James Winburn, best known as Michael Myers' stunt double in the original 1978 slasher film "Halloween," has died at 85.
Entertainment Weekly confirmed that the longtime Hollywood stuntman and actor died due to an undisclosed health issue over the weekend.
Winburn donned the slasher's mask in several scenes in "Halloween," including the end sequence in which Dr. Samuel Loomis (Donald Pleasence) shoots Myers, causing him to fall off a balcony before disappearing. He returned as the masked villain's stuntman alongside cast members Pleasance and Jamie Lee Curtis in the 1981 sequel, "Halloween II."
During the course of his decadeslong career, Winburn worked as a stunt double in over 70 films, including the 1981 film "Escape from New York," as well as the original 1982 movie "Tron." Additionally, he acted in several shows and films including "Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen," "Cagney & Lacey," "Hunter," and "Island of Witches."
Winburn's talents were not limited to onscreen. He also directed three feature films: 1988's "Evil Altar," 1991's "The Death Merchant," and 1993's "Miami Beach Cops."
Last month, Winburn appeared at the "For the Love of Horror" convention. The organization that hosted him, Monopoly Events, took to Twitter to pay homage to the late star.
"James was an absolute pleasure to work [with] and shared some amazing stories with everyone," the tweet read. "Our sincere condolences go out to his family, friends and fans."
Monster-Mania Con, which also runs horror conventions, paid tribute to Winburn on social media after the actor missed its 2022 event due to health issues.
"Sad to learn of the passing of James Winburn today," the organization wrote in a Facebook post Monday. "James was an absolute pleasure to work with and we had hoped to see him again for our show in Oaks, PA but sadly a health issue prevented that. James was always appreciative of the Halloween fans and truly enjoyed meeting everyone. Our sincere condolences go out to his family, friends and fans."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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