James Jude Courtney (born January 31, 1957) is an American actor,

stunt double In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes FOR another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...

, and

stunt performer A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...

. He is best known for playing fictional mass murderer Michael Myers in the 2018 film ''

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...

'' and its two sequels, ''

Halloween Kills ''Halloween Kills'' is a 2021 American slasher film directed by David Gordon Green and co-written by Green, Danny McBride and Scott Teems. It is the sequel to 2018's ''Halloween'' and the twelfth installment in the'' Halloween'' franchise. The ...

'' and ''

Halloween Ends ''Halloween Ends'' is a 2022 American slasher film directed by David Gordon Green and co-written by Green, Danny McBride, Paul Brad Logan and Chris Bernier. It is the sequel to ''Halloween Kills'' (2021), the thirteenth installment in the ''Ha ...

''. He also played Der Kindestod in the ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...

'' episode " Killed by Death".

Life and career

Courtney was born on January 31, 1957, in

Garfield Heights Garfield Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Cleveland. The population was 28,849 at the time of the 2010 census. Geography Garfield Heights is located at (41.421423, -81.602682). According to the Uni ...

, Ohio, and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, as the eldest of seven brothers. From an early age, Courtney was determined to become an actor and made short films from fifth grade through college. He majored in

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...

at the University of South Carolina in 1981 and subsequently moved to California to pursue acting. He started working at

Universal Studios Hollywood Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusemen ...

as a tour guide before he was cast as Conan in the park's ''Conan the Barbarian'' live show. Courtney applied his

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

skills to the role, which demanded high falls and sword fights; he sustained multiple injuries during performances. At Universal Studios, Courtney met actor

Brian Thompson Brian Earl Thompson (born August 28, 1959) is an American actor. His career began with a small role in the 1984 film ''The Terminator''. He played the villainous "Night Slasher" in the 1986 film '' Cobra''. His first named role was on ''Werew ...

and stunt coordinator Alex Daniels, who helped him to branch out as a

. He also pursued acting studies at the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sen ...

and was coached by

Stella Adler Stella Adler (February 10, 1901 – December 21, 1992) was an American actress and acting teacher.
''

Courtney made his film acting debut in 1989 in ''The Freeway Maniac'' and continued acting through 2002. In 1997, he gained wider recognition in the role Der Kindestod in the ''

'' episode " Killed by Death".

''Halloween'' films

Courtney played Michael Myers in

David Gordon Green David Gordon Green is an American filmmaker. He directed the dramas ''George Washington'' (2000), ''All the Real Girls'' (2003), and '' Snow Angels'' (2007), as well as the thriller '' Undertow'' (2004), all of which he wrote or co-wrote. In 2 ...

's horror film ''

'', the 2018 sequel to

John Carpenter John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, actor, and composer. Although he worked in various film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. He ...

's 1978 film of the same name. Green asked the film's stunt coordinator Ron Hutchinson whether he knew an experienced stunt actor that was "6-feet-3, 200 pounds, and in his 60s," upon which Hutchinson recommended Courtney. Green explained to Courtney his vision for Myers's mannerisms, an amalgamation of the performance of

Nick Castle Nicholas Castle is an American screenwriter, film director, and actor. He is known for playing Michael Myers in John Carpenter's horror film ''Halloween'' (1978). He reprised the role in ''Halloween'' (2018), and its sequels ''Halloween Kills'' ...

, who originally played the character in 1978, and the addition of a feline style of movement, which Courtney tailored his portrayal to by observing the movement of his pet cat. He used Carpenter and Castle's work on the original film to inform how the forty years that transpired between the events of the films would affect the character. The December 2017 announcement of Castle's participation in the film was widely reported as his retaking the role of Myers, with Courtney only doing additional work as the character. However, in a 2018 interview, Courtney stated that Castle's screentime only amounted to a single cameo and that every scene under the mask was done by himself, including the scene which he shares with Castle, leading to the question of why Castle's return had been misrepresented by the production. Courtney returned to the role for the film's 2021 sequel, ''

'', with Nick Castle once again sharing the acting credit, although Castle's only scene in the film was excluded from the final cut. Courtney stated that his stunt work for the film, especially for scenes including fire, was among the most challenging of his career. He portrayed the character for a third and last time in 2022's ''

'', thus earning him the accolade of being the actor to portray Myers the most times. For ''Halloween Ends'', director David Gordon Green made the decision to have Courtney physically portray the character for the entirety of the film for the first time, citing his "extraordinary work" in the previous films. Honoring his portrayal of Michael Myers in 2018's ''Halloween'', October 19, the film's United States opening day, was officially proclaimed James Jude Courtney Day in

Warren County, Kentucky Warren County is a county located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 134,554, making it the fifth-most populous county in Kentucky. The county seat is Bowling Green. Warren Coun ...

. Courtney was nominated for Best Actor at the 2019 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards alongside Castle for his work in ''Halloween''. For his performance in ''Halloween Kills'', Courtney was nominated for

Best Villain Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation ...

at the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards.

Selected filmography

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Courtney, James Jude 1957 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Actors from Ohio American film actors American stunt performers