Christopher "Chris" Durand is an American film and television actor. He is also a stuntman, and is best known for his role of psychopath Michael Myers in Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later. For some reason, he did not reprise his role in Halloween: Resurrection, and was replaced with Brad Loree, a lifelong fan of the series.
Reception[]
Upon the initial release of Halloween H20, reception for Durand’s portrayal was very mixed. While Critics were generally more positive, fans of the franchise were more displeased. The general consensus was that Durand’s portrayal of Myers was too casual and lacked the intimidating presence that his predecessor had.
Durand has gone on record in stating that he was not familiar with the Myers character upon auditioning, and felt that worked to his benefit. Both he and director Steve Miner felt Durand provided a fresh take on Myers.
Co-star Josh Hartnett spoke highly of Durand and defended his efforts: “It was obviously big shoes to fill. He had to learn to stalk correctly, to show physical emotion in that mask. He’s a big guy, so he already had this intimidating presence. It’s not an easy role to project, and he did well.”
Notes and trivia[]
- At 6'2", Durand is the average height for Michael Myers.
- Director Steve Miner elected to not showcase Durand’s height in any part of the film. Wanting the character be closer to his original look and concept from Halloween and Halloween II, he had Myers appear to be around the height he was for those films.
- He also portrayed (along with several other stuntmen) Scream franchise antagonist Ghostface in Scream 2, a year before being cast as Michael Myers.
Appearances[]
Film | Character | Year |
---|---|---|
Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later | Michael Myers | 1998 |
Halloween: Resurrection (archive footage) | Michael Myers | 2002 |