Actors go to some extreme lengths for the roles they play, but this one might just top the rest.
Horror movies are only as good as the pop culture iconography they leave behind. I’m talking Sissy Spacek in Carrie covered in blood at the prom, Janet Leigh in Hitchcock’s Psycho screaming in the shower and Jack Nicholson’s head peering through the door in The Shining before he delivers the iconic line, ‘Here’s Johnny!’
One image you’re not likely to forget if you’re a fan of the genre is one of cinema’s most frightening, yet sympathetic, villains with a swarm of bees pouring out of his mouth.
For those film fanatics out there, you probably already guessed the movie by the headline, but for those who don’t know, we are, of course, talking about Bernard Rose’s Candyman (1992).
You can watch the trailer here:
Starring Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen, the film tells the story of the terrifying urban legend that is Candyman. Look in the mirror, say his name five times and beware the consequences.
The synopsis for Candyman reads: “Intrigued by local legends, Helen investigates the myths and superstitions surrounding the one-armed Candyman. However, she confronts her worst nightmare when a series of murders start taking place.”
The absolute horror classic only had a budget of $8-9 million but became a smash box office hit and made over $25 million in the US, according to IMDB.
And with the dedication the actors put into their roles, you can see why.
Say his name five times, if you dare. Archive Photos / Stringer / Getty Images
You see, there’s one iconic scene that sees Helen in Candyman’s lair where she gives herself to him in exchange for the baby he abducted. Candyman then exposes an open bloody chest cavity full of bees that crawl all over the grad student, while even more bees pour out of his mouth.
It’s pretty disturbing stuff.
Choosing to forgo CGI, the bees that plague the pair are, in fact, real, which bought about a handsome payday for the actor.
The bees were… real?! TriStar Pictures.
Todd’s lawyer made a plea that since they’d decided to use real insects, Todd getting stung was practically inevitable and therefore he should be paid $1000 for every sting he endured.
Makes sense to me, but I’d be asking for a lot more than a $1000 to even be in the same room as that many bees – which was a whopping 200,000 by the way, according to Collider – let alone being stung by the pesky things.
Todd ended up being stung 27 times, which means he took home a mega $27,000 for his troubles.
Tony Todd got a handsome payday for his trouble. Frazer Harrison / Staff / Getty Images
Had that been his scene partner, she might have asked for a hell of a lot more considering she’s deathly allergic to bees, and had to have paramedics on set in case she too was stung.
Luckily, Madsen was unscathed, which considering how many bees they had to work with is nothing short of a miracle.
27 stings later, the potentially deathly stunt was clearly worth it as the scene itself remains one of the most iconic in the genre.
Could never be me, but I respect the dedication.
