If you’ve ever stayed up late watching old reruns of House on Haunted Hill or heard that unmistakable, spine-chilling cackle at the end of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, you’ve felt the presence of a legend. But naturally, when someone becomes that much of a permanent fixture in our living rooms, we start to wonder: is Vincent Price still alive? The short answer is no.
Vincent Price passed away on October 25, 1993. He was 82 years old when he died at his home in Los Angeles. Honestly, even though he's been gone for decades, the way people talk about him makes it feel like he’s just around the corner, probably sipping a fine wine and planning a sophisticated prank.
The Night the Legend Faded
It wasn't a sudden thing. Price had been fighting lung cancer for quite a while—about five years, actually. He was also dealing with emphysema, which isn't a surprise given he was a lifelong smoker. By the time he was filming his final iconic role as the Inventor in Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands, he was physically struggling.
You can actually see it in the movie. His character is frail and gentle, a stark contrast to the menacing villains he played in the 50s and 60s. He died just a few years after that film’s release. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered off Point Dume in Malibu.
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What happened at the end?
He wasn't alone. Price was surrounded by the legacy he built, though he had lost his third wife, the actress Coral Browne, just two years earlier in 1991.
- Cause of death: Lung cancer.
- Secondary factors: Parkinson’s disease and emphysema.
- Location: UCLA Medical Center / his Los Angeles home.
Why Do People Still Ask "Is Vincent Price Still Alive?"
It’s a fair question. Some actors never truly "leave." Price has this weirdly eternal quality because his voice is literally everywhere.
He didn't just do movies. He was a brand before "branding" was a thing. You’ve got the Thriller monologue, the voice of Ratigan in Disney’s The Great Mouse Detective, and those endless PBS Mystery! introductions. When a voice is that ingrained in the cultural psyche, the brain sorta refuses to accept the person isn't still around in a recording booth somewhere.
Also, the internet loves a good hoax. Every few years, a "rest in peace" post circles Facebook, and people who weren't around in 1993 get confused.
He Was Way More Than Just a "Horror Guy"
If you only know him for the blood and cobwebs, you're missing out on the coolest parts of his life. Vincent Price was a legit Renaissance man. Most people don't realize he was a world-class art expert. He graduated from Yale with a degree in Art History and even helped Sears (yes, the department store) sell fine art to the general public in the 1960s.
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He wanted regular people to own a Picasso or a Rembrandt. Basically, he was trying to democratize culture long before the internet tried to do it.
And the food! Man, the guy could cook. He and his second wife, Mary Grant, wrote A Treasury of Great Recipes. It’s not just some celebrity vanity project; it’s a massive, 500-page tome that foodies still hunt for at used bookstores. He even famously poached a fish in a dishwasher on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. It actually worked.
A Legacy That Won’t Stay Buried
So, while the answer to is Vincent Price still alive is technically "no," his impact is very much active.
Think about it:
- The Vincent Price Art Museum: It's a real place at East Los Angeles College. He donated thousands of pieces from his personal collection so students could see "real" art up close.
- Tim Burton’s Muse: Burton was obsessed with Price. He even made a short film called Vincent about a boy who wants to be him.
- Modern Horror: Every time you see a villain who is charming, well-spoken, and slightly campy, you’re seeing a shadow of Vincent Price.
He once said he didn't play monsters; he played "men besieged by fate." That’s a pretty deep way to look at a guy who spent half his career in wax museums and haunted mansions.
How to keep the spirit alive
If you're feeling nostalgic, there are better things to do than just Google his death date.
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Go watch Witchfinder General if you want to see his serious acting chops—it's surprisingly grim. Or, if you want the "classic" vibe, The Abominable Dr. Phibes is a masterpiece of weirdness. You could even try to find a copy of his cookbook and make some Mexican Creamed Corn.
He lived a massive, full life that spanned from the silent film era's tail end right up to the birth of modern blockbusters. He was a Yale man, a gourmet, an art snob (in the best way), and a guy who wasn't afraid to poke fun at his own "master of menace" persona.
He’s gone, but honestly? Between the movies, the art, and that laugh, he’s doing a better job of staying "alive" than most people who are actually breathing.