Original ‘Halloween’ Star Dead at 85

One of the stars of the original Halloween has died after a “brief illness,” Variety reported.

Charles Cyphers, who played Sheriff Lee Brackett in John Carpenter’s seminal 1978 slasher flick and two of its sequels, died on Sunday at age 85. Cyphers’ manager, Chris Roe, confirmed the tragic news.

“Charles was a lovable and sensitive man,” Roe said in a statement. “He always had the best stories, and you got a full performance while he told you. He was a close friend and client on many years [sic] who will be dearly missed.”

Cyphers starred in the original Halloween as the town’s sheriff and father to Annie (Nancy Kyes), one of Laurie Strode’s (Jamie Lee Curtis) ill-fated friends. He also appeared in 1981’s Halloween II ; and came out of retirement to reprise the role in Halloween Kills (2021), the middle installment of David Gordon Green’s controversial reboot trilogy.

“So sorry to hear about dear Chuck,” Kyes told People after hearing of Cyphers’ death. “My friend of many years, he could always be relied on for a kind word, a good laugh, and a great story. How he will be missed.”

Cyphers was one of the best-known actors throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, appearing in classic shows such as F.B.I. , Alice , Starsky and Hutch , Hill Street Blues , Matlock , and Dallas , amongst many others. But it was his ongoing collaboration with Carpenter for which he was most recognized.

Cyphers appeared in six films directed by Carpenter, including Halloween and most of the director’s most-lauded films. He played a conservative police officer in the action classic Assault on Precinct 13 (1976); a psychotic stalker in Someone’s Watching Me (1978); a doomed weatherman in The Fog (1980); and the U.S. Secretary of Defense in Escape from New York (1981) and its sequel, Escape from L.A. (1997).

Later in his career, Cyphers turned to comedy with roles in Major League (1989) and Seinfeld . He retired in 2007 before returning for his final performance three years ago in Halloween Kills .

“His family asks for privacy at this time. Details on a celebration of life ceremony will happen at a date and location to be determined,” Roe clarified in a later statement.