William Bludworth

William Bludworth
Final Destination character

Tony Todd as William Bludworth.
First appearance Final Destination
Last appearance Final Destination 5
Created by Jeffrey Reddick
Portrayed by Tony Todd
Information
Full name William Bludworth
Nickname(s) Bill
Gender Male
Occupation Coroner
Location Mt. Abraham, New York
North Bay, New York
Status Alive

William "Bill" Bludworth is a fictional character in the Final Destination film series, portrayed by Tony Todd. He appears in Final Destination, Final Destination 2, and Final Destination 5.[1][2] William Bludworth is the owner of Bludworth Funeral Homes who has the most knowledge of Death and its forces or capacities.[3]

Films

Final Destination

In the first film, Alex Browning and Clear Rivers sneak inside the morgue to glimpse at Tod Waggner's corpse. Bludworth caught them in the act and asked why they came. Offering his help, he explains to them about the rule of Death: those who cheat death will be revisited by Death once more to claim back their lives which should've been lost. He also tells them about Death's List (a list of the order of deaths of the survivors in the original incident) and how it will work on them once again. Finally, he states about how ruining the list can affect the remaining survivors.

Final Destination 2

In second film, Bludworth is revisited by Clear, together with Kimberly Corman and Thomas Burke, to obtain help about cheating death. He is seen de-accessorizing the corpse of Evan Lewis. However, he only mentions to them the rule of life and death: new life can defeat Death.

Final Destination 3

Despite being absent in the third film, Bludworth's voice can be heard as the devil on the coaster and the subway station announcer at the end.

Final Destination 5

After a complete absence in The Final Destination, Bludworth reappears in the fifth film. In this film, he is seen as a coroner who the characters encounter several times, and informs them only that by taking a life can they live, for they will receive the lifespan of the person they've killed.

Casting

Tony Todd, famous for portraying the Candyman in the Candyman franchise, played William Bludworth in Final Destination, Final Destination 2, and Final Destination 5. Todd's role is one of only two characters to appear in at least two films besides Ali Larter's character Clear Rivers.

Tony Todd, who played Candyman in the 1992 film Candyman, was cast as mortician William Bludworth.[1] Writer Glen Morgan initially wanted Todd for the role for his deep voice that will give the film an eerie tone.

Reception

Todd's performance in Final Destination has received positive reviews among critics. Joe Leydon of Variety complimented his performance, saying that "Todd --- an old hand at scary stories after the "Candyman" series --- overplays with enough relish to position himself as a probable returnee for a Final Destination 2.".[4] Brett Gallman of Oh, The Horror! described Todd's wry and sinister portrayal "has crafted one of the genre's most memorable characters in recent memory though he's only appeared twice for about five total minutes in the series."[5]

On the other hand, Todd's role in Final Destination 2 received mixed reviews among critics, most complaining about Todd's minimal screentime. Robert Koehler of Variety remarked that Todd's "single, distinctly flat scene" was wasted by the filmmakers.[6] Gallman of Oh, The Horror! is enticed by Todd's role "whose purpose has still yet to be revealed in the franchise."[7]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Yahoo!, Yahoo! Movies. "Final Destination Cast List in Yahoo! Movies UK and Ireland". Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  2. ↑ Yahoo!, Yahoo! Movies. "Final Destination 2 Cast List in Yahoo! Movies UK and Ireland". Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  3. ↑ James Wong (director). Final Destination 3 (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition) (DVD). New York, USA: New Line Cinema. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  4. ↑ Leydon, Joe (March 16). "Final Destination Review". Variety. Retrieved 26 October 2010. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ↑ Gallman, Brett (August 13). "Horror Reviews - Final Destination (2000)". Oh, The Horror!. Retrieved 27 March 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ↑ Koehler, Robert (January 28). "Final Destination 2 Review". Variety. Retrieved 27 March 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ↑ Gallman, Brett (August 16). "Horror Reviews - Final Destination 2 (2003)". Oh, The Horror!. Retrieved 27 March 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)