Kevin Allen

Reggie Bannister (1945-2026) Reggie Bannister, the beloved actor and musician best known as the shotgun-wielding ice cream man in the Phantasm horror films, died peacefully on August 9, 2026, at age 80 in his Crestline, California cabin. Born Reginald Horace Bannister on September 29, 1945, in Long Beach, he began performing young and found early success in the 1960s folk scene with the Greenwood County Singers. Drafted into the Vietnam War, he later used the GI Bill to study acting. His breakthrough came in Don Coscarelli’s 1979 cult classic Phantasm, where he originated the role of Reggie, a part he reprised across four sequels through 2016. He also appeared in films including Bubba Ho-Tep and continued making music throughout his life. A Vietnam veteran exposed to Agent Orange, Bannister was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia in 2016. He spent his final years at home with his wife Gigi, whom he married in 2001. He is also survived by his daughter Ellen. Fans remember him as a warm, charismatic presence both on screen and in person, the hardworking everyman hero of the Phantasm universe.

I don't know why most people think the poor shark is the villain of Jaws (1975) It's the damn Mayor, Larry Vaughn.