Sad news as it’s been announced that Reggie Bannister, the beloved star of the Phantasm franchise, has died at the age of 80. The actor had been diagnosed with dementia and Parkinson’s disease and entered hospice care last year. Phantasm creator Don Coscarelli confirmed the news on social media, saying, “I lost my hero yesterday.“
Don Coscarelli on Reggie Bannister
“I first met Reggie when I was 18 years old,” Coscarelli wrote in his tribute. “I was deep into production on my first feature film Jim The World’s Greatest. He had invited producer Paul Pepperman and I down to the Wooden Keg, a dive bar in Long Beach, CA to meet about it. Reg was performing a spirited set that night on guitar and vocals and the audience loved his songs and infectious personality. After his set, we introduced ourselves, intent on convincing him to co-star in the project. ‘A feature film, huh?’ he asked. ‘Far out, man.’ Reggie then ordered us all a round of beers. It was the first alcoholic drink I’d ever been served (illegally) at a bar. With four words, Reg toasted with a clink of his glass, ‘Count me in, boys!’“
He continued, “Little did I know that night would lead to literally a lifetime of working together with him on many films. In the Phantasm series, only Reggie could turn a simple role as an ice cream vendor sidekick into an unlikely action hero for the ages.“
Along with Angus Scrimm, who played The Tall Man, Bannister is the only actor to appear in every Phantasm movie, from the original 1979 film through to Phantasm: Ravager in 2016.
Beyond Phantasm
Although Bannister is obviously very closely associated with the Phantasm franchise—and rightly so—he made appearances in plenty of other movies. He can be seen in Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation, Wishmaster, Bubba Ho-Tep, The Mangler Reborn, and more.
Before Bannister got into acting, he was active in the music scene and performed with The Greenwood County Singers. However, he got his draft notice and served during the Vietnam War.
“I was not for that war, I was against it, but there was this thing called the draft,” he said in a 2017 interview. “I had friends who were going to Canada and I wasn’t going to do that, I stand up to what’s in front of me, and so just like anything else I just thought, ‘Soldier? Really? You’re gonna be a soldier? Okay, well then you’re going to be the baddest-ass soldier that ever put on a uniform.’ So I just took that attitude, Landon, and just went for it. I was a head radio operator for an automatic weapons specialty group.“
Our thoughts and condolences go out to Bannister’s family, friends, and those who loved him. He will be missed.
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