All the Actors Who Have Terrified Audiences as Michael Myers

Starring as Michael Myers in the original 1978 film, Nick Castle was the first actor to don the famous mask. Castle later returned to the big screen as the killer in the 2018 reboot of the series but only agreed to do so for one scene: when Michael and Laurie Strode come face to face for the first time in 40 years. It's a poignant moment, given that this reboot ignores all the other movies and is a direct sequel to the very first film.

Apart from the 1978 and 2018 versions of "Halloween," Castle has only appeared in bit parts in three other films. The majority of his credits are actually off camera; Castle wrote the '80s Kurt Russell classic "Escape From New York" and directed such iconic '90s films as "Dennis the Menace," "Major Payne," and "Mr. Wrong." (Yes, Michael Myers directed a rom-com with Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Pullman.) He also appeared (as himself) in the documentary "In Search of Darkness," which explores the history of the horror genre.

As it turns out, the 2018 reboot of the "Halloween" franchise wasn't the last time the former Michael Myers reprised the role. He did film a cameo for "Halloween Kills," though the scene was cut from the theatrical release, according to Collider.

While Castle did play Michael for a majority of the original 1978 "Halloween," it's the face of Tony Moran that you see when Michael is finally unmasked. After that memorable role, however, Moran actually retired from acting in movies. He did make a few guest appearances on TV, but those also ended by the early 1980s. In 2008, Moran made his big-screen return with a short film called "The Lucky Break," but he has only had a couple of roles since.

In "Halloween II," Dick Warlock took on the new version of Michael Myers (with Castle and Moran both appearing in recycled footage). An actor and stunt man, Warlock actually appeared in "Halloween III: Season of the Witch," too, this time as the "Android Assassin" since Michael isn't present in the film. In addition to this role, he was also the stunt coordinator for "Halloween III." Warlock worked as Kurt Russell's regular stunt man for over 25 years and retired from onscreen work in 2002.

When Michael Myers returned in the aptly named "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers," George P. Wilbur put on the infamous mask. He later returned, after a one-film break, for the sixth film in the franchise, "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers." For most of his career, Wilbur worked as a stunt man — in fact, he launched his career working as John Wayne's stand-in during the 1960s! He's a member of the Hollywood Stuntmen's Hall of Fame.

Don Shanks put on Michael Myers mask for "Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers." Like many other actors who played the iconic villain, Shanks is a stunt man as well as an actor. He has worked in dozens of horror movies and even joined another horror franchise when he played Ben Willis, aka The Fisherman, in "I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer."

For 1998's "Halloween H20: 20 Years Later," it was Chris Durand who tackled the role of Michael Myers. He has worked mostly as a stunt performer, most recently on the TV series "Westworld" and in the Marvel franchise.

Brad Loree took on the role of Michael Myers for 2002's "Halloween: Resurrection." He's had guest spots on TV shows like "Supernatural" and "Arrow." As a stunt performer with almost 100 credits, Loree has worked on several highly recognizable projects, including the X-Men series, "Tron: Legacy," and "The Cabin in the Woods."

Tyler Mane, a former wrestler turned actor, put on the mask for Rob Zombie's 2007 reboot of "Halloween." He also reprised the wicked role in 2009 for the sequel "H2," becoming the first actor to play Michael Myers in consecutive movies and only the second to play the character more than once.

As you might expect of an ex-wrestler, Mane's acting career has included plenty of action-heavy roles. He had roles in the original "X-Men" and in "Troy" in the early 2000s, and in more recent years, he has continued working steadily in the horror genre. Most recently, he had an arc as Blackstar on the Netflix series "Jupiter's Legacy."

Apart from that initial scene between Laurie and her tormentor, which was played by Castle, Michael (aka "The Shape") is played by actor James Jude Courtney in the 2018 "Halloween." He's the one you'll recognize in that opening prison scene as well as the majority of the rest of the film.

While he's not a household name, Courtney has appeared in a number of big film and TV projects. He appeared alongside Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in "Far and Away," starred with Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia in "When a Man Loves a Woman," and even had bit parts in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Babylon 5."

Courtney appeared in "Halloween Kills" and reprised his role in "Halloween Ends" as well.

Airon Armstrong plays a younger version of Michael Myers in "Halloween Kills." For the most part, Armstrong has spent his career so far in guest roles and as a stunt performer. He's racked up nearly 100 stunt credits, including frequent work on TV shows like "Elementary," "Person of Interest," "Gotham," "Iron Fist," "Jessica Jones," and, more recently, "Loki."