James Winburn, Michael Myers stuntman from original Halloween film, dies at 85

James Winburn, the stunt double for the Michael Myers character in the original 1978 Halloween, died Nov. 19 following an undisclosed illness, his manager confirmed to EW. He was 85.

While Nick Castle famously donned the slasher's mask in the first film, Winburn assisted in some of the most perilous scenes, including when Dr. Samuel Loomis (Donald Pleasence) shoots Myers several times, causing him to fall off a balcony before disappearing.

Winburn did stunt work for over 70 films over the course of his career, including Escape From New York, TRON, The Night Stalker, Glory, Crossing the Line, and The Waterfront. He also acted in a number of shows and films, including Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen, Cagney & Lacey, Hunter, and Island of Witches.

Gabe Ginsberg/FilmMagic James Winburn

Behind the camera, Winburn directed three features: 1988's Evil Altar, 1991's The Death Merchant, and 1993's Miami Beach Cops.

Monopoly Events, the organization behind the For the Love of Horror convention that hosted Winburn last month, paid homage to the late star on Twitter. "James was an absolute pleasure to work [with] and shared some amazing stories with everyone. Our sincere condolences go out to his family, friends and fans."

Related content:

• Stars we've lost in 2022