.8

Preacher

2002

 

Justin Berfield and Steve Borden in The Nightmare Room (2001)

The Nightmare Room

7.1

TV Series

Fate Master

2001

1 episode

 

FreakyLinks (2000)

FreakyLinks

7.9

TV Series

Wilson Ashcroft

2001

1 episode

 

Bel Air (2000)

Bel Air

7.2

Photographer

2000

 

Phantasm: Deleted Scenes (1999)

Phantasm: Deleted Scenes

Video

The Tall Man

1999

 

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (1997)

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction

7.9

TV Series

Pete Ringwald (segment "The Gravedigger's Nemesis")

1999

1 episode

 

Angus Scrimm in Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998)

Phantasm IV: Oblivion

5.5

The Tall Man

1998

 

Wishmaster (1997)

Wishmaster

5.8

Narrator (voice)

1997

 

Talisa Soto in Vampirella (1996)

Vampirella

3.3

Video

High Elder

1996

 

Bone Chillers (1996)

Bone Chillers

7.2

TV Series

Hobo

1996

1 episode

 

Fatal Frames (1996)

Fatal Frames

4.0

Man in Grey

1996

 

Munchie Strikes Back (1994)

Munchie Strikes Back

3.2

Kronas

1994

 

Angus Scrimm in Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994)

Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead

6.0

The Tall Man

1994

 

Nicolas Cage, Michael Biehn, and Sarah Trigger in Deadfall (1993)

Deadfall

4.0

Dr. Lyme

1993

 

Loni Anderson, Andrew Stevens, and Jamie McEnnan in Munchie (1992)

Munchie

3.5

Undertaker

1992

 

Mindwarp (1991)

Mindwarp

5.2

Seer

Systems Operator

1991

 

Anders Hove in Subspecies (1991)

Subspecies

5.5

Video

King Vladislav

1991

 

The Nutt House (1989)

The Nutt House

7.2

TV Series

Grim Reaper

1989

1 episode

 

Transylvania Twist (1989)

Transylvania Twist

5.3

Stefen

1989

 

James Le Gros, Paula Irvine, and Angus Scrimm in Phantasm II (1988)

Phantasm II

6.4

The Tall Man

1988

 

Chopping Mall (1986)

Chopping Mall

5.6

Dr. Carrington (as Lawrence Guy)

1986

 

Persis Khambatta and Stuart Whitman in First Strike (1984)

First Strike

4.4

Soviet Destroyer Captain (uncredited)

1984

 

Pernell Roberts in Trapper John, M.D. (1979)

Trapper John, M.D.

6.6

TV Series

Bum (as Lawrence Guy)

1984

1 episode

 

The Lost Empire (1984)

The Lost Empire

4.7

Dr. Sin Do

Lee Chuck

1984

 

Walt Disney in The Magical World of Disney (1954)

The Magical World of Disney

8.3

TV Series

Elias Disney (as Lawrence Guy)

1981

1 episode

 

Lana Turner in Witches' Brew (1980)

Witches' Brew

4.3

Carl Groton (as Lawrence Guy)

1980

 

Salvage 1 (1979)

Salvage 1

7.4

TV Series

NASA Doctor (as Lawrence Guy)

1979

1 episode

 

Angus Scrimm in Phantasm (1979)

Phantasm

6.6

The Tall Man

1979

 

Secrets of Three Hungry Wives (1978)

Secrets of Three Hungry Wives

5.3

TV Movie

Man Guest (as Lawrence Guy)

1978

 

Project U.F.O. (1978)

Project U.F.O.

7.1

TV Series

Malan (as Lawrence Guy)

1978

1 episode

 

Jack Klugman in Quincy, M.E. (1976)

Quincy, M.E.

7.3

TV Series

2nd Executive (as Lawrence Guy)

1978

1 episode

 

James Earl Jones, Bill Cosby, Sidney Poitier, Denise Nicholas, and Tracy Reed in A Piece of the Action (1977)

A Piece of the Action

6.4

Monk (as Lawrence Guy)

1977

 

Jim, the World's Greatest (1975)

Jim, the World's Greatest

5.7

Jim's Father (as Rory Guy)

1975

 

Life or Death - EMT First Responders

Short

Ghost #2 (uncredited)

1973

 

Scream Bloody Murder (1973)

Scream Bloody Murder

4.7

Dr. Epstein (as Rory Guy)

1973

 

Sweet Kill (1972)

Sweet Kill

4.9

Henry (as Rory Guy)

1972

 

Abraham Lincoln

6.3

Short

Abraham Lincoln

1951

 

Thanks

Mikhail Bondarev, Yaroslav Kozak, Leonid Syplyi, Kirill Mieliekiestsev, and Kostiantyn Bakkansky in Vedro (2013)

Vedro

3.8

TV Series

in memory of

2017

1 episode

 

Dear Angus (Tribute to the Tall Man) (2017)

Dear Angus (Tribute to the Tall Man)

Video

dedicated to

2017

 

Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories (2016)

Volumes of Blood: Horror Stories

4.1

for

2016

 

A. Michael Baldwin, Reggie Bannister, and Angus Scrimm in Phantasm: Ravager (2016)

Phantasm: Ravager

4.9

dedicated to the memory of

2016

 

No Sleep TV3 (2015)

No Sleep TV3

9.6

TV Series

in memoriam

2016

1 episode

 

House of Good and Evil (2013)

House of Good and Evil

5.1

thanks

2013

 

Pat Healy, Sara Paxton, Brenda Cooney, and Lena Dunham in The Innkeepers (2011)

The Innkeepers

5.5

special thanks

2011

 

Phantasmagoria (2005)

Phantasmagoria

7.5

Video

special thanks

2005

 

Self

Phantasm Panel: Texas Frightmare Weekend 2015

Video

Self

2015

 

The Ball Is Back! The Making of Phantasm II

7.9

Self

2013

 

Phantasm III: Behind the Scenes (2007)

Phantasm III: Behind the Scenes

Video

Self

2007

 

Scare Me: Behind the Screams

(voice)

2007

 

Working with a Master: Don Coscarelli

6.2

Video

2006

 

Phandom

7.3

Video

Self

2005

 

Phantasmagoria (2005)

Phantasmagoria

7.5

Video

Self

2005

 

Phantasm: 1999 Introduction by Angus Scrimm (1999)

Phantasm: 1999 Introduction by Angus Scrimm

Video

Self

1999

 

Bob Burns, Daniel Roebuck, and Chuck Williams in Halloween... The Happy Haunting of America! (1997)

Halloween... The Happy Haunting of America!

7.0

Self

1997

 

The Famous Monsters 1993 World Convention Souvenir Video (1993)

The Famous Monsters 1993 World Convention Souvenir Video

Video

1993

 

VideoZone (1989)

VideoZone

5.8

TV Series

Self

1991

1 episode

 

The Dead Beat Volume 1

Video

Self

1990

 

Archive Footage

Phantasm Lives

The Tallman (archive footage)

In ProductionTV Series

 

Brandon Tenold in Brandon's Cult Movie Reviews (2011)

Brandon's Cult Movie Reviews

8.9

TV Series

The Tall Man (archive footage)

2023

1 episode

 

Cinemassacre's Monster Madness (2007)

Cinemassacre's Monster Madness

8.8

TV Series

The Tall Man (archive footage)

2019

1 episode

 

Phantasm Extinction (2017)

Phantasm Extinction

3.8

The Tallman (archive footage)

2017

 

Dear Angus (Tribute to the Tall Man) (2017)

Dear Angus (Tribute to the Tall Man)

Video

The Tall Man (archive footage)

2017

 

Tall Tales

Video

Self (archive footage)

2017

 

Tanit Phoenix in Femme Fatales (2011)

Femme Fatales

5.9

TV Series

Dr. Chandler (archive footage, uncredited)

2011

1 episode

 

Monsters Gone Wild! (2004)

Monsters Gone Wild!

4.3

Video

(archive footage)

2004

 

Boogeymen: The Killer Compilation (2001)

Boogeymen: The Killer Compilation

6.2

Video

The Tall Man (Phantasm) (archive footage)

2001

 

Archive Sound

Terrordrome: Rise of the Boogeymen (2015)

Terrordrome: Rise of the Boogeymen

8.0

Video Game

The Tall Man (archive footage)

2015