A terminally ill Halloween superfan was able to have his wish for a dream wedding fulfilled less than an hour before he passed away. Anthony Woodle, a 29-year-old aspiring filmmaker, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer last year. Through Rough House Productions, a South Carolina-based production company that helped revive the Halloween franchise, Woodle had connected with Curtis, telling the actress about his health and his plans to marry his longtime girlfriend, Emilee. Curtis personally offered to officiate the wedding, and a date was set for Sept. 13.
On the day of the wedding, Woodle’s health started to rapidly decline. With Emilee at his side and Woodle’s family surrounding a bed where he lay unconscious, the ceremony began at 10:30 p.m. that night with Jamie Lee Curtis officiating through the telephone.
“Anthony and Emilee, all anyone is promised is this moment,” Curtis said on the call. “We live and we love in this moment. May the blessings of God rest upon you, may his peace abide with you, may her spirit illuminate your heart now, in this moment. With the power vested in me by the internet, it is my great pleasure to tell you that you are now married people.” Less than one hour later, at 11:17 p.m., Woodle was pronounced dead.
Woodle and Emilee were also among the very first people to see the completed cut of the upcoming sequel, Halloween Kills, which the rest of us won’t get to watch until October 2021. Before the wedding, director David Gordon Green had arranged a private screening for the couple to watch, and the experience provided Woodle with some much-needed joy at a very difficult time. “That was the most I’ve seen him smile – during and after the movie,” Emilee said.
Together for eight years and sharing a love for horror movies and Halloween, Woodle and Emilee first met at a concert in 2013. Every year, they would decorate their home in North Charleston extravagantly every trick-or-treat season. They would also use their love for the spooky holiday to help others, as their yard decorations would include placing an open coffin in the front yard encouraging food donations to be taken to a local food bank.
Naturally, Woodle proposed to Emilee on Halloween in 2016; he was given his stage 4 esophageal cancer diagnosis three years later, also on Halloween. In 2020, the pair had set Oct. 31 initially to be their wedding date, but as Woodle’s health deteriorated, the day was moved to Sept. 13. Following his passing, Emilee called Curtis to tell her the news, thanking her for making Woodle’s final moments so special. The two remain in touch.
Though Woodle is gone, his memory lives on through the people who loved him most. Emilee said she continues to sense his spirit, such as when she decorated the house for Halloween in Woodle’s honor. His mother, father, and sister also got matching tattoos brandishing the message, “Every day is Halloween.”
This news comes to us from Deadline with additional details provided by The Post and Courier.
