Artist Spotlight
In this month’s artist spotlight we bring to you Brad Loree...
Michael Myers is a Killer Shark in Baggy Ass Overalls
An Interview with Brad Loree
By Edward Crossman
Brad Loree, renowned stuntman and actor, best known for his iconic roll as Michael Myers in 'Halloween: Resurrection' is nothing like the stone cold, silent, serial killer he portrayed on screen. Warm, friendly, and welcoming, Mr. Loree was nothing but genuine smiles and laughs as he greeted fans and talked shop at the 2025 Hudson Valley Horror Fest. Willing to take as much time as needed with anybody and everybody who came by to say hi, Mr. Loree was more than happy to answer any and all questions thrown his was.
Taking full advantage of my press pass, I was able to steal Mr. Loree away for a quick, 10 minute conversation. Sitting down with such a legend of the horror scene was, by far, the highlight of my time at the Hudson Valley Horror Fest.
Eddie Crossman: All right, so I'm sitting here with Brad Loree, fucking consummate stuntman, actor, all around awesome guy!
Brad Loree: Oh stop, dude. Hahaha!
EC: You've been in more things than I can even mention. I mean, fucking everything, from Highlander, Timecop, which is fucking awesome, 13th Warrior, Mission to Mars, Halloween: Resurrection, X Men, the list literally goes on. How long have you been doing stunts? You've been working, what? 30 plus years?
BL: I did my first extra work on a movie called 'Runaway' with Tom Selleck, Gene Simmons and Cynthia Rhodes back in 1983 and then in 1984 I got my first contract as stunt on a movie called 'The Journey of Natty Gann' with John Cusack. Oh, so I've been doing stunts since 1984.
EC: You've worked with Cusack a few times, including on 'The Martian Child', correct?
BL: I doubled him on the 'Martian Child', yeah. And I also doubled him on '2012', right up until he fired me for speaking to him.
EC: Really?
BL: True story. Yeah, he's a bit of a douche,
EC: Wow! Speaking of douches, you did 'Timecop' with Van Damme.
BL: Hahaha. I did do time cop with Van Dam, and that was a very big experience for me, because the original stunt coordinator on that show was trying to keep me away from the show because I wasn't in the local stunt group yet. Then he broke his leg rehearsing for another show, and then Melissa Stubbs came on as the Canadian match to the American stunt man, I think he was Glenn Randall. And I just did a very good job. You know, when you're working for somebody for the first time you go that extra yard because you got to prove yourself, right? And JCVD was very good to me. He was very, almost too friendly. That's all I'm gonna say about that. But, yeah, it was a good experience, you know? And it was actually not a bad film. I'm really proud to have that on my resume.
EC: Yes! I really enjoy Timecop. Let's talk about why you're here today. Your iconic role as Michael Myers in 'Halloween: Resurrection'.
BL: Well, yes, I had no idea what I was getting into, of course, when I took the job, and, of course, when I first went for the interview, I had no intention of taking the job. I was under the impression they were looking for a stunt double for Mike Myers, the guy from Toronto that played Austin Powers. But when they told me they were gonna send me to LA to cast my head to build the mask, I said, 'Wait a minute, I've got to go all the way to Los Angeles to double some actor?' And they said, 'No, no, you're not gonna double the guy. You're gonna BE the guy.' And because I'm not a horror fan at all, because I'm a coward and Canadian and proud of it, but I love the first two Halloween films. So when they told me I was gonna be Michael Myers, I said, 'Okay, let's go.' And now I get invited to these horror conventions all over the world. And as it happens, my very good friends, two guys that I credit for getting me in the film industry. The first one was by karate instructor. He unfortunately has since passed away. He opened the door, but the guy that kicked me through it was Ken Kirzinger, who's Jason from 'Freddy vs Jason'. He said, 'Brad, you should be doing this full time. If you will get a pager, a head shot and a resume, I'll take you around.' And we were been best friends ever since.
EC: That's really nice. And that's kind of funny. Jason and Michael Myers, best friends.
BL: Yeah, we were always hoping that they pit the two of us together. Actually, Eddie, yes, this might be of interest to the fans. I was being interviewed on the set of Halloween, and the journalists asked me why Michael Myers was the way he was. I can't remember what I said, but I had put some thought into it, okay? And the producer of 'Freddy vs Jason' was really impressed, and he called me in when they came to Vancouver to do 'Freddy/ Jason'. We sat down and He said, 'You know, I I saw your interview, and I was just really impressed how much thought you put into why a guy behind a mask, you know, acts, and how much you worked on the physicality and whatnot.' And I had done some things with my eyes. Anyway, he wanted me to play Jason, but then he called Ronnie Yu, the director, and he says, 'Brad, you're perfect, you're just not tall enough.' Yeah. So I thought, well, if I don't get it, I sure hope Ken gets it. And then he looked at hundreds of guys, and I don't know what they're looking for. Anyway, they ended, and they came back, and then Kenny got the job. So now Kenny and I get to do these (cons) once a month together.
EC: That's awesome.
BL: Yeah, it's really awesome.
EC: So, speaking of your role as Michael Myers, playing such an iconic character, silently, what nuances do you think that you brought to the character that others didn't?
BL: Well, when they asked me what I thought why Michael was the way he was, blah, blah, blah. Blah. But the bottom line was, for me, it was like, I think of Michael Myers like a shark. Sharks swim and kill. He walks and kills. So I wanted to make my eyes look dead, like a shark's eyes. So whenever we had a medium or close up, I would cross my eyes, slightly, so it kind of took the focus out of them. And actually, Dick Warlock is the one that said, 'You know, Brad,' he actually has said this in print, 'you're my favorite Michael because of what you did with your eyes. Yeah, you look like you could see there was a human being there, but they looked soulless, dead, like a doll's eyes, like dead eyes, like a shark.' So that's what I feel. And then as far as the physicality, I watched all the Michael Myers' movies, and then I came back to (Halloween), because to me Nick Castle is Michael Myers, and that one scene near the end of the movie where he walks from the house across the street towards Jamie and the kids, that's the longest piece of walking. And I watched that over and over and over, and God bless Rick Rosenthal, you know, because there was a couple of times, because I was nervous, it makes you want to walk too fast. He goes, "Now Brad, just nice and slow. You know you're walking with purpose, but you're not in a race." And anyway, so, yeah, that was awesome.
EC: One question I had more for myself than the fans: Fucking Busta Rhymes, with that kung fu shit at the end of the movie. That was the weakest way to get rid of Michael Myers.
BL: Eddie, you cannot believe how much flack I took when that came out. My very first convention, the first dozen guys that came up to me were chewing my ass out, "How could you let that mother fucker... blah blah blah!" and I said "Guys, if it says it in the script, I do it", you know? And I have lots of love for Busta, so it didn't bother me any. I thought they showed a lot of different things of Michael Myers, different sides to Michael in that movie, where he chooses not to kill Busta, initially.
EC: Yeah, where Busta just yells at Michael and he walks away.
BL: Earlier in the film, he's in the nut house, pardon me, the asylum, and instead of killing the guy, he gives him the knife and walks away. So I thought that was interesting. And I thought those things kind of just add to the mystique of Michael, which is why I couldn't stand Rob Zombie's films. The first one gave us too much backstory. Too much, made him too big. Every time he goes after someone, there's no hope the person's gonna survive. He's seven feet tall, and he's a crazed killer. Anyway...
EC: The beginning of 'Resurrection' was the ending of Halloween: H20. Did you have scenes with Jamie Lee Curtis?
BL: Yeah, she was in the very beginning. I go into the hospital. She hits me with this big lamp, runs up onto the roof. I end up getting my foot caught in this pulley, hanging upside down. Yeah, I had four days with her.
EC: What was that like, working with her?
BL: Well, she was very kind to my girlfriend and I. She kind of took on a big sister role with my girlfriend, you know, telling her how to deal with me, as a boy. She let us hang out in her trailer with her. Told us stories. Yeah, she's very, very kind. And, you know, I was very fortunate to get invited to the one convention she did in Indianapolis, like 10 or 12, years ago. And I gave her 10% of my take because she's just giving hers away to the kids. She kind of teared up. My agent said she mentioned it in an interview that she did, so I'm hoping that she comes to the next 'Halloween' convention in Pasadena. Which, I think is in two years, I think, but it'll be the 50th. That's gonna be a big deal. And I'm really hoping she comes. I'm hoping John Carpenter is there. I'm sure Nick and Dick will be there, because Dick Warlock, who I love like an uncle. I've been calling him Uncle Dick since I first met him 20 years ago, but he keeps threatening to retire. So, I don't know.
EC: What do you think about the Hudson Valley Horror Fest?
BL: Oh, it's fantastic. I just wish a little more people showed up... I'm just happy to be here. I always make new friends with these shows. I always worry, though, when I really like the promoters, like Tommy and Gary, I always worry about whether or not they're....you know... I just don't want to see anybody lose money.
EC: Yeah, I think that too. But I think they do it because they love it.
BL: Oh yeah, absolutely. They do love it. Horror fans are so loyal to their genre.
EC: Got one last question for you: You got any works coming out? You got anything in the pipeline?
BL: No film work, because I'm a little overweight and I'm really beat up with my hips and back right now, and the film industry is on it's head right now. But, I'm doing five more weeks, straight weekends after this weekend, then I have a weekend off, and then I'm doing seven weekends. Just conventions. This is my new life, and I love it, because I've been on disability since '09, Eddie, just sitting around contemplating my navel, and it's, you know, this is my social life. So, it's very, very nice to meet you. I'm honored to be interviewed by you.
EC: It's my honor. You are a legend, dude! Seriously, thank you!