James Winburn, the stunt double for the Michael Myers character in the original 1978 Halloween, died Nov. 19 following an undisclosed illness, his manager confirmed to EW. He was 85.
While Nick Castle famously donned the slasher’s mask in the first film, Winburn assisted in some of the most perilous scenes, including when Dr. Samuel Loomis (Donald Pleasence) shoots Myers several times, causing him to fall off a balcony before disappearing.
Winburn did stunt work for over 70 films over the course of his career, including Escape From New York, TRON, The Night Stalker, Glory, Crossing the Line, and The Waterfront. He also acted in a number of shows and films, including Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen, Cagney & Lacey, Hunter, and Island of Witches.
May he rest in peace ..
