The Cast of "HALLOWEEN" (1978): Then and Now

[JamesG]

Forget Rob Zombie's 2007 Halloween remake. (We have.)

When it comes to slasher flicks, John Carpenter's 1978 film Halloween is widely considered a masterpiece of the genre -- to some, it remains the best horror movie of all time -- and its stars will forever be linked to Michael Myers, the killer we love to fear.

Did actors like Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence ever break free of Michael's grasp? Take a look and see.



Jamie Lee Curtis: Then

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/JamieLeeCurtisThen.jpg


The daughter of screen legends Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis made her feature film debut in Halloween as Laurie Strode, a babysitter terrorized by Michael Myers.

The part made her an instant star and one of the first "scream queens," with roles in The Fog, Prom Night, Terror Train and two Halloween sequels.



Jamie Lee Curtis: Now

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/JamieLeeCurtisNow.jpg


Though the star of such hits as True Lies claimed she would retire from acting after Christmas With the Kranks (2004), she starred in the talking-dog family flick Beverly Hills Chihuahua.

She's married to director Christopher Guest, writes children's books and still hates scary movies.





Donald Pleasance: Then

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/DonaldPleasanceThen.jpg


He was Dr. Sam Loomis, who had treated Michael Myers and recognized him as the face of evil.

He tried to warn the townsfolk of the grave danger they faced, but no one would believe him. Loomis' last line, "As a matter of fact, it was" (the boogeyman, that is), still gives us chills.



Donald Pleasance: Now

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/DonaldPleasanceNow.jpg


Pleasence died in 1995 at age 75.

A lauded stage and dramatic actor (he had four Tony nominations), he is best known to U.S. audiences as Bond baddie Ernst Blofield (You Only Live Twice) and, of course, as the tireless Dr. Sam Loomis -- he played the character in five Halloween movies.





Nick Castle: Then

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/NickCastleThen.jpg


A good friend of John Carpenter's, Castle played the babysitter-slaying masked Michael Myers (credited as "The Shape") for almost the entire film ... except for the crucial final scene, in which Laurie Strode tore the mask off to reveal Michael's shockingly cherubic face.

Sorry, Nick, but you're no angel.



Nick Castle: Now

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/NickCastleNow.jpg


Castle's role in Halloween was his only big-screen acting gig, but he's had a fair amount of success behind the camera, directing The Last Starfighter, Dennis the Menace, Major Payne and Mr. Wrong, and writing the screenplays for Hook and August Rush.





Tony Moran: Then

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/TonyMoranThen.jpg


Of the five people who wore Michael Myers' mask in the film, Moran was the only one whose face we saw: As he choked Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) in the climactic final scene, she lifted the mask for a few moments.

Hence, while Nick Castle had the most screen time, Moran was the one billed as "Michael Myers."



Tony Moran: Now

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/TonyMoranNow.jpg


Moran, whose sister is Erin Moran (Joanie on Happy Days), left Hollywood after Halloween II; but he stays busy on the horror convention circuit, meeting fans and signing pictures and masks.

His MySpace page has 3,811 friends on it, including Halloween remake director Rob Zombie.





P.J. Soles: Then

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/PJSolesThen.gif


As the "totally!" randy Linda van der Klok, she bared her breasts and had sex with her boyfriend, two extremely big horror movie no-nos (nudity and/or sex means you're about to get dead).

As a result, she ended up Michael's final victim of the night, strangled to death with a telephone cord.



P.J. Soles: Now

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/PJSolesNow.jpg


Soles still acts steadily, with roles in horror flicks like The Devil's Rejects and Alone in the Dark II.

But it's her '70s and '80s heyday -- turns in Carrie and Stripes, a brief marriage to Dennis Quaid -- that won her a cult following and prompted alt-rock band Local H to entitle its '04 album 'Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles?'





Kyle Richards: Then

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Little Lindsey Wallace spent most of her evening with Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) after being abandoned by her irresponsible (later dead) sitter Annie (Nancy Loomis).

Richards, who was nine when Halloween came out, was already an acting pro, having played Alicia Edwards on Little House on the Prairie.



Kyle Richards: Now

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/KyleRichardsNow.jpg


Aside from TV spots, Richards' steadiest acting gig to date has been as recurring character "Nurse Dori" on E.R.

Even steadier is her gig as Nicole and Paris Hilton's aunt (their mother is Kyle's sister Kathy), which landed Richards her meatiest role of all: She's been on multiple episodes of The Simple Life.





Nancy Loomis: Then

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/NancyLoomisThen.gif


She played slacker babysitter Annie Brackett, who was strangled by Michael Myers in her car.



Nancy Loomis: Now

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/NancyLoomisNow.jpg


Loomis had a cameo in Halloween II and appeared in Halloween III as an entirely different character (Linda Challis).

She quit acting and is now a sculptor in L.A. under her given name, Nancy Kyes.

[JamesG]

Charles Cyphers: Then

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/CharlesCyphersThen.jpg


As Sheriff Leigh Brackett, he hunted down serial killer Michael Myers, little realizing that his daughter Annie (Nancy Loomis) was one of the victims.

He probably didn't realize she was ditching babysitting to have sex with her boyfriend, either. Parents are so out of it.



Charles Cyphers: Now

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/CharlesCyphersNow.gif


Cyphers was in three more John Carpenter films: The Fog, Halloween II and Escape from New York.

He played GM Charlie Donovan in Major League but has mostly stuck to TV and horror movies such as Mach 2 (starring former pro football player Brian Bosworth), Critical Mass (starring Treat Williams and Lori Loughlin) and Methodic (starring ... no one we've ever heard of).





John Carpenter: Then

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/JohnCarptenterThen.jpg


Carpenter directed, wrote, produced and composed the music for his horror classic -- oh, and he was the voice of Paul, Annie's boyfriend (you never see the guy, and then he's dead).

He made Halloween for a mere $325,000; it went on to gross around $56 million, making it the biggest indie hit of its era.



John Carpenter: Now

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e10/JamesGrec/JohnCarptenterNow.jpg


Halloween launched Carpenter's career as a horror master (The Fog, The Thing, Christine), but he also had his share of action hits (Escape From New York, Big Trouble in Little China).

He took a bit of a break after 2001's disappointing Ghosts of Mars, but is rumored to be working on a horror anthology film called L.A. Gothic and will soon direct Scared Straight, starring Nicolas Cage as a prisoner who befriends the governor's troubled son.

http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2008/10/17/halloween-cast-where-are-they-now/

[gidgetgrape]

Cool! Thanks for posting. I still can't get over Jamie Lee becoming the yogurt lady.

[JamesG]

Cool! Thanks for posting. I still can't get over Jamie Lee becoming the yogurt lady.

I remember when she did Voice Stream Wireless in the early 2000s.

[PlayOn]

I didn't know Jamie hated scary movies, given all she's been in (a few Halloween movies, Prom Night, etc.)
Thanks for posting. :)

[JamesG]

I didn't know Jamie hated scary movies, given all she's been in (a few Halloween movies, Prom Night, etc.)
Thanks for posting. :)

Yeah, I had heard about that some time ago. She was also in The Fog and Terror Train.

[Number 9 Dream]

I've always liked Jamie Lee...she seems so sweet and genuine :)

PJ Soles aged nicely.

[browneyes106]

Thanks for posting James. It was good to get an update on some of the actors.

[JamesG]

Thanks for posting James. It was good to get an update on some of the actors.

They did leave out a couple of people I wish were included.

Bryan Andrews "Tommy Doyle" and P.J. Soles' boyfriend "Bob" who gets stabbed at the wall. I looked at IMDB and Halloween was his only movie.