Camden Toy Dies: ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Actor Was 68
Long-time character actor Camden Toy, best known for his roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and, more recently, the horror anthology series Into The Dark, has died. He was 68.
According to a press release from Toy’s representatives, the actor passed away on Monday, December 11, after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
His longtime partner, Bethany ‘Bea’ Henderson, opened up about his diagnosis earlier this month in a Facebook post, writing, “My heart is breaking as I watch my Love vanish before me!”
“Many of our circle know that Camden has been battling with pancreatic cancer for 2 years. He was diagnosed in February last year after months of mysterious pain. For many reasons we were very hopeful for, at least, a longer and more fruitful time on planet Earth,” Henderson continued.
She added, “Unfortunately, it looks like we’ve reached the end of the road with the doctor’s treatments. His condition has declined a lot in the last 2 months and tremendously in the last several days. He chose, for many reasons, not to announce his illness publicly, and so, unfortunately, this may be new and shocking news to many of his fans.”
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Born on May 31, 1955, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Toy’s interest in the film and TV industry started from a young age due to his father working as an actor and makeup artist. Toy acted in small local theater companies for a while before moving to New York, where he was a founding member of the theater company Todo Con Bada.
He moved to Los Angeles in the 1990s to pursue an on-screen career, starting with bit-part roles in films The Genius and Faith. But his big break came in Joss Whedon‘s hit 90s series Buffy the Vampire Slayer when he was cast in the classic episode “Hush,” playing one of the freakish monsters, The Gentlemen.
Toy would return to Buffy in Season 7 as the skin-eating demon Gnarl in the episode “Same Time, Same Place,” and also portrayed the “ubervamp” Turok-Han in a recurring role. He also starred in an episode of the Buffy spin-off Angel as the Nosferatu-like vampire The Prince of Lies.
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While best known for these monstrous roles, often under special effects prosthetic makeup, Toy also had other television credits, including The Mentalist, the crime drama The Bay, and the web series Goodnight Burbank. More recently, he returned to his monster-type role in a 2019 episode of Into The Dark, playing The Prankster.
Juliet Landau, Camden’s close friend, who played Drusilla on Buffy, said, “Camden was a beautiful soul, a beautiful friend, and a beautiful talent. From the first moment we met, I knew he was special. Under the visage of the monster he was made-up to be, shined the kindest of spirits. He’s been a gift in our lives. We will miss him greatly.”
Gregori Martin, producer of the The Bay, added, “Camden was always always such a talent and joy to work with. It’s no wonder he was a fan favorite on The Bay. I am so grateful for the times I got to work with him and will certainly cherish those memories.”
He is survived by his mother, sister, and partner, Bethany Henderson.
