Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Charles Cyphers

Highest Rated: 96% Halloween (1978)

Lowest Rated: 29% Gleaming the Cube (1988)

Birthday: Jul 28, 1939

Birthplace: Niagara Falls, New York, USA

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.

Show Less Show More

Highest rated movies

96% 89% Halloween Watchlist
96% 80% Assault on Precinct 13
Watchlist
88% 54% Someone's Watching Me!
Watchlist
86% 77% Escape From New York
Watchlist
83% 82% Coming Home
Watchlist
83% 84% Major League
Watchlist
75% 65% The Fog
Watchlist
39% 66% Halloween Kills Watchlist
34% 63% Halloween II
Watchlist
29% 68% Gleaming the Cube
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
39% 66% Halloween Kills Leigh Brackett (Character) $92.0M 2021
No Score Yet 65% Methodic Chief Sperranza (Character) - 2009
83% 84% Major League Charlie Donovan (Character) $49.8M 1989
29% 68% Gleaming the Cube Harvey McGill (Character) $2.5M 1988
No Score Yet 26% Big Bad Mama II Stark (Character) - 1987
34% 63% Halloween II Sheriff Leigh Brackett (Character) - 1981
86% 77% Escape From New York Secretary of State (Character) - 1981
75% 65% The Fog Dan O'Bannon (Character) $69.5K 1980
No Score Yet 39% Borderline Ski (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet 29% A Force of One Dr. Eppis (Character) - 1979
88% 54% Someone's Watching Me! Gary Hunt (Character) - 1978
96% 89% Halloween Sheriff Leigh Brackett (Character) $47.5M 1978
83% 82% Coming Home Pee Wee (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald Michael Brandon (Character) - 1977
96% 80% 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% 67% 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% 87% 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