One of the most prolific slashers of modern cinema, director David Gordon Green finally put Michael Myers to rest definitively, if not divisively. Effectively ignoring the past 40 years of canon, Green’s Halloween trilogy was a sequel to John Carpenter’s 1978 classic. Decades after Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) fights Myers in the first film, the butcher-knife-wielding serial killer returns to wreak havoc on Haddonfield which is now home to Laurie’s daughter and granddaughter.
Halloween Ends puts a cap on a long timeline of horror films by killing the killer who famously always gets back up. Critics and audiences panned the film and Curtis stated that this would be the last time she would reprise the role of Laurie. However you feel about the final entry into the series, you can’t deny that it’s been a wild ride to get to this point. Even though gone for good — at least for now — Michael Myers has had a long legacy of films and actors who took up the mask-wearing mantle.
Nick Castle — Halloween (1978), Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills
The man who started it all, Nick Castle was the first performer to don the gruesome mask. Identified in the original screenplay as “The Shape,” Castle’s journey of playing Michael Myers was a pretty straightforward one. Already fast friends with John Carpenter after their time at USC, the shooting of the film took them near Castle’s home in Laurel Canyon. And as Carpenter told Entertainment Weekly, the rest is history.
“We were buddies in film school, and I knew him, and he just has a grace to him. And his dad was a choreographer. I don’t know if [he] learned anything from his father, but he moved in a way that nobody else moves like.”
Castle played The Shape for the first film but then went on to cultivate an impressive career of his own. He directed The Last Starfighter and collaborated again with Carpenter in a writing capacity for Escape From New York. It was only years later when Green launched his Halloween trilogy that the filmmaker returned as Michael Myers. He played The Shape briefly in Halloween and Halloween Kills, sharing the credit with another performer.
Tony Moran — Halloween (1978)
Only for the briefest of moments do audiences get to see Michael’s true face. In one instance, Nick Castle does not play the lurking entity. Instead, when Laurie unmasks Michael, he is portrayed by Tony Moran. This reveal gave the segment even more of a shock. Underneath the mask is the face of a normal person. Even though Michael committed so many terrible deeds in one night, it was even more terrifying because he could be anyone. This quick scene stayed true to Carpenter’s original version that Michael was pure personified evil, with no reason for doing anything.
Dick Warlock — Halloween II (1981)
The massive success of the original film begged for a sequel to be made, and in 1981, Halloween II was released. This time John Carpenter stepped back from directing and handed the reins over to Rick Rosenthal, who directed a more brutal and gory film. Stuntman Dick Warlock took over the role of The Shape, making him more of a demonic presence.
The film also changed the lore of the Halloween movies in a move that many criticize to this day. The plot reveals that Laurie is Michael’s sister, which removes the concept of him being a Bogeyman who only wants to kill for the sake of being evil. Warlock stated in an interview that he decided to make his portrayal of The Shape more like a machine and less of a human. Warlock stayed on for Halloween III: Season of the Witch, but not in the role of Michael Myers. The 3rd movie in the franchise is the only one to be a standalone story that does not feature the serial killer.
George P. Wilbur — Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers
After the box office flop of Halloween III: Season of the Witch, the Halloween franchise returned to basics. This was the point when John Carpenter and co-writer Debra Hill parted from the project. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers delves into the bloodier aspects of slasher films and casts a new stuntman in the role of The Shape.
George P. Wilbur donned the mask in the 4th film as well as the 6th, The Curse of Michael Myers. For the 5th installment, Wilbur was still involved, though mostly in the stunt work for the film. For the 5th movie, a different actor would take on the role of The Shape.
Don Shanks — Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
One of the most maligned Halloween films to date, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers had a lot of changes that separated it from previous films. Stuntman Don Shanks took over the role for just one film as tensions arose on set due to the direction of the storyline and lackluster characters.
Even Michael’s mask looked slightly different than it had in the past. For his part, Shanks was intent on completing the job. In a behind-the-scenes feature of the film, his costars had nothing but good things to say about his professionalism on an otherwise tense set.
Chris Durand — Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
In Curtis’ return to the role that made her famous for the first time in 2 decades, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later also brought about a new actor for Michael Myers. The film was an effective reboot, ignoring all previous installments save for the first 2 films. Chris Durand took over the role of Michael and had a fresh take on the character, as he told halloweendailynews.com.
“I didn’t watch any of the others on purpose. And that was largely a misunderstanding from what I heard in the interview. I think they said, ‘We’re not going to do what came before’. So I socked that away. And what they meant was they weren’t going to reference the shows [movies] in between [ignoring Halloween 3-6].”
Though considered one of the worst Halloween films, H20 was a good fit for the franchise that was making a fresh start. Like so many before him, this would be Durand’s only appearance as The Shape.
Brad Loree — Halloween: Resurrection
Halloween: Resurrection was intended to market to a mass audience as a direct response to the technology age. The film revolves around a reality show filmed in Michael Myers’ home where the famous serial killer would return to terrorize some teenagers.
It may seem like Michael wouldn’t be a part of it, since Laurie decapitated him in the previous film. But lo and behold, Halloween: Resurrection features the return of the character with a new actor. Stunt coordinator Brad Loree told halloweendailynews.com that he got the role through a mutual friend. A strange induction in the Halloween franchise, Halloween: Resurrection kills off Laurie Strode and would end an era for the franchise.
Tyler Mane — Halloween (2007), Halloween II (2009)
For the first time since its inception, Rob Zombie’s Halloween films were a complete reimaging of the series. Rebooting the franchise by telling the story from the beginning, classic characters such as Laurie, Dr. Loomis, and The Shape were all given a House of 1000 Corpses spin. Grittier and uglier, 2007 film was a horror feature for a new generation. In the role of Michael, Zombie cast former wrestler Tyler Mane. The actor told Entertainment Weekly that getting involved in the franchise was a breeze. After working with the director on The Devil’s Rejects, he accepted the role of The Shape when Zombie offered him the opportunity.
Zombie’s fresh take on the series was fraught with interference from the studio. The Devil’s Rejects director infamously told CinemaBlend he had a terrible time making the films and his version stopped after Halloween II.
James Jude Courtney — Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills, Halloween Ends
When Green revitalized the Halloween franchise, he brought back Castle for some key shots in the new films. But for the most part, The Shape was taken over by James Jude Courtney. In Halloween, Halloween Kills, and Halloween Ends, Courtney gives Laurie and her family one last terrible night of their lives. At the end of Green’s trilogy, Courtney plays the last version of Michael who gets put through a scrap shredder.
After over 40 years of reboots, standalone, and sequels that should never have seen the light of day, Halloween Ends concludes the franchise… or does it? After all, Myers doesn’t have a history of staying down for long.
