James Jude Courtney (née Herbkersman; born January 31, 1957) is an
American actor, stunt double, and stunt performer. He is best known
for playing serial killer Michael Myers in the 2018 film Halloween. He
also played Der Kindestod in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode
"Killed by Death".Courtney, born James Jude Herbkersman in Portland,
Ohio, was raised in Columbia, South Carolina, as the eldest of seven
brothers. From an early age, Courtney was determined to become an
actor and made short films from fifth grade through college. He
majored in journalism at the University of South Carolina in 1981 and
subsequently moved to California to pursue acting. There, he started
working at Universal Studios Hollywood as a tour guide before he was
cast as Conan in the park's Conan the Barbarian live show. Courtney
applied his martial arts skills to the role, which demanded high falls
and sword fights; he sustained multiple injuries during performances.
At Universal Studios, Courtney met actor Brian Thompson and stunt
coordinator Alex Daniels, who helped him to branch out as a stunt
performer. He also pursued acting studies at the Royal Academy of
Dramatic Art and was coached by Stella Adler.Courtney made his film
acting debut in The Freeway Maniac (1989) and continued acting through
2002. In 1997, he gained wider recognition in the role Der Kindestod
in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Killed by Death".Courtney
played Michael Myers in David Gordon Green's horror film Halloween,
the 2018 sequel to John Carpenter's 1978 film of the same name. Green
explained to Courtney his vision for Myers' mannerisms, an
amalgamation of the performance of Nick Castle, 1978 Myers actor, and
the addition of a feline style of movement. Courtney tailored his
portrayal to those specifications by observing the movement of his
cat: "I think cats are the most perfect hunting machines on the
planet. And the beauty of it is we don't judge a cat for what a cat
does. So I sort of carried that movement and the non-judgmental
approach to the way I moved as The Shape, which I learned from my cat
Parcival." Courtney used Carpenter and Castle's work on the original
film to inform how the forty years that transpired between the events
of the films would affect the character. The December 2017
announcement of Castle's participation in the film was widely reported
as his retaking the role of Myers, with Courtney only doing additional
work as the character. However, in a 2018 interview, Courtney stated
that Castle's screentime was minimal and that the great majority of
the work under the mask was done by Courtney, which led to the
question of whether Castle's return had been misrepresented by the
production. Honoring his portrayal of Michael Myers, October 19, the
film's United States opening day, was officially proclaimed James Jude
Courtney Day in Warren County, Kentucky, by Warren County
Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon. In January 2019, Courtney was nominated
for Best Actor at the 2019 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards alongside Castle
for his work in Halloween.
American actor, stunt double, and stunt performer. He is best known
for playing serial killer Michael Myers in the 2018 film Halloween. He
also played Der Kindestod in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode
"Killed by Death".Courtney, born James Jude Herbkersman in Portland,
Ohio, was raised in Columbia, South Carolina, as the eldest of seven
brothers. From an early age, Courtney was determined to become an
actor and made short films from fifth grade through college. He
majored in journalism at the University of South Carolina in 1981 and
subsequently moved to California to pursue acting. There, he started
working at Universal Studios Hollywood as a tour guide before he was
cast as Conan in the park's Conan the Barbarian live show. Courtney
applied his martial arts skills to the role, which demanded high falls
and sword fights; he sustained multiple injuries during performances.
At Universal Studios, Courtney met actor Brian Thompson and stunt
coordinator Alex Daniels, who helped him to branch out as a stunt
performer. He also pursued acting studies at the Royal Academy of
Dramatic Art and was coached by Stella Adler.Courtney made his film
acting debut in The Freeway Maniac (1989) and continued acting through
2002. In 1997, he gained wider recognition in the role Der Kindestod
in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Killed by Death".Courtney
played Michael Myers in David Gordon Green's horror film Halloween,
the 2018 sequel to John Carpenter's 1978 film of the same name. Green
explained to Courtney his vision for Myers' mannerisms, an
amalgamation of the performance of Nick Castle, 1978 Myers actor, and
the addition of a feline style of movement. Courtney tailored his
portrayal to those specifications by observing the movement of his
cat: "I think cats are the most perfect hunting machines on the
planet. And the beauty of it is we don't judge a cat for what a cat
does. So I sort of carried that movement and the non-judgmental
approach to the way I moved as The Shape, which I learned from my cat
Parcival." Courtney used Carpenter and Castle's work on the original
film to inform how the forty years that transpired between the events
of the films would affect the character. The December 2017
announcement of Castle's participation in the film was widely reported
as his retaking the role of Myers, with Courtney only doing additional
work as the character. However, in a 2018 interview, Courtney stated
that Castle's screentime was minimal and that the great majority of
the work under the mask was done by Courtney, which led to the
question of whether Castle's return had been misrepresented by the
production. Honoring his portrayal of Michael Myers, October 19, the
film's United States opening day, was officially proclaimed James Jude
Courtney Day in Warren County, Kentucky, by Warren County
Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon. In January 2019, Courtney was nominated
for Best Actor at the 2019 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards alongside Castle
for his work in Halloween.
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