Charles Cyphers, Who Played Sheriff Brackett in ‘Halloween,’ Dies at 85

Arts|Charles Cyphers, Who Played Sheriff Brackett in ‘Halloween,’ Dies at 85

Charles Cyphers, who played the gruff and broad-shouldered Sheriff Leigh Brackett alongside Jamie Lee Curtis in the classic horror film “Halloween” (1978) and in two sequels, has died. He was 85.

His management company, Chris Roe Management, announced the death on social media on Tuesday. It did not provide additional details.

As Sheriff Brackett, Mr. Cyphers was a part of the charge to find the masked murderer Michael Myers in “Halloween,” the slasher film that a critic for The New York Times, Jason Zinoman, decades later described as a “relentlessly terrifying masterpiece.”

In a pivotal scene in the movie, directed by John Carpenter, Mr. Cyphers stands across from a doctor who reveals the psychopathy of Myers, a killer who cannot be reasoned with and has no sense of right and wrong. Sheriff Brackett’s daughter would later be killed by Myers, prompting the character to call on all of his resources to find him.

Mr. Cyphers had a commanding presence on the screen, with a no-nonsense demeanor that embodied the law enforcers he played throughout the years.

He reprised his role for “Halloween II” (1981), and then decades later for the 2021 film “Halloween Kills.” In a 2022 interview at HorrorConU. K., Mr. Cyphers discussed his return to the franchise.

“It was wonderful to be called back again in a film,” he said. “It’s unheard-of after 40 years.”

Charles George Cyphers was born on July 28, 1939, in Niagara Falls, N.Y., according to IMDB.

Mr. Cyphers began acting at 21, he said in the interview, but he didn’t land his first paid role for 10 more years. He began to gain attention through his work with Mr. Carpenter, who cast him as an officer guarding prisoners in the 1976 film “Assault on Precinct 13.”

He worked with Mr. Carpenter on several more projects, including the films “The Fog” (1980) and “Escape From New York” (1981).

He also appeared in dozens of television shows, including “Barnaby Jones,” “The Dukes of Hazzard” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

In the 2022 interview, Mr. Cyphers discussed his long career, and offered advice that helped him consistently find opportunities. “Learn your craft,” he said. “Listen, and react.”