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.
Scrimm graduated from the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...
, where he majored in drama.
[
He was originally a journalist and wrote and edited for '']TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media
In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
'', ''Cinema Magazine'', the ''Los Angeles Herald Examiner
The ''Los Angeles Herald Examiner'' was a major Los Angeles daily newspaper, published in the afternoon from Monday to Friday and in the morning on Saturdays and Sundays. It was part of the Hearst Corporation, Hearst syndicate. It was formed w ...
'' and many other publications. He also worked for Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
, writing liner notes
Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards.
Origin
Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
for many LPs and CDs for artists ranging from Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
to the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
, as well as Arthur Rubinstein and Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman (; born August 31, 1945) is an Israeli-American violinist. He has performed worldwide and throughout the United States, in venues that have included a state dinner for Elizabeth II at the White House in 2007, and at the First ina ...
.[
]
Career
Scrimm had several minor supporting roles in the early 1970s before being cast as the Tall Man, the chief villain in Don Coscarelli
Don Coscarelli Jr. (born February 17, 1954) is an American film director, film producer, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in horror films. His directing credits include the first four films in the Phantasm (franchise), '' ...
's independent horror film '' Phantasm'' (1979). Scrimm stood approximately .[ 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 film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
s, as well as theater and television. Scrimm had a recurring role as an SD-6 agent on '' Alias''.[
]
Death
On January 9, 2016, Scrimm died at the age of 89 in Tarzana, Los Angeles
Tarzana () is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Tarzana is on the site of a former ranch owned by author Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is named after Burroughs' fictional jungle hero, Tarzan.
His ...
, California.
Filmography
References
External links
*
The Phantasm Archives
Unpublished Interview from 1992
Phantasm website
Totalscifionline.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scrimm, Angus
1926 births
2016 deaths
American male film actors
American male journalists
American male television actors
American male voice actors
Grammy Award winners
Writers from Kansas City, Kansas
Male actors from Kansas City, Kansas
Writers from California
Male actors from California
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
University of Southern California alumni