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Charles Cyphers (b. July 28 1939 in Niagara Falls, New York) is an American actor who has starred in many films and on television.

He is best known in the horror movie community for his work in the films of John Carpenter, especially his role as Sheriff Leigh Brackett in Carpenter's 1978 hit horror movie Halloween. He reprised this role in the 1981 sequel Halloween II. He is not related to actor Jon Cypher.

Film work

Cyphers's first feature film was the 1974 movie Truck Turner, and he first worked with Carpenter in the 1976 action film Assault on Precinct 13, in which he played Starker, one of the ill-fated police officers gunned down by gang members.

After appearing in Halloween in 1978, Cyphers worked with Carpenter two years later, playing Dan O'Bannon in The Fog, a 1980 horror film which also starred Tom Atkins, Cyphers's fellow Halloween cast member Jamie Lee Curtis, his Assault on Precinct 13 co-star Darwin Joston, and Nancy Kyes, who worked with Cyphers in both Assault on Precinct 13 and Halloween. He then played the Secretary of State in Carpenter's popular 1981 film Escape from New York, in which he appeared with Atkins and Halloween actress Nancy Stephens.

In 2005, he appeared in the movie Dead Calling, and Cyphers's most recent role is that of a sheriff in Ethan Dettenmaier's forthcoming film, Sin-Jin Smyth. The movie is due for release in October, 2006.

Television

Cyphers has appeared in numerous television productions. During the 1970's, he had a recurring role, as Hugo Muncy, in The Betty White Show. In addition, he had guest roles in popular television series such as Barnaby Jones and The Dukes of Hazzard, and he played Drake in the 1977 mini series Roots.

More recently, he has appeared in Sliders, ER, Seinfeld, JAG, and Any Day Now. From 1996 to 1998, Cyphers played Al Yaroker in the 1990s series Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher. He has also acted in various made-for-television movies.

Selected filmography

• Sin-Jin Smyth (2006)
• Dead Calling (2005)
• Mach 2 (2001)
• Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
• Major League (1989)
• Gleaming the Cube (1989)
• Bag Bad Mama II (1987)
• Honkytonk Man (1982)
• Death Wish II (1982)
• Halloween II (1981)
• Escape from New York (1981)
• The Fog (1980)
• Borderline (1980)
• The Onion Field (1979)
• Halloween (1978)
• MacArthur (1977)
• Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

External links

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