James Winburn racked up around 80 credits during his career as a stuntman, but for genre fans there is one credit that really stands out from the pack: Winburn was the stunt double for iconic slasher Michael Myers in director John Carpenter‘s 1978 classic Halloween (watch it HERE). In the moment where Dr. Loomis shoots Myers six times, sending him tumbling off a balcony, that’s Winburn performing the stunt. Sadly, it has been reported that Winburn passed away at the age of 85.
Winburn’s manager Peter DeLorme confirmed the news to TMZ, saying he passed away this past Saturday, November 19, in a Los Angeles hospital after a short illness. It was quite short, because Winburn attended a convention in the United Kingdom just three weeks ago. The company that put on that convention, which was called For the Love of Horror, said Winburn “was an absolute pleasure to work with and shared some amazing stories with everyone over the weekend.”
Winburn’s first stunt credit was on the TV series McCloud in 1970, and over the years he also performed stunts for films and TV shows like The Poseidon Adventure, Black Caesar, The Six Million Dollar Man, Earthquake, The Towering Inferno, The Bionic Woman, Ilsa: Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks, The Sentinel, Fantasy Island, The Fog, The Stunt Man, Magnum P.I., Escape from New York, Graduation Day, The Fall Guy, Vice Squad, The Sword and the Sorcerer, Mortuary, TRON, Knight Rider, The Big Chill, Gotcha!, Pale Rider, Once Bitten, 8 Million Ways to Die, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Glory, Popcorn, and The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, among others.
Winburn also directed a few films himself: the 1988 horror movie Evil Altar, the 1991 thriller The Death Merchant, and the 1993 action movie Miami Beach Cops.
Our sincere condolences go out to his family, friends, and fans.