Nick Castle is an American actor, screenwriter, and film director, best known for his role as Michael Myers in Halloween (1978).
Background[]
Nick Castle and Jamie Lee Curtis pretend to kiss on set. Dick Warlock would later do this on the set of the sequel.
Originally, Castle, a childhood friend of director John Carpenter, was just there to watch his friend make a movie. However, it was at the suggestion of Carpenter that he take up the role of Michael Myers rather than paying a stuntman to do the role. Castle was payed about twenty-five dollars a day for his role in the film. Michael was portrayed by Nick Castle in almost every scene, except for some pick-up shots and the unmasking scene, where he was replaced by Tony Moran. Castle admitted he was disappointed to not be the face shown, but understood that Carpenter wanted a more "angelic" face to juxtapose with Myers' ghastly deeds. However, there is a scene where Castle appears as Michael without the mask, when Michael leaps on top of the car in the rain at the beginning of the film. The scene was lit only by the car's taillights and lasted not even two seconds, so many people do not remember Castle in the shot. Castle had to do the take in the cold water many times, and got sick as a result. However, the experience was mainly fun for Castle. He can be seen in many production stills having fun with the mask. These include pretending to kiss Jamie Lee Curtis, pretending to drink some Dr. Pepper, and holding the mask next to his own face with a funny expression. Originally, Castle was seen sprinting
Nick Castle playing around on set.
after his victims but Carpenter felt that Castle had what he called an "interesting walk", so he said to him: "Nick, just walk." Since then, this has become the character's trademark and it makes the character look more psychotic, as he never runs after his victims, yet still catches them.
Castle could not reprise his role in the sequel, Halloween II, because he was busy starting his directing career. He was replaced by Dick Warlock, who has developed a strong following among fans along with Castle. During filming, Castle kept the mask in his back pocket, so the spray paint wore off rather quickly. This, along with dust and Debra Hill's cigarette smoke, contributed to the discoloration of the mask over time, which is why people think the sequel had a different mask.
Nick Castle is known as the original "Shape" for his role.
He would return to portray the role of Michael Myers/the Shape for the 2018 movie Halloween, which follows on forty years since the first film and ignores all sequels released in-between, making him the third actor (the first two being George P. Wilbur and Tyler Mane) to play Michael in more than one film. Jamie Lee Curtis also reprised her role again as Laurie Strode.
Reception[]
Castle’s performance was met with critical acclaim and was a hit with moviegoers. He was praised for his smooth movements and many felt he presented an understated presence rather than an overly brutal one, which made him different from future horror movie killers.
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
| Film | Character | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Halloween | Michael Myers | 1978 |
| Halloween II (archive footage) | Michael Myers | 1981 |
| Halloween | Michael Myers | 2018 |
External Links[]
Nick Castle on the Internet Movie Database