How old was James Winburn? Tributes pour in as Original Halloween stuntman passes away

Stunt actor James Winburn passed away on November 19, 2022, at the age of 85. While speaking to EW, his manager confirmed that he died from an undisclosed illness.

Following his demise, Monopoly Events paid tribute to him on social media and wrote that James was an "absolute pleasure" to work with. They added that the stunt artist shared amazing stories with "everyone over the weekend."

According to the Monster-Mania Convention, Winburn was supposed to appear at their event this month but canceled it due to his health problems. He has gained recognition for his work as a stunt artist and stunt coordinator in around 78 movies and TV shows from 1970 to 2005.

James Winburn was popular for his appearance in Halloween

Although his date of birth remains unknown, James Winburn was 85 years old at the time of his death.

He specifically became popular after his appearance in the 1978 slasher film, Halloween. He wore the mask of Michael Myers for the final sequence where Dr. Samuel Loomis apprehended Myers and the latter disappeared after being shot and falling from a balcony.

Directed by John Carpenter, Halloween was released on October 25, 1978. It grossed $70 million at the box office and received positive reviews from critics. The film featured Donald Pleasance, Jamie Lee Curtis, P.J. Soles, Nancy Kyes, Charles Cyphers, Kyle Richards, Brian Andrews, Nick Castle, and Tony Moran in lead roles.

Winburn was a stunt double for the sequel, Halloween II, released in 1981. Apart from Halloween, Winburn collaborated with John Carpenter in two more films – Escape from New York in 1981 and Tron in 1982. Winburn did not return to the Halloween franchise after the sequel, but his work led to the launch of one of the longest-running franchises.

The Halloween franchise led to 13 movies in total and the most recent entry, Halloween Ends, was released on October 14, 2022. Directed by David Gordon Green, the film received mixed reviews, with most of them calling it a weak conclusion to the trilogy that started in 2018.

James Winburn was popular during the 70s and 80s for his appearances in McLoud, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, The Poseidon Adventure, The Fog, The Stunt Man, Escape From New York, and Tron. He was a stunt double for actors like Peter O’Toole, Barry Bostwick, Stan Lee, Chevy Chase, George Hamilton, David Hasselhoff, and others.

Apart from his work as a stunt actor, he was also a director of movies like Miami Beach Cops, The Death Merchant, and Evil Altar.

Netizens pay tribute on Twitter

James Winburn became famous in recent years for his work in films and television. His fans expressed their grief on social media when they heard about his demise:

About the author

Anupal is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda with a degree in Political Science. He developed a keen interest in the lives of celebrities, films, TV shows, and box office collections since an early age. After accumulating significant experience as a content writer across varied fields at companies such as The Indian Wire, DigiStatement, and QuirkyByte Media, he eventually settled on writing about his favorite genre - pop culture.

Anupal believes in conducting in-depth research while writing about any topic and relies on varied sources to ensure he produces holistic articles. He also often glances through content that was published in the 80s and 90s to gain a better understanding of the subject he is covering.

Anupal admires Robert Downey Jr., who played one of his favorite Marvel superheroes, Iron Man. He is inspired by the actor's resilience and the determination in overcoming past struggles to building a successful Hollywood career and admires the way he articulates his thoughts while speaking in interviews.

If Anupal could travel back in time, he would love to experience James Cameron's 2009 film 'Avatar' in a theatre full of fans. When he's not busy working, he binges on the latest OTT titles across languages.

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