TOWSON, Md. — Michael Myers has terrorized the town of Haddonfield for decades.
Many fans have put into question when Myers' story will come to an end.
All that is discussed and more during a sit down with the man who has portrayed the Haddonfield reaper for the past three films, James Jude Courtney.
Courtney began his career doing stunts, stating that it took decades of work to build up and play the role of Myers.
"You know initially I wanted to be an actor," said Courtney. "I did probably 3000 high falls and 7000 sword fights, I was a double swordsman."
So the question remained, how did Courtney prepare himself to play such a dark figure in horror history? He uses the breath.
"I use this breathing technique, and what I do is, I breathed that character in and when that character is in me, very little of music is present, just enough to hit my marks to know where my light is to know what lenses to not hurt anybody to not get hurt. But something else takes over. But the most important part of that is I breathe it out again. And so I can go back to being me and I don't carry it home with me."
As an actor, Courtney trained with Stella Adler, founder of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City. He also had a private coach and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. With years of acting training under his belt, he became known as an actor who could do stunts.
Courtney goes on to say that he values the asset of being able to do stunts and act, he also states that there is a deep psychological and emotional connection to the work he's done over the years, he gives credit to Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers on some practices that he currently does.
"I've done what Aaron Rodgers is currently making famous," Courtney said. "I've gone to the jungles of Peru and and worked with Shamanic healers using Ayahuasca I worked with African shaman using Ibogaine and their sacred rituals. I worked with North American First Nations, a shaman and you know, so I've explored some really dark, deep places, places that most human beings don't get to."
All of Courtney's ventures and expeditions leads to how he has portrayed Michael for the past three films, the most that any actor has since the beginning of Myers' story in the 1980's.
When asked how he views donning the mask the most, he states how much impact the role has had on him over the past four years.
"I think after the dust is settled, I'll think about it because for this whole period, since I did 2018, I knew I was going to do two more. So I have not processed it intellectually because it's such a deeply spiritual character to me. And, it's a place beyond time and space, it's a place beyond 3D and judgment, you know, so there's a there's a very powerful part of me inside that I haven't really examined yet and that is, having played this role."
The past three films, fans have seen Myers endure what seems to be a tremendous amount of punishment, from being shot, stabbed, and even ran over by a car. Somehow he continues to get up and continue his terror on the town. Courtney put on the perspective of the townspeople and gave his opinion on the scale of Michael Myers' strength and character.
"Now see, the townspeople, and the audience, and Laurie strode, see this character as pure evil, I don't," Courtney stated. "I mean, I see myself as living in a five dimensional reality where there is no right or wrong or up or down or black or white. And my perspective is to play this character. You don't judge a cat for killing a mouse, why judge the shape for doing what he does? You know, and so it's having that perspective, isn't that the truth that, the greatest bad guys in real life in the world who start World Wars and that kind of thing, they don't see themselves as bad guys. So I live in this perspective of just being what I was meant to be, and then Laurie is the one, Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie strode, is the one who has to find a way to bring a reckoning to that."
Curtis actually landed her first role in 'Halloween' in 1978.
She has faced Michael in the last two films to protect her family from the evil that Myers brings to the town.
When asked what it was liking working with Curtis, Courtney had nothing but compliments and endearment for her.
"I knew Jamie and I were gonna like each other," said Courtney. "When we met in 2018, she was everything you imagined she could be. She's a poster child for an empowered woman. She's funny and self deprecating, incredibly intelligent, incredibly generous, really, really talented."
He also says they held a very endearing friendship over the years.
"At the end we got together and realized that we like each other a tremendous amount, we text back and forth, and we had a few phone calls in between. Then for Halloween Kills I didn't see her, I didn't see her at all. We didn't work together and we just missed each other. So then when I show up on the set of Halloween Ends, she stopped, she was getting in her transportation van, she saw me pull up, she ran out give me a big hug."
You'd think people wouldn't recognize a man on the street when he has a mask on for the whole movie, well not if you're Michael Myers.
Courtney spoke on his experience being stopped by fans and even his trips into Baltimore.
"Yeah, that you know, that's it's really strange you mentioned that it's happened. I think it's because of social media," said Courtney. "It was after Halloween Kills that I started getting noticed more and more and more. In fact, oh, a few months ago, my life partner Sarah and I were up in New Jersey visiting friends but we had lots of stops to make. So we drove instead of flying. We stopped off in Baltimore stopped at the fish market down there in Lexington. You know, that area down there? Man. I mean, it was like one after the other after the other just just just good folks, man. Just good Baltimore, folks, you know, just just in soon as one recognize me, then another one was like, Hey, you're you aren't you and and that's the way it rolls. And so now it's really getting to the place where I'll even go to a bar or a restaurant or something and people start taking pictures or they ask for pictures and I'm happy to do that. It's fun to be recognized for your work and to be appreciated, as you well know."
He was also in Maryland for the Monster Mania event in Hunt Valley in early September.
They handed out posters to fans for the promotion of the film.
"The people who attend those conventions are just the nicest people you'll ever Ever Made. And it's an it's a cross section of all not just America but the world. Every socio economic level, every profession, every race, religion, you every, you know, sexual orientation, all that goes out the window. And there's just people there enjoying a common passion for horror films."
Horror films commonly bring people together of all origins and Michael has been apart of the lives of generations of horror fans, but the final question remains, will this truly be the end of Michael Myers' story?
"Well, let me put it this way, I signed a three picture deal. And for me, this will be the end. But you never know," said Courtney.
Will terror truly come to an end?
Find out when 'Halloween Ends' officially hits theaters on October 14th.
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