Considering how the Halloween film franchise has surpassed double digits when it comes to racking up sequels, it’s actually somewhat amazing to think not many actors have played Michael Myers on more than one occasion. Nick Castle, often referred to as “the O.G. Shape,” has done so though, with Tyler Mane being another notable actor to have also accomplished that feat.
The main difference between those two fellas is that Castle was able to reprise the role because he was doing so in a 2018 followup to the 1978 original. Therefore, it made much sense to bring him back. Mane, meanwhile, was contained to a two-film alternate timeline established by Rob Zombie, so he may never return.
Knowing that, I still couldn’t help pondering the possibility of Tyler Mane having a third tour as Michael Myers because, after all, the character spends a great deal of time under a mask, so the door is pretty much open for Mane to show up in separate universes. I asked him if he’d be willing to come back and work for a different director during our conversation at The Monroe Pop Fest, and here’s what he said:
“I dare not say never, but probably not. Because it would be hard to…I see Michael as Rob did and to do it with a different director with a different vision would probably not have the same kind of outcome. I see him as an intense, gritty individual, and that’s the way he should be.”
Being aware of how certain actors can remain quite loyal to the director’s who’ve employed them, I also asked Tyler if his respect for Rob Zombie factors into his hesitance to return, and here’s how he responded:
“Well yeah, but it’s more, like, to the character and the way I saw the character play. I just don’t see him as a one-dimensional character and I see him more as a vicious land shark, the way I portrayed him.”
It’s actually that “vicious land shark” quality that made Mane one of my favorites to have ever worn the warped William Shatner mask. Because of that and his impressive height, I believed he was Michael Myers when I saw him onscreen, so that’s why I wouldn’t mind seeing him return. But since the Shape is more often portrayed as not having a motive for his actions, odds are we’ll continue seeing other actors inheriting the mantle in future Halloween movies.
