Michael Myers Actor James Jude Courtney's Favorite Halloween Kill Goes All The Way Back To 1978
Over the years, there have been multitudes of actors who have worn the mask of slasher-film icon Michael Myers, appearing across a wide variety of projects linked to the "Halloween" franchise. Throughout the 13 films within the "Halloween" franchise, no less than eight total actors have portrayed the infamous (and seemingly supernatural) serial killer Michael Myers, whose long history of bloodshed began with the murder of his sister Judith Myers (Sandy Johnson) in 1978's "Halloween."
In the original film, the adult version of Michael Myers is portrayed by actors Nick Castle and Tony Moran (the latter of whom only appears in the ending when Myers' face is revealed beneath the mask). Other actors and stuntmen who have taken up the mantle as perhaps the most memorable horror character of all time include Dick Warlock, George P. Wilbur, Don Shanks, Chris Durand, Brad Loree, Tyler Mane, and most recently, James Jude Courtney.
Courtney has now portrayed the character across three separate films: 2018's "Halloween," the sequel "Halloween Kills," and the recently released "Halloween Ends." Yet, despite his lengthy tenure as the famous mass murderer, Courtney has gone on record to state that his favorite "Halloween" kill in the franchise is not one of his own — and is instead one of the most infamous kills from the very first "Halloween" movie.
The Bob kill from the original Halloween is Courtney's favorite
In 1978's Halloween, Robert "Bob" Sims (John Michael Graham) and his girlfriend Lynda Van Der Klok (P.J. Soles) visit the home of the Wallace family with plans to spend the night together, each one believing that the house was empty.
In actuality, Michael Myers (Nick Castle) had arrived in the house earlier that day and murdered the Wallaces' babysitter, Annie Brackett (Nancy Kyes) — a fact Bob discovers when he raids the Wallaces' kitchen for beer and finds himself face-to-face with Myers. Myers grabs Bob by the throat and lifts him into the air before pinning him to the pantry door with a butcher knife. In an interview with ScreenRant, James Jude Courtney asserted that this kill is by far his favorite in the entire franchise, which is why he was so excited to recreate it in "Halloween Ends."
"The Bob kill in 1978 is my hands down favorite kill in all the Halloween movies, every single one, even my own kills," explained Courtney. "That kill, to me, was so original, and so powerful, so to reenact that kill, I was in mission mode." Courtney's clear love for this kill is hardly surprising, given that Bob's death is one of the scariest moments in the "Halloween" franchise. Perhaps what makes the scene so powerful and terrifying is the ominous silence of it all, as Bob is unable to make a sound as he's choked to death and pinned against the wall. In any case, it's easy to see why this iconic and horrifying kill is Courtney's favorite in the entire franchise.