Charles Cyphers
Charles Cyphers was a burly, brusque character actor whose enduring image as a hard-glaring, suspender-wearing law enforcer was first seen among the grainy textures of 1970s cinema and television. In addition to a recurring role on the geriatric sleuth series "Barnaby Jones" and a regular part as the title character's comically oversized stunt double on the action-based sitcom spoof "The Betty White Show," he rose to prominence by appearing in some of the earliest, most famous films of the celebrated horror maestro John Carpenter. His introduction to Carpenter was as the ill-fated prison guard Starker in the vicious breakthrough hit "Assault on Precinct 13" ('76). Two years later, he landed his signature role as the beleaguered Sheriff Leigh Brackett in the director's seminal slasher classic, "Halloween," paving the way for a reprise in the immediate sequel as well as further appearances in Carpenter's other early '80s creepers, the silently spooky "The Fog," and the futuristic action odyssey "Escape from New York." Over the course of the subsequent two decades, he immersed himself in prime-time television, carving out a niche as a consummate, mostly serious, but occasionally silly guest star. After his TV run essentially culminated with his series-long role as a grizzled shop teacher on the unruly classroom comedy "Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher," he made a return to low-budget movies, primarily of the horror and action genres. A veritable if humble cult figure, Cyphers isn't above providing a tongue-in-cheek moment or two in roles that pay winking tribute to his famous Sheriff Leigh Brackett persona. Charles Cyphers died on August 4, 2024 in Tucson, AZ at the age of 85.
Photos
Charles Cyphers
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
39% |
|
Halloween Kills | Leigh Brackett (Character) | $92.0M | 2021 |
No Score Yet |
|
Methodic | Chief Sperranza (Character) | - | 2009 |
83% |
|
Major League | Charlie Donovan (Character) | $49.8M | 1989 |
29% |
|
Gleaming the Cube | Harvey McGill (Character) | $2.5M | 1988 |
No Score Yet |
|
Big Bad Mama II | Stark (Character) | - | 1987 |
34% |
|
Halloween II | Sheriff Leigh Brackett (Character) | - | 1981 |
86% |
|
Escape From New York | Secretary of State (Character) | - | 1981 |
76% |
|
The Fog | Dan O'Bannon (Character) | $69.5K | 1980 |
No Score Yet |
|
Borderline | Ski (Character) | - | 1980 |
No Score Yet |
|
A Force of One | Dr. Eppis (Character) | - | 1979 |
88% |
|
Someone's Watching Me! | Gary Hunt (Character) | - | 1978 |
97% |
|
Halloween | Sheriff Leigh Brackett (Character) | $47.5M | 1978 |
83% |
|
Coming Home | Pee Wee (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald | Michael Brandon (Character) | - | 1977 |
96% |
|
Assault on Precinct 13 | Starker (Character) | - | 1976 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Alvin Karpis, Public Enemy No. 1 | Arthur `'Doc'` Barker (Character) | - | 1974 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Betty White Show | Hugo Muncy (Character) | 1977-1978 2021 2024 |
50% | No Score Yet | Hyperion Bay | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Pensacola: Wings of Gold | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1998 |
85% | 92% | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Coach Carl Marin (Guest Star) | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher |
Unknown (Character), Unknown (Guest Star) |
1996-1998 |
91% | 71% | Murder One | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1996 |
No Score Yet | 85% | ER | Injured Civil-War Reenactor (Guest Star) | 1995 |
89% | 92% | Seinfeld | Gardner (Guest Star) | 1995 |
50% | No Score Yet | Deadly Games | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | 75% | Sliders | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
88% | No Score Yet | The George Carlin Show | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1994 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | California Dreams | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1994 |
86% | 88% | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1993 |
No Score Yet | 89% | Murder, She Wrote | Lt. Timothy Chance (Guest Star) | 1991 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Jake and the Fatman | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 21 Jump Street | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1988 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Aaron's Way | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1988 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Matlock | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1986 |
No Score Yet | 42% | Airwolf | Joe Ganns (Guest Star) | 1984 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Dukes of Hazzard | Bumper (Guest Star) | 1979 1984 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hart to Hart | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1981 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Starsky and Hutch | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1976 1978-1979 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Alice | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Barnaby Jones | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1973-1975 1977 |
100% | 82% | Wonder Woman | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Charlie's Angels | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bionic Woman | Faler (Guest Star) | 1976 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Six Million Dollar Man | Faler (Guest Star) | 1976 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cannon | Corky Hill (Guest Star) | 1973 |