'Halloween' And 'Roots' Actor Charles Cyphers Dies At 85

Charles Cyphers died on August 4 at the age of 85.
His death follows a brief illness.
Cyphers was known for his role as Sheriff Leigh Brackett in ‘Halloween’ and had roles in ‘Roots,’ ‘Wonder Woman,’ ‘ER,’ and more.

On Sunday, August 4, Charles Cyphers passed away. He was 85 years old when he died in Tucson, Arizona. His cause of death follows a brief illness. His manager of 20 years, Chris Roe, announced the actor’s passing, remembering him as both a dear client and friend.

In his career spanning nearly five decades, Cyphers became particularly famous for working alongside director John Carpenter. That gave him a front-row seat to give a memorable performance as Sheriff Leigh Brackett in Carpenter’s 1978 Halloween horror film, the start of a franchise that’s still going to date.

Charles Cyphers has passed away

NICK FRENO: LICENSED TEACHER, Charles Cyphers, (1997), 1996-98. © Warner Bros. Television / Courtesy: Everett Collection

“Charles was an incredibly lovable and sensitive man,” Roe said of Cyphers 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 of many years who will be dearly missed.”

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Charles Cyphers was born on July 28, 1939, in Niagara Falls, New York. He began his acting career in 1972, though his first feature film appearance came two years later in Truck Turner. As for his collaboration with John Carpenter, that kicked off in his 1976 action-thriller film Assault on Precinct 13.

Something for everyone

Charles Cyphers has passed away. He was an early and frequent collaborator with me on my early movies. A kind man, he was a friend. I shall miss him.

— John Carpenter (@TheHorrorMaster) August 6, 2024

Cyphers’s Halloween character enjoyed a kinder fate than his Truck Turner role, sticking with the horror franchise through Halloween II and, most recently, 2021’s Halloween Kills. 2007’s Methodic sees Cyphers taking up a role that pays homage to his Halloween character.

Though action, thrillers, and horrors would define much of Cyphers’s filmography, there was always something for everyone. His other credits include Elvis (1979), The Fog (1980), Escape from New York (1981), Major League (1989), and Critical Mass (2001), among others.

HALLOWEEN KILLS, from left: Judy Greer, Charles Cyphers, Omar J. Dorsey, 2021. ph: Ryan Green / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Carpenter took to social media to honor his longtime partner. “Charles Cyphers has passed away,” he mourned in an August 6 post shared to Twitter, remembering him, like Roe, as both a talented actor and a good person. “He was an early and frequent collaborator with me on my early movies. A kind man, he was a friend. I shall miss him.”

Nancy Kyes, his co-star from Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, and The Fog, similarly said, “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.”