When Ray and Mann are in Minnesota, Ray points out a news story to him that he is missing. This reminds him to call his father and tell him that he is OK.
Yes but Ray leaves the room while Terrance makes the call.
I saw Costner and Phil Alden Robinson on Bob Costas last night. They certainly didn’t mention anything about Mann being dead.
The only Terrace Mann I know of is the exceptionally fine musical theatre actor who originated the roles of Rum Tug Tugger and the Beast, took over for Douglas Sills in Scarlett Pimperal (leading to my joke “Terrace Mann finally gets to play one”) and more recently played the lead role in the Rocky Horror Show.
STOP TALKING ABOUT HIS DEATH!!!
If Mann was supposed to have died along the way, rather than at the start or the end, does that mean Ray was carting a corpse around to talk to? 
That’s why it would only make sense if Mann was always dead.
Costner could read about him being missing the papers like Spaulding Gray.
But the article mentions that they searched his apartment, (shouldn’t they have found signs of a struggle?) so where is the body?
I don’t know about the character of Terrance Mann, but the great actor who played him–James Earl Ray–is dead. He died in jail back in 1997/98. He killed Billie Jean King.
He looked a heck of a lot different out of make-up…
Sir Rhosis
Sorry, I claim Flip Wilson’s rationale.
Please, God, don’t let anybody be offended too much…