Charles Cyphers

Charles George Cyphers (July 28, 1939 – August 4, 2024) was an American actor who 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 movie Halloween. He reprised this role in the 1981 sequel Halloween II and the 2021 sequel Halloween Kills.

Career Cyphers's first feature film was the 1974 movie Truck Turner, 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.

He later appeared as Sheriff Leigh Brackett in the 1978 hit horror movie Halloween. 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. He reprised the role of Sheriff Brackett in Halloween II.

In 2005, he appeared in the movie Dead Calling, and in 2007 he was set to appear in Ethan Dettenmaier's unreleased film, Sin-Jin Smyth, and in the film Methodic in a role which paid homage to his character in Halloween.

Cyphers later returned to the Halloween franchise, reprising the role of Brackett in the 2021 film Halloween Kills.

Cyphers appeared in numerous television productions. During the 1970s, he had a recurring role, as Hugo Muncy, in The Betty White Show, and he guest-starred in an episode of Gibbsville in 1976. In addition, he had guest roles in popular television series such as Barnaby Jones, Wonder Woman and The Dukes of Hazzard, and he played Drake in the 1977 mini series Roots.

More recently, Cyphers 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 also acted in various made-for-television movies.

Other work Cyphers' roles on the stage, both on- and off-Broadway, include 12 Angry Men, in which he portrayed "Juror #3" to Julie Cobb's "#2" (her father portrayed "#3" in the 1957 movie). Cyphers appeared on The Dating Game in 1967 to compete for a date with Yvonne Craig ("Batgirl" from the 1960s Batman TV series).

Death Cyphers died after a brief illness in Tucson, Arizona, on August 4, 2024, at the age of 85.

Filmography + Film Year Title Role Notes 1972 Cool Breeze Backstage Police Officer Uncredited 1973 The Slams Nicol 1974 Truck Turner Drunk 1976 Vigilante Force Perry Beal Assault on Precinct 13 Officer Starker 1977 MacArthur Brigadier General Forest Harding 1978 Coming Home Pee Wee Gray Lady Down Larson Halloween Sheriff Leigh Brackett 1979 A Force of One Dr. Eppis The Onion Field Chaplain 1980 The Fog Dan O'Bannon Borderline Ski 1981 Escape from New York Secretary of State Halloween II Sheriff Leigh Brackett 1982 Death Wish II Donald Kay Honkytonk Man Stubbs Grizzly II: Revenge Steve 1986 Hunter's Blood Woody 1987 Big Bad Mama II Stark 1989 Major League Charlie Donovan Gleaming the Cube Harvey McGill 1993 Loaded Weapon 1 Interrogator 1995 Murder in the First Bailiff Uncredited 2001 Mach 2 Harry Olson Critical Mass Henderson 2006 Dead Calling Chuck Walker 2007 Methodic Chief Sperranza 2021 Halloween Kills Leigh Brackett Final film role

+ Television YearTitle Role Notes1972–1973Cannon Janniver's Accomplice/Corky Hill 2 episodes1973–1975,1977Barnaby Jones Various 4 episodes 1973 The F.B.I. Charlie Wicker Episode: "Break-In" 1974 The Manhunter Emmett Crowley Episode: "Death on the Run" The F.B.I. Story: The FBI Versus Alvin Karpis, Public Enemy Number One Arthur 'Doc' Barker TV film The Missiles of October Press Photographer 1975 The Secrets of Isis Sam Niles Episode: "Fool's Dare" 1976 The Six Million Dollar Man Faler Seasons 3–4 (guest role, 3 episodes) The Bionic Woman Faler Episode: "The Return of Bigfoot Part 2" Phyllis Coach Joe Cook Episode: "Out of the Closet"1976,1978–1979Starsky & Hutch Various 3 episodes 1976 Gibbsville Wingfield Episode: "Trapped" 1977 Charlie's Angels Haller Episode: "Angels on a String" Roots Fred Drake Miniseries (episode 8) Wonder Woman Kurt Episode: "Wonder Woman in Hollywood" The Tony Randall Show Eddie Foxworth Episode: "Case: The People Speak" Dog and Cat Loomis Episode: "Dead Skunk" Our Town Sam Craig TV film 1977–1978 The Betty White Show Hugo Muncy Season 1 (recurring role, 14 episodes) 1977 The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald Michael Brandon TV film 1978 Alice Allen Wolf Episode: "Close Encounters of the Worst Kind" Someone's Watching Me! Gary Hunt TV film 1979 Elvis Sam Phillips1979, 1984The Dukes of Hazzard Bumper/Phil 2 episodes 1979 Friendly Fire Tom Loomis TV film Lou Grant Jerry Baldwin Episode: "Charlatan" 1981 Hart to Hart Lester Episode: "Hart-Shaped Murder" 1982 The Quest Peters Episode: "Escape from a Velvet Box" Benson Scotty Episode: "Benson's Army Reunion" 1983 Memorial Day Jack Ruskin TV film Little House on the Prairie: Look Back to Yesterday Zack Taylor 1984 Rituals Dutch Unknown episode(s) Airwolf Joe Ganns Episode: "HX-1"1985, 1987Hill Street Blues Capt. Leder/Commander #1 3 episodes 1986 Matlock Tom Coyle Episode: "The Cop" 1987 Dallas Bertram Pogue 2 episodes Our House Fred Houston Episode: "Past Tense, Future Tense Part 2" Santa Barbara Sheriff Episode 724 Simon & Simon Sergeant Lester Episode: "New Cop in Town" 1988 Night Court Leo Episode: "Dan, the Walking Time Bomb" China Beach The General Episode: "Home" Aaron's Way Episode: "Invisible People" 21 Jump Street Team Doctor Episode: "Coach of the Year" 1989 Freddy's Nightmares Ben Ostroff Episode: "Dream Come True" Jake and the Fatman Benny Kraus Episode: Dancing in the Dark" Dragnet Coach Simons Episode: "The Connection" Mancuso, F.B.I. Episode: "Weapons-Grade" 1990 The Outsiders Episode: "Union Blues" 1991–1992 Roc Mr. Samuels 2 episodes 1991 Murder, She Wrote Lt. Timothy Chance Episode: "Lines of Excellence" 1993 FBI: The Untold Stories Sillous Huddleston Episode: "Yablonski" Renegade Zachary Quinn Episode: "Honor Bound" Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Thaddeus Roarke Episode: "Honeymoon in Metropolis" 1994 California Dreams Coach Cotler Episode: "Can't Buy Me Love" seaQuest DSV Calvin Shelley Episode: "Higher Power" Hardball Chuck Pilot The George Carlin Show Officer Bill Koski 3 episodes 1995 Sliders Coach Almquist Episode: "Eggheads" Deadly Games General Barnicke Episode: "The Camp Counsellor Part 2" Seinfeld Gardner Episode: "The Hot Tub" E.R. Injured Civil-War Reenactor Episode: "The Secret Sharer" JAG Jesse Episode: "Brig Break" The George Wendt Show Mr. Blake Episode: "My Brother, the Albatross" 1996 Murder One Patrick McQueen 4 episodes 1996–1998 Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher Al Yaroker Season 1–2 1998 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Coach Carl Marin Episode: "Go Fish" Pensacola: Wings of Gold General Stabler Episode: "Raid on Osirak" Hyperion Bay Episode: "The Rope" 1999 Any Day Now 2 episodes 2001 Cousin Skeeter Episode: "Little Mr. Big Man on Campus"