With any movie that turns into a series or franchise, actors who played certain major characters would often always be remembered for it. And some actors play these characters so well that anyone else taking over the role would produce a certain amount of skepticism within myself (Pennywise being the only exception). I suppose this is mostly because the first actor who takes over the role of any movie that becomes so iconic, I believe it's their portrayal of that role that helped leaped the movie into cult iconic status. So my loyalty lies with them. Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger, for instance, is a good example of this.
But when it comes to characters, such as Michael Myers, it's slightly different because that character, while at the top of the list of best slasher killers, the main things people can't help but notice about him are his walk/gait, the mask, who he kills and why, and of course, his head tilt. Plus, he's a silent character, which means anyone could play him, right?
Well, not necessarily.
Nick Castle is the one who brought The Shape to life. He had no complicated directions when performing the role of Michael Myers, except for the head tilt, of course. But him being free enough to keep it simple was enough for him, so he became one of the most memorable villains in slasher movie history.
When other actors come along to play the magnificent evil that is Michael Audrey Myers, the first thing I pay attention to is how they decide to embody the role. Are they keeping it simple or are they being too extra? Does his kills make sense or are we seeing a killer that seem like they're only *similar* to Michael Myers? Now I know that last part is more about the script moreso than the actor portrayal. But I think they still go hand in hand.
Tyler Mane, for example, played Michael Myers in the remake, and his portrayal demonstrated a kind of Michael Myers that didn't fit with who I think Michael Myers really is. That was as much the fault of the script as well as the actor playing him. But it proves my point, it goes hand in hand.
The second actor to play him, Dick Warlock, is probably the only actor who did as well as Nick Castle. Although smaller in stature, it didn't matter in the slightest. But moving on, other actors who have came and went did incredible jobs as well. Most of them, in my opinion, added something perfect to the role that best fit the overall movie.
Don Shanks is a good example of this.
In Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, the famous mass murderer evolved to a more angry person and it was obvious there was much more going on inside him besides a quiet kind of evil. Still, Don Shanks added what was appropriate for the role and overall movie. It might not be one of the best movies in the franchise to a lot of people but it's definitely one of my favorites.
It's unfortunate that not all the actors playing Michael Myers did as well of a job. And no, it wasn't only because of a badly written script. Halloween 2018, for example, showed you can have an actor do extremely well playing Michael Myers; the actor was very reminiscent of Nick Castle in a lot of ways, but most of the script was hella lousy, except for a few crucial scenes towards the end. That actor wasn't perfect, however. While he reminded me of Nick Castle, he also reminded me too much of Tyler Mane's version of Michael Myers, and that doesn't sit too well with me.
Aggression doesn't equal a good Michael Myers portrayal.
The actor who took on the role for Halloween Resurrection was. . .ok. . .to an extent but he was more on the lousy side, as well. I think the worst portrayal in the original franchise was the actor who took on the role in Halloween H20. Second worst to me is Tyler Mane. And I know I'll most likely get haters over this but I'm sorry, I didn't like the remake and even worst sequel.
Out of all the actors, the ones who brought something real and special to the role were Nick Castle, Dick Warlock, George P. Wilbur, and Don Shanks. James Jude Courtney proved he was capable of doing as well as Nick Castle but I'll still reserve judgment on him, especially if he returns to take on the role again.
I've had plans to make my own Halloween fan fiction film and I can only hope I can find an actor who embodies the role the way it's meant to be portrayed.
