Charles Cyphers
Encyclopedia
Charles Cyphers is an American
actor
who has starred in many film
s and on television
. He is known in the horror movie community for his work in the films of John Carpenter
, especially his role as Sheriff Leigh Brackett in Carpenter's 1978 hit horror movie Halloween
. He reprised this role in the 1981 sequel Halloween II
. He is not related to actor Jon Cypher
, alongside whom he played in Hill Street Blues.
, 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.
After appearing in Halloween in 1978, 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
, his Assault on Precinct 13 co-star Darwin Joston
, and Nancy Kyes
, 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
, in which he appeared with Atkins and Halloween actress Nancy Stephens
.
In 2005, he appeared in the movie Dead Calling, and in 2007 he appeared as a Sheriff in Ethan Dettenmaier
's forthcoming film, Sin-Jin Smyth
, and in the film Methodic in a role which paid homage to his character in Halloween.
. In addition, he had guest roles in popular television series such as Barnaby Jones
and The Dukes of Hazzard
, and he played Drake in the 1977 mini series Roots
.
More recently, he has appeared in Sliders
, ER
, Seinfeld
, 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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
who has starred in many film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s and on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. He is known in the horror movie community for his work in the films of John Carpenter
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
, especially his role as Sheriff Leigh Brackett in Carpenter's 1978 hit horror movie Halloween
Halloween (1978 film)
Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and the first installment in the Halloween franchise. The film is set in the fictional midwestern...
. He reprised this role in the 1981 sequel Halloween II
Halloween II
Halloween II is a 1981 slasher film directed by Rick Rosenthal, and written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. It is the second installment in the Halloween series and is a direct sequel to the Halloween set on the same night of October 31, 1978 as the seemingly unkillable Michael Myers continues to...
. He is not related to actor Jon Cypher
Jon Cypher
-Biography:Born in New York City, Cypher graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in 1949 and Brooklyn College in 1953. He made his television debut as the Prince in the original 1957 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella opposite Julie Andrews in the title role...
, alongside whom he played in Hill Street Blues.
Film work
Cyphers's first feature film was the 1974 movie Truck TurnerTruck Turner
Truck Turner is a 1974 blaxploitation film, starring Isaac Hayes and Yaphet Kotto, and directed by Jonathan Kaplan. The screenplay was written by Michael Allin, Jerry Wilkes and Oscar Williams...
, and he first worked with Carpenter in the 1976 action film Assault on Precinct 13
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976 film)
Assault on Precinct 13 is a 1976 American action-thriller film written and directed by John Carpenter. It stars Austin Stoker as a police officer who defends a defunct precinct against an attack by a relentless criminal gang, along with Darwin Joston as a convicted murderer who helps him. Laurie...
, in which he played Starker, one of the ill-fated police officers gunned down by gang members.
After appearing in Halloween in 1978, Cyphers worked with Carpenter two years later, playing Dan O'Bannon in The Fog
The Fog
The Fog is a 1980 horror film directed by John Carpenter, who also co-wrote the screenplay and composed the music for the film. It stars Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins and Janet Leigh...
, a 1980 horror film which also starred Tom Atkins
Tom Atkins (actor)
Tom Atkins is an American television and film actor. He is primarily known for his work in the horror film genre, having worked with writers and directors such as John Carpenter, Stephen King, and George A. Romero...
, Cyphers's fellow Halloween cast member Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress and author. Although she was initially known as a "scream queen" because of her starring roles in several horror films early in her career, such as Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night and Terror Train, Curtis has since compiled a body of work that spans many...
, his Assault on Precinct 13 co-star Darwin Joston
Darwin Joston
Francis Darwin Solomon was an American actor known professionally as Darwin Joston...
, and Nancy Kyes
Nancy Kyes
Nancy Louise Kyes is an American film and television actress. In most of her film appearances, she is credited under her stage name Nancy Loomis. She is known for her role as the teenage babysitter, Annie Brackett, in John Carpenter's 1978 horror classic slasher film Halloween.-Early life:Kyes was...
, 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
Escape from New York is a 1981 American science fiction action film directed and scored by John Carpenter. He co-wrote the screenplay with Nick Castle. The film is set in the near future in a crime-ridden United States that has converted Manhattan Island in New York City into a maximum security...
, in which he appeared with Atkins and Halloween actress Nancy Stephens
Nancy Stephens
Nancy Stephens is an American actress who has starred in many films and television shows. She is best known for her appearances in John Carpenter films; her most well-known being in the 1978 hit horror movie Halloween as Nurse Marion Chambers, who assisted Dr. Loomis in treating Michael Myers and...
.
In 2005, he appeared in the movie Dead Calling, and in 2007 he appeared as a Sheriff in Ethan Dettenmaier
Ethan Dettenmaier
Ethan Dettenmaier is an American screenwriter, producer, and director.-Early Career:After starting out in the mail room at Warner Bros., he landed a position with Bel-Air Productions and Producer Steven Reuther He went on to become a script doctor for Idiom Films and has since scripted work for...
's forthcoming film, Sin-Jin Smyth
Sin-Jin Smyth
Sin-Jin Smyth is an unreleased horror film written and directed by Ethan Dettenmaier, based on an old legend inspired by the Kansas Stull Cemetery...
, and in the film Methodic in a role which paid homage to his character in Halloween.
Television
Cyphers has appeared in numerous television productions. During the 1970s, he had a recurring role, as Hugo Muncy, in The Betty White ShowThe Betty White Show
The Betty White Show is an American sitcom which aired on CBS from September 12, 1977, to January 2, 1978. Fourteen episodes were transmitted. The series was produced by MTM Enterprises.-Synopsis:...
. In addition, he had guest roles in popular television series such as Barnaby Jones
Barnaby Jones
Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. A spin-off from Cannon, the show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement...
and The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
, and he played Drake in the 1977 mini series Roots
Roots (TV miniseries)
Roots is a 1977 American television miniseries based on Alex Haley's fictional novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Roots received 36 Emmy Award nominations, winning nine. It also won a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award. It received unprecedented Nielsen ratings with the finale still...
.
More recently, he has appeared in Sliders
Sliders
Sliders is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast for five seasons, beginning in 1995 and ending in 2000. The series follows a group of travelers as they use a wormhole to "slide" between different parallel universes. The show was created by Robert K. Weiss and Tracy Tormé...
, ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, JAG
JAG (TV series)
JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
, and Any Day Now. From 1996 to 1998, Cyphers played Al Yaroker in the 1990s series Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher
Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher
Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher is an American sitcom which aired on the WB from 1996 until 1998. The executive producers of the program, Dennis Rinsler and Marc Warren, drew on their own experiences as former teachers in New York and actually based the character that Mitch Mullany played on their...
. He has also acted in various made-for-television movies.
Filmography
- Assault on Precinct 13Assault on Precinct 13 (1976 film)Assault on Precinct 13 is a 1976 American action-thriller film written and directed by John Carpenter. It stars Austin Stoker as a police officer who defends a defunct precinct against an attack by a relentless criminal gang, along with Darwin Joston as a convicted murderer who helps him. Laurie...
(1976) ....Starker - MacArthurMacArthur (film)MacArthur is a 1977 American biographical war film directed by Joseph Sargent and starring Gregory Peck in the eponymous role as American General Douglas MacArthur.-Plot:...
(1977) ....Brig. Gen. Forest Harding - HalloweenHalloween (1978 film)Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and the first installment in the Halloween franchise. The film is set in the fictional midwestern...
(1978) ....Sheriff Brackett - Elvis (1979)....Sam PhillipsSam PhillipsSamuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...
- The Onion FieldThe Onion Field (film)The Onion Field is a 1979 American drama film directed by Harold Becker. The screenplay by Joseph Wambaugh is based on his 1973 true crime novel of the same title...
(1979) ....Chaplain - BorderlineBorderline (1980 film)Borderline is a 1980 American drama film directed by Jerrold Freedman and starring Charles Bronson, Ed Harris and Bruno Kirby.-Plot:The film follows a United States Border Patrol Agent in Charge, Jeb Maynard , who is forced to track down the killers of a young Mexican boy and his colleague and...
(1980) ....Ski - The FogThe FogThe Fog is a 1980 horror film directed by John Carpenter, who also co-wrote the screenplay and composed the music for the film. It stars Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins and Janet Leigh...
(1980)....Dan O'Bannon - Escape from New YorkEscape from New YorkEscape from New York is a 1981 American science fiction action film directed and scored by John Carpenter. He co-wrote the screenplay with Nick Castle. The film is set in the near future in a crime-ridden United States that has converted Manhattan Island in New York City into a maximum security...
(1981) ....Secretary of State - Halloween IIHalloween IIHalloween II is a 1981 slasher film directed by Rick Rosenthal, and written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. It is the second installment in the Halloween series and is a direct sequel to the Halloween set on the same night of October 31, 1978 as the seemingly unkillable Michael Myers continues to...
(1981) ....Sheriff Brackett - Death Wish IIDeath Wish IIDeath Wish II is a 1982 sequel to the 1974 film. It stars Charles Bronson, was written by David Engelbach and directed by Michael Winner....
(1982) ....Donald Kay - Honkytonk ManHonkytonk ManHonkytonk Man is a 1982 American drama 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 novel of the same name...
(1982) ....Stubbs - Big Bad Mama II (1987) ....Stark
- Gleaming the CubeGleaming the CubeGleaming the Cube is an American movie released in 1989. It featured Christian Slater as Brian Kelly, a 16-year-old skateboarder investigating the death of his adopted Vietnamese brother.The Skating Technical Advisor for the film was original Z-Boy, Stacy Peralta...
(1989) ....Harvey McGill - Major LeagueMajor League (film)Major League is a 1989 American satire comedy film written and directed by David S. Ward, starring Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, James Gammon, and Corbin Bernsen. Made for US$11 million, Major League grossed nearly US$50 million in domestic release...
(1989) ....Charlie Donovan - Loaded Weapon 1Loaded Weapon 1National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 is a 1993 crime-comedy film, directed by Gene Quintano and starring Emilio Estevez, Samuel L. Jackson and William Shatner...
(1993) ....Interrogator - Mach 2 (2001) ....Harry Olson
- Dead Calling (2006) ....Chuck Walker
- Sin-Jin SmythSin-Jin SmythSin-Jin Smyth is an unreleased horror film written and directed by Ethan Dettenmaier, based on an old legend inspired by the Kansas Stull Cemetery...
(2006) - Methodic (2007) ....Chief Sperranza
- Legend of the Mountain Witch (2009) ....Ben Maddock