Tuesday, August 11, 2026 - Reggie Bannister, the actor best known for playing the shotgun-wielding ice cream vendor Reggie in the cult horror franchise Phantasm, has died at the age of 80.
Bannister died peacefully on Sunday, August 9, at his cabin in Crestline, California, according to his wife, Gigi Bannister. He had been battling Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease for years and had entered hospice care in 2025.
Bannister became a familiar face to horror fans through all five Phantasm films, where his character repeatedly faced the terrifying Tall Man.
His career also included work across film, television and music, but his role in the franchise became his defining screen legacy. His health struggles had been closely followed by fans, with a fundraising campaign launched to help support his hospice care.
His death has sparked an outpouring of tributes from the horror community, with fans remembering him as one of the genre’s most recognizable cult figures. Gigi Bannister said he died peacefully at home and that she was with him until the end.
Memorial events are now being planned to celebrate his life and career, giving fans an opportunity to honor the actor who spent decades entertaining audiences and became inseparable from one of horror cinema’s most enduring franchises.
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