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, where he majored in drama. 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. 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.

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 ft. 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.

Death

On January 9, 2016, Scrimm died at the age of 89 in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California.

Filmography