Reggie Bannister , the actor who played the fan favorite Reggie in the Phantasm horror franchise, died Sunday, August 9, 2026, at his home in Crestline, California. Bannister was 80, and his wife, Gigi Bannister, confirmed his death to TMZ. According to Gigi Bannister, the actor had been exposed to Agent Orange during his military service in the Vietnam War. She also said Reggie Bannister lived with Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease, adding a difficult final chapter to the life of a beloved cult movie performer. Why Does Phantasm Still Matter? Reggie Bannister first played the quick witted family friend Reggie in Don Coscarelli’s 1979 supernatural horror film Phantasm. The story follows teenager Mike, played by A. Michael Baldwin, as he investigates disturbing events at a local funeral home with his older brother Jody, portrayed by Bill Thornbury. Reggie Bannister returned for every sequel in the series, including Phantasm II in 1988, Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead in 1993, Phantasm IV: Oblivion in 1998, and Phantasm: Ravager in 2016. That consistency helped turn Reggie into one of horror’s most recognizable cult characters, especially among fans who prefer their genre icons scrappy, sarcastic, and armed with a red 1971 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda. Outside the franchise, Bannister appeared in films including Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation, The Demolitionist, Wishmaster, Bubba Ho Tep, Cemetery Gates, The Mangler Reborn, Last Rites, The Rage, The Quiet Ones, Carnies, Sawblade, Not Another B Movie, The Ghastly Love of Johnny X, Bloody Bloody Bible Camp, The Obsidian Curse, and Bonejangles. His career made him a familiar face across independent horror, even when the projects were proudly operating far from the mainstream.