Charles Cyphers (born July 28, 1939) is an American actor who is known in the

horror movie Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, ap ...

community for his work in the films of

John Carpenter John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, actor, and composer. Although he worked in various film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. He ...

, especially his role as Sheriff Leigh Brackett in Carpenter's 1978 movie ''

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...

''. He reprised this role in the 1981 sequel '' Halloween II'' and the 2021 sequel ''

Halloween Kills ''Halloween Kills'' is a 2021 American slasher film directed by David Gordon Green and co-written by Green, Danny McBride and Scott Teems. It is the sequel to 2018's ''Halloween'' and the twelfth installment in the'' Halloween'' franchise. The ...

''.

Film work

Cyphers's first feature film was the 1974 movie ''

Truck Turner ''Truck Turner'', also known as ''Black Bullet'', is a 1974 blaxploitation film, starring Isaac Hayes and Yaphet Kotto, and directed by Jonathan Kaplan. The screenplay was written by Michael Allin, Leigh Chapman (under a pseudonym, Jerry Wilke ...

'', and he first worked with Carpenter in the 1976 action film '' Assault on Precinct 13'', in which he played Starker, one of the ill-fated police officers gunned down by gang members. He later appeared as Sheriff Leigh Brackett in the 1978 hit horror movie ''

''. Cyphers worked with Carpenter two years later, playing Dan O'Bannon in '' The Fog'', a 1980 horror film which also starred Tom Atkins, Cyphers's fellow ''Halloween'' cast member

Jamie Lee Curtis Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress, producer, children's author, and activist. She came to prominence with her portrayal of Lt. Barbara Duran on the ABC sitcom '' Operation Petticoat'' (1977–78). In 1978, she m ...

, his ''Assault on Precinct 13'' co-star

Darwin Joston Francis Darwin Solomon (December 9, 1937 – June 1, 1998) was an American actor known professionally as Darwin Joston (sometimes credited as Darwin Jostin during the early years of his career). Joston began his career as a New York stage acto ...

, and

Nancy Kyes Nancy Louise Kyes, known professionally as Nancy Loomis, is an American former actress. A frequent collaborator of filmmaker John Carpenter, she portrayed Annie Brackett in '' Halloween'' (1978) and also appeared in his films '' Assault on Preci ...

, who worked with Cyphers in both ''Assault on Precinct 13'' and ''Halloween''. He then played the Secretary of State in Carpenter's popular 1981 film ''

Escape from New York ''Escape from New York'' is a 1981 American science fiction film, science fiction action film co-written, co-scored and directed by John Carpenter. It stars Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne B ...

'', in which he appeared with Atkins and ''Halloween'' actress

Nancy Stephens Nancy Stephens (born July 2, 1949) is a former American actress who has starred in many films and television shows. Stephens is perhaps best known for her role as Nurse Marion Chambers in John Carpenter's horror film ''Halloween'' (1978). She r ...

. He reprised the role of Sheriff Brackett in '' Halloween II''. In 2005, he appeared in the movie '' Dead Calling'', and in 2007 he was set to appear in Ethan Dettenmaier's unreleased film, Sin-Jin Smyth, and in the film ''Methodic'' in a role which paid homage to his character in ''Halloween''. He reprised the role of Sheriff Leigh Brackett in the 2021 film ''

''.

Television

Cyphers has appeared in numerous television productions. During the 1970s, he had a recurring role, as Hugo Muncy, in ''

The Betty White Show The Betty White Show refers to several shows hosted by Betty White: * The Betty White Show (1952 TV series), which aired on NBC in 1954, having originated locally two years prior *The Betty White Show (1977 TV series) ''The Betty White Show ...

'', and he guest-starred in an episode of '' Gibbsville'' in 1976. In addition, he had guest roles in popular television series such as ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was o ...

'', ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as bein ...

'' and ''

The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television serie ...

'', and he played Drake in the 1977 mini series ''

Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

''. More recently, he has appeared in ''

Sliders Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * ''The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...

'', '' ER'', ''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as a fictionalized version of himself and ...

'', '' JAG'', and '' Any Day Now''. From 1996 to 1998, Cyphers played Al Yaroker in the 1990s series '' Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher''. He has also acted in various made-for-television movies.

Other work

Cyphers' roles on the stage, both on- and off-Broadway, include ''

12 Angry Men ''Twelve Angry Men'' is an American courtroom drama written by Reginald Rose concerning the jury of a homicide trial. It was broadcast initially as a television play in 1954. The following year it was adapted for the stage. It was adapted for a ...

'', in which he portrayed "Juror #3" to

Julie Cobb Julie Frances Cobb is an American actress. She is the daughter of actor Lee J. Cobb. Early life Cobb was born in Los Angeles, California, to a Jewish family. Her parents were actor Lee J. Cobb and actress Helen Beverley. She went to Beverly H ...

's "#2" (her father portrayed "#3" in the 1957 movie). Cyphers appeared on ''

The Dating Game ''The Dating Game'' is an American television game show that first aired on December 20, 1965, and was the first of many shows created and packaged by Chuck Barris from the 1960s through the 1980s. ABC dropped the show on July 6, 1973, but it ...

'' in 1967 to compete for a date with

Yvonne Craig Yvonne Joyce Craig (May 16, 1937 – August 17, 2015) was an American actress and ballerina, who was renowned for her role as Batgirl in the 1960s television series '' Batman''. Other notable roles in her career include Dorothy Johnson in the 196 ...

( "Batgirl" from the 1960s ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

'' TV series).

Filmography

*'' Cool Breeze'' (1972) as Backstage Police Officer (uncredited) *'' The Slams'' (1973) as Nicol - Prison Guard (uncredited) *''

'' (1974) as Drunk *''

Vigilante Force ''Vigilante Force'' is a 1976 American action film directed by George Armitage and starring Kris Kristofferson and Jan-Michael Vincent. The plot concerns a Vietnam War veteran and his buddies, who are hired by his brother and others in a small C ...

'' (1976) as Perry Beal *'' Assault on Precinct 13'' (1976) as Special Officer Starker *'' MacArthur'' (1977) as Brigadier General Forest Harding *'' Coming Home'' (1978) as 'Pee Wee' *''

Gray Lady Down ''Gray Lady Down'' is a 1978 American submarine disaster film directed by David Greene and starring Charlton Heston, David Carradine, Stacy Keach, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox and Rosemary Forsyth, and includes the feature film debut of Christop ...

'' (1978) as Larson *''

'' (1978) as Sheriff Leigh Brackett *''

Someone's Watching Me! ''Someone's Watching Me!'' is a 1978 American made-for-television horror film written and directed by John Carpenter and starring Lauren Hutton, David Birney and Adrienne Barbeau. The film was made immediately prior to Carpenter's theatrical ...

'' (1978) as Gary Hunt *'' Elvis'' (1979) as

Sam Phillips Samuel Cornelius Phillips (January 5, 1923 – July 30, 2003) was an American record producer. He was the founder of Sun Records and Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where he produced recordings by Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, ...

*''

A Force of One ''A Force of One'' is a 1979 American action martial arts film starring Chuck Norris, Jennifer O'Neill, Ron O'Neal, Clu Gulager and Bill Wallace. The film was directed by Paul Aaron and written by Pat E. Johnson and Ernest Tidyman and released b ...

'' (1979) as Dr. Eppis *''

The Onion Field ''The Onion Field'' is a 1973 nonfiction book by Joseph Wambaugh, a sergeant for the Los Angeles Police Department, chronicling the kidnapping of two plainclothes LAPD officers by a pair of criminals during a traffic stop and the subsequent m ...

'' (1979) as Chaplain *'' Borderline'' (1980) as 'Ski' *'' The Fog'' (1980) as Dan O'Bannon *''

'' (1981) as US Secretary of State York *'' Halloween II'' (1981) as Sheriff Leigh Brackett *''

Death Wish II ''Death Wish II'' is a 1982 American vigilante action film directed and co-edited by Michael Winner. It is the first of four sequels to the 1974 film ''Death Wish''. It is the second installment in the ''Death Wish'' film series. In the stor ...

'' (1982) as Donald Kay *''

Honkytonk Man ''Honkytonk Man'' is a 1982 American comedy-drama musical western film set in the Great Depression. Clint Eastwood, who produced and directed, stars with his son, Kyle Eastwood. Clancy Carlile's screenplay is based on his 1980 novel of the sam ...

'' (1982) as Stubbs *'' Grizzly II: The Predator'' (1983) as Steve *''

Hunter's Blood ''Hunter's Blood'' is a 1986 action thriller film directed by Robert C. Hughes, produced by Myrl A. Schriebman and starring Sam Bottoms, Kim Delaney, Clu Gulager, Ken Swofford and Joey Travolta. Plot Five men from the city decide to take a little ...

'' (1986) as Woody *''

Big Bad Mama II ''Big Bad Mama II'' is a 1987 American action–crime–sexploitation comedy film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Jim Wynorski, starring Angie Dickinson, Robert Culp, Danielle Brisebois and Julie McCullough. While it has been identified as ...

'' (1987) as Stark *'' Gleaming the Cube'' (1989) as Harvey McGill *'' Major League'' (1989) as Charlie Donovan *'' Loaded Weapon 1'' (1993) as Interrogator *'' Murder in the First'' (1995) as Bailif (uncredited) *'' Mach 2'' (2001) as Harry Olson *''

Critical Mass In nuclear engineering, a critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The critical mass of a fissionable material depends upon its nuclear properties (specifically, its nuclear fi ...

'' (2001) as Henderson *''Dead Calling'' (2006) as Chuck Walker *'' Sin-Jin Smyth'' (2006) (unreleased) * ''Methodic'' (2007) as Chief Sperranza *''

'' (2021) as Leigh Brackett

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cyphers, Charles 1939 births American male film actors American male television actors Living people Male actors from New York (state) People from Niagara Falls, New York 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors