Released on Oct. 25, 1978, just a few days before the actual holiday, John Carpenter’s Halloween horrified audiences and introduced one of the most terrifying villains of all time: Michael Myers. At the movie’s start, Michael is a young boy who kills his older sister on Halloween night.
Fifteen years later, Michael, now an adult, escapes a psychiatric hospital and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, Ill., on a killing spree. It’s here that he meets his ultimate foe, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), who, like his sister, is babysitting on Halloween night. Rumor has it that the film’s original title was The Babysitter Murders, per MovieWeb.
Carpenter landed on the title Halloween, and Michael Myers — also known as “The Shape” — became a horror icon. Halloween was a smash hit, grossing over $47 million at the U.S. box office after being made for just a few hundred thousand dollars, according to Box Office Mojo.
Since then, the Halloween franchise has expanded to 13 films, including a reboot with its own sequel and even a spinoff anthology that had nothing to do with Myers. Thanks to the franchise’s long legacy, the original cast has had long-lasting, successful careers, with some surprising famous faces joining the series over the years.
The fright-night classic that started it all, here’s what the cast of 1978’s Halloween is up to now.
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Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode
Curtis played Laurie, a babysitter stalked by Myers, and in some films, she was referred to as his younger sister.
Born in Los Angeles to actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, Curtis landed her role in Halloween when she was 19. The film was her first major project after playing Lt. Barbara Duran on the series Operation Petticoat from 1977 to 1978.
Halloween‘s success turned Curtis into a star and led to other feature roles in horror movies like The Fog (1980), Prom Night (1980) and Terror Train (1980), as well as the 1981 sequel Halloween II. These credits earned her the nickname “Scream Queen.” Curtis also tried her hand at other genres, starring in Trading Places (1983), A Fish Called Wanda (1988), True Lies (1994) and Freaky Friday (2003).
She experienced a massive career resurgence from the late 2010s through the 2020s, starting with the new trilogy of Halloween sequels — Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills (2021) and Halloween Ends (2022), which presumably concluded the franchise’s 44-year run.
In 2022, Curtis was cast in the critically acclaimed indie Everything Everywhere All at Once. The movie became a breakout hit and swept the 95th annual Academy Awards, with Curtis winning Best Supporting Actress — her first Oscar win despite having a decades-long career.
Curtis followed up her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once by playing Dr. Tannis in Eli Roth’s film adaptation of the video game series Borderlands. Variety chief film critic Peter DeBruge praised the actress for her “force-of-nature supporting turn” in the Pamela Anderson-led drama The Last Showgirl. She also took home her first career Emmy for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series for depicting Donna Berzatto on The Bear.
Acting credits aside, Curtis is also a busy wife and mom. She’s married to comedian and filmmaker Christopher Guest, best known for movies like This Is Spinal Tap (1984) and Best in Show (2000). They have two daughters: dancer Annie Guest and gaming editor Ruby Guest. In 2021, Ruby came out as transgender, and Curtis has become a dedicated advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
Next up, Curtis will reprise her beloved role as Tess Coleman in the Freaky Friday sequel, Freakier Friday, premiering on Aug. 8, 2025. Per Deadline, she will also appear in the James L. Brooks-directed comedy Ella McCay in 2025.
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Nick Castle as Michael Myers
Nick Castle scared audiences to death with his role as Myers, whose slow walk and towering stature made him a terrifying, almost supernatural killer.
After donning the infamous white mask in the original film, Castle focused on his career as a writer and director. His projects include co-writing Escape from New York (1981) with Carpenter, directing Dennis the Menace (1993) and writing the screenplay for August Rush (2007). Castle returned to the fictional Haddonfield, Ill., as the mute masked killer in 2018’s Halloween, Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends.
In 2018, Castle discussed returning to the Halloween set after 40 years, recalling how Curtis spotted him on their first day of filming. He told Bloody Disgusting that she “ran over, gave me a big hug and said, ‘Is this nuts or what?’ ”
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Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis
The late Donald Pleasence portrayed Dr. Loomis, Myers’ psychiatrist, who tried to track him down after his escape.
Before Halloween, the British actor was already an accomplished star. He was in hit films such as The Great Escape (1963), You Only Live Twice (1967) and George Lucas’ first major film, THX 1138 (1971).
Pleasence reprised his role as Dr. Loomis four more times, starring in Halloween II (1981), Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), released a few months after his death.
Pleasence also appeared in other Carpenter classics, like Escape from New York and 1987’s Prince of Darkness, thanks to his relationship with the filmmaker.
The actor was married four times and had five children, including daughter Angela Pleasence, who has had roles on several British series, including Midsomer Murders in 1998 and Doctor Who in 2007. Pleasence died on Feb. 2, 1995, at age 75, after complications from heart surgery.
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Kyle Richards as Lindsey Wallace
Kyle Richards played Lindsey Wallace, a young girl Laurie’s friend Annie was babysitting on Halloween night.
Since appearing in Halloween, Richards has had a long career in Hollywood. She starred on the series Down to Earth from 1984 to 1987 and had a recurring role on ER from 1998 to 2006. Besides her acting work, Richards is most known for starring on Bravo’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills since 2010.
After reprising her role as grown-up Lindsey in Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends, Richards told PEOPLE in 2022 that she would “absolutely” return to star in another Halloween film despite its presumed conclusion.
“To be able to be in these movies from the very beginning, since I was 8 years old, and to know that I’d be going till the very end, meant a lot to me,” she said.
In 2024, Richards appeared in the LGBTQ+ romance film The Holiday Exchange and Beautiful Wedding, a romantic comedy directed by Roger Kumble.
From 1988 to 1992, Richards was married to Guraish Aldjufrie, with whom she welcomed daughter Farrah Aldjufrie, a real estate agent. She later married Mauricio Umansky in 1996, and they had three daughters: Alexia Umansky, Sophia Umansky and Portia Umansky. In 2023, Richards and Umansky separated after 27 years of marriage; however, according to a source close to the couple, they’ve since remained “amicable.”
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Nancy Stephens as Marion Chambers
Nancy Stephens portrayed nurse Marion Chambers, who worked at the hospital where Myers escaped.
Marion appeared at the beginning of the first movie while driving with Dr. Loomis to the hospital, only to discover that Myers had fled. The character later returned for Halloween II and revealed the big secret that Laurie was Myers’ sister. Stephens reprised the role again for 1998’s Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, during which Marion is murdered at the beginning of the film.
Despite Marion’s death, the 2018 trilogy completely retcons every Halloween movie except the first, bringing her back to life. Stephens played Marion again in Halloween Kills, where she’s (again) murdered by Myers. Beyond the Halloween films, Stephens appeared in the 2024 LGBTQ+ horror movie Ladybug.
Stephens met her husband, Rick Rosenthal, on the set of Halloween II, which he directed along with 2002’s Halloween: Resurrection. The pair have produced several docufilms, including 2018’s Dark Money and 2023’s Invisible Beauty.
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P.J. Soles as Lynda van der Klok
P.J. Soles played Lynda van der Klok, who had one of the most iconic deaths in Halloween. After Myers killed her boyfriend, he slowly entered Lynda’s room covered in a bedsheet while she called Laurie before strangling her with the telephone cord.
Soles’ first significant role was in the 1976 Stephen King adaptation of Carrie alongside Sissy Spacek. After Halloween, Soles appeared opposite Bill Murray in Stripes (1981); Jawbreaker (1999) with Rose McGowan; and Rob Zombie’s hit The Devil’s Rejects (2005). She even returned for a secret voice cameo in 2018’s Halloween.
The actress has also had numerous high-profile marriages throughout her life. She wed musician and songwriter Steven Soles in the early ’70s before marrying actor Dennis Quaid in 1978. She and Quaid divorced in 1983, and later that same year, Soles exchanged wedding vows with stunt pilot Skip Holm. She and Holm were married until 1998 and welcomed two children, son Sky and daughter Ashley.
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Nancy Kyes as Annie Brackett
Nancy Kyes starred as Annie Brackett, one of Laurie’s friends and a fellow babysitter. Before landing the part, she worked with Carpenter on his 1976 film Assault on Precinct 13.
After Kyes’ character was strangled to death by Myers inside a garage in Halloween, the actress appeared as the murdered Annie at the start of Halloween II, which picks up directly after the end of the first film.
She also returned for 1982’s Halloween III: Season of the Witch, an anthology film with a different plot. The movie initially received negative reviews but has since gained a cult following.
While shooting Halloween III, Kyes began dating writer and director Tommy Lee Wallace, and the couple later married. They welcomed two children and have since divorced. After the 1992 TV movie Lady Boss, Kyes wouldn’t return to the big screen until more than 30 years later, starring in Parker Brennon’s 2024 LGBTQ+ horror film Hauntology.
Since then, she has worked as an adjunct professor at Cal Poly Pomona, according to the college’s official website. Just before the 2018 Halloween film was released, Cal Poly’s student paper, The Poly Post, interviewed Kyes about her time in the franchise. She admitted she never imagined Halloween would become the phenomenon it is today.
“You don’t think you’re making great works of art that are somehow going to last through the ages,” Kyes said via Daily Mail. “In 1978, when the movie was made, the whole sequel thing was just taking off, so we were making jokes about ‘Oh yeah, there’ll be a sequel.’ ”
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Charles Cyphers as Leigh Brackett
Charles Cyphers portrayed Leigh Brackett, Haddonfield’s sheriff and Annie’s dad.
Like much of the Halloween cast, Cyphers worked with Carpenter on films like Assault on Precinct 13, The Fog and Escape from New York. In addition to his work with Carpenter, Cyphers starred in blockbuster hits like 1989’s Major League.
Cyphers later returned to the Halloween franchise with a prominent role in Halloween II and a cameo in Halloween Kills, his last acting credit. On Aug. 4, 2024, the actor died following a “brief illness” at the age of 85.
Source: People
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