Angus Scrimm (born Lawrence Rory Guy; August 19, 1926 – January 9, 2016) was an American actor and author, best known for playing the Tall Man in the 1979 horror film Phantasm and its sequels.
Scrimm was born in Kansas City. He was originally a journalist and has written and edited for TV Guide, Cinema Magazine, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner and many other publications. He has also written liner notes for many LPs and CDs for artists ranging from Frank Sinatra to the Beatles.
Scrimm stood approximately 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m). To appear even taller when playing the Tall Man, he wore suits that were several sizes too small and platform shoes.
Although he had acted in a couple of horror thrillers previously, Sweet Kill (1971) and Scream Bloody Murder (1973), his well-received 1979 Phantasm role led led him to become a horror icon.
Selected filmography:
- Sweet Kill aka The Arousers (1973) Henry
- Scream Bloody Murder (1973) Doctor Epstein
- Phantasm (1979) The Tall Man
- Witches’ Brew (1980) Carl Groton
- The Lost Empire (1983) Doctor Sin Do/Lee Chuck
- Phantasm II (1988) The Tall Man
- Transylvania Twist (1989) The Tall Man
- Subspecies (1990) King Vladislas
- Mindwarp (1992) The Seer
- Munchie Strikes Back (1994) Kronas
- Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994) The Tall Man
- Wishmaster (1997) Narrator
- Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998) The Tall Man
- Masters of Horror: Incident On and Off a Mountain Road (2005) Buddy
- Automatons (2006) The Scientist
- Satanic (2006) Doctor Barbary
- I Sell The Dead (2008) Doctor Quint
- Hollywood Horror (2009)
- Satan Hates You (2009) Doctor Michael Gabriel
- John Dies at the End (2012) Father Shellnut
- Phantasm V: Ravager (2016) The Tall Man
Posted in tribute to the late Angus Scrimm who died on January 9, 2016, he died at the age of 89 in Los Angeles.
