Original Michael Myers Actor Reveals How He Became the Iconic Killer

CBR

By Sam Stone

Published Sep 4, 2018

Original Michael Myers actor Nick Castle reveals how he was cast to play the iconic slasher for the 1978 Halloween.

Michael Myers is one of most recognizable slashers in all of horror appearing across ten of the eleven Halloween films and original actor Nick Castle recounts how he was first cast as the masked killer in the 1978 original film.

Castle, who had only appeared in the first film before launching his own career as a filmmaker including directing 1984's The Last Starfighter, will reprise the role of Myers briefly in the upcoming revival film this year before passing the more physical elements of the performance to stuntman James Jude Courtney. In a recent interview, the actor revealed while visiting the set of the 1978 original Halloween to see the directorial process firsthand, director John Carpenter cast him in the film as the iconic serial killer.

"My only reason for being on the set was to kind of demystify the directing experience for me, because John [Carpenter] was a pal, they were shooting the majority of this near my house," admitted Castle in an interview with ComicBook.com. "He said, 'Well, why don't you just be the guy walking around in the mask and you'll be here the whole time?'"

While Castle's physical performance in the new film is minimal, he will voice the character entirely, in a manner of speaking.

"In the new one, if there’s any interest in comparisons, I do all the ADR breathing for The Shape even though I’m only in it in a cameo," confirmed Castle in a separate interview with Bloody Disgusting.

Debuting on October 19, the latest Halloween is directed by David Gordon Green from a script written with Danny McBride and Jeff Fradley. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, and Andi Matichak with Nick Castle and James Jude Courtney sharing the role of masked killer Michael Myers. The film is executive produced and scored by original filmmaker John Carpenter.