Actor Charles Cyphers, known to horror fans for playing Sheriff Leigh Brackett in the Halloween movies, has died. He was 85 years old.
“With a heavy heart I can announce that veteran actor of the stage and screen, Charles Cyphers passed away comfortably from a brief illness in Tucson, Ariz., on Sunday, August 4,” a statement from his manager, Chris Roe, reads, per People. “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 added, “Charles was a lovable and sensitive man. He always had the best stories, and you got a full performance while he told you. He was a close friend and client of many years who will be dearly missed.”
Cyphers was especially well known for his Halloween role, debuting as Sheriff Brackett in John Carpenter’s original film in 1978. He’d return for the 1981 sequel, Halloween II, before coming back to the role one last time in 2021 with Blumhouse’s Halloween Kills.
Original Halloween co-star Nancy Kyes, who returned in Halloween Kills alongside Cyphers, said of the news, “So sorry to hear about dear Chuck. 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.”
Additionally, Cyphers played a cop in Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13 before landing his Halloween role. He also appeared in the Carpenter films The Fog, Elvis, and Escape from New York. His other film roles include Borderline, Death Wish II, Grizzly IIj: The Predator, Major League, Dead Calling, and Methodic.
Cyphers’ television work includes roles in the TV shows Charlie’s Angels, The Betty White Show, Roots, Starsky and Hutch, The Dukes of Hazzard, Hill Street Blues, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, SeaQuest 2032, Sliders, Seinfeld, ER, and JAG.
Rest in peace, Charles Cyphers.
