The acting community is mourning the passing of beloved character actor Charles Cyphers on Sunday.
The actor, best known for playing Sheriff Leigh Brackett in Halloween and Charlie Donovan in Major League, died at age 85 after a brief illness, according to Variety.
His manager Chris Roe said: “Charles was a lovely, sensitive man. He always had the best stories and he let you enjoy a full performance as he told them.”
Roe added that Cyphers “was a close friend and client for many years and will be deeply missed.”
His Halloween, The Fog and Assault on Precinct 13 co-star Nancy Kyes said: “I’m so sorry to hear about dear Chuck. My long-time friend, he could always be counted on for a kind word, a good laugh and a great story. He will be greatly missed.”
The acting community is mourning the passing of beloved character actor Charles Cyphers on Sunday.
The actor, best known for playing Sheriff Leigh Brackett in Halloween and Charlie Donovan in Major League, died at age 85 after a brief illness, according to Variety.
Cyphers was born on July 28, 1939, in Niagara Falls, New York, though he eventually headed west and graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a degree in theater arts.
He also studied at Los Angeles City College and also graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before beginning his career.
His early work was on episodes of FBI and Cannon before his first feature film, 1974’s Truck Turner with Isaac Hayes and Yaphet Kotto.
After further guest appearances in Secrets of Isis, The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, he was cast in his first John Carpenter film, 1976’s Assault on Precinct 13, playing the prison bus driver, Starker.
She returned to the small screen over the next two years, with roles in Gibbsville, Charlie’s Angels, Roots, Wonder Woman, The Charlie Randall Show and more.
He also appeared regularly on the short-lived The Betty White Show in 1977 alongside White and John Hillerman, before Carpenter called him back.
The director cast Cyphers in the role of Sheriff Leigh Brackett in his horror classic Halloween, which is still considered one of the best horror films ever made.
It is also one of the most profitable films ever made, grossing $70 million on a shoestring budget of just $300,000.
Cyphers was born on July 28, 1939, in Niagara Falls, New York, though he eventually made his way west and graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a degree in theater arts.
After further guest appearances in Secrets of Isis, The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, he was cast in his first John Carpenter film, 1976’s Assault on Precinct 13, playing prison bus driver Starker.
The director cast Cyphers in the role of Sheriff Leigh Brackett in his horror classic Halloween, which is still considered one of the best horror films ever made.
He became one of Carpenter’s most frequent performers, appearing in 1980’s The Fog and 1981’s Escape From New York and returning as Brackett in Halloween II.
He played long-suffering Cleveland Indians general manager Charlie Donovan (center left) in the 1989 baseball comedy classic Major League Baseball.
He became one of Carpenter’s most frequent performers, appearing in 1980’s The Fog and 1981’s Escape From New York and returning as Brackett in Halloween II.
Cyphers continued to move back and forth between television and film, appearing as a guest star on Benson and The Quest in 1982, in which year he also starred in the big-screen sequel Death Wish II.
He had primarily guest-starring roles during the 1980s on such shows as Airwolf, The Dukes of Hazzard, Matlock, Dallas, Hill Street Blues, Night Court and Simon & Simon before returning to the big screen… in a lighter role.
He played long-suffering Cleveland Indians general manager Charlie Donovan in the 1989 baseball comedy classic, Major League.
Cyphers continued to work as a guest actor throughout the 1990s and then landed a series regular role on Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher for both seasons.
He worked sparingly throughout the 2000s, though he was rehired to play Leigh Brackett one last time in 2021’s Halloween Kills.
