UNMASKING MICHAEL MYERS: A TALK WITH TONY MORAN
Updated: Dec 15, 2021
By Stephen Rosenberg - Horror Geek Life
September 5, 2020
Horror Geek Life takes the opportunity to speak with actor Tony Moran, known for portraying the unmasked Michael Myers in John Carpenter’s Halloween, as well many Troma-style B-horror films, like Clown Motel, Beg, and The Streets Run Red.
“Absolutely, because you can see that just the filming and the movie itself was wild to make. There’s so much energy out of everybody all the time and you can tell. It’s not fake energy, it’s real shit. I think that’s why, it’s so innocent and clean. It’s not pretentious and shit.”
Horror Geek Life: Let’s start off with your first feature film, portraying the unmasked Michael Myers in the original Halloween from John Carpenter and Debra Hill. How excited were you to be a part of the film, and while you were filming did you have any idea that you would be cemented in one of the most beloved horror films of all time?
Tony Moran: Haha, right? I’m about the most blessed guy walking the Earth because of it, my friend. To tell you the truth, I did not want to do the part. I didn’t even want to do the interview. People don’t know this, especially if they’re younger, but back then, if you did a horror movie, it was just barely one step above doing soft porn. The reason is, and it was inside knowledge, the only way you could see T&A is either going through porno or horror. So, producers and directors didn’t take you very seriously if they knew that’s what you did. I didn’t want to do it. I thought it was pretty stupid anyways, the name of the movie is called Halloween and that’s pretty dumb. My agent was begging me, she told me Jamie Lee Curtis was in the movie and all that, and I told her, “I don’t know who that is.” She explained it and I was like, “I don’t care.” Because, you know I came from Happy Days and Paramount Studios with my little sister (Erin Moran) so I was kind of uppity with a stick up my butt. I said I wasn’t even going to go. My agent said, “Look, Donald Pleasence is in the movie,” and I had known her for over 10 years because she also represented my little sister. I could talk to her any way I wanted to, so I said, “You’re full of crap!” and she says, “No Tony, I swear to God, he’s in this movie!” I said, “Why would you be telling me this? Why are you pushing this thing down my throat?” I had never worked yet. This was going to be my first part. She said, “Tony, he signed the contract, he’s in!” Now, I was a huge fan of his, because he was a classic British actor. A majorly brilliant guy acting-wise. So, I thought to myself, okay, I have no idea why he’s in this movie, but if I get it, great, at least I got a credit with him, even though it’s a horror movie. If I don’t get it, well so what? Because no one is ever going to see the movie anyways, right? It’s a horror movie, it’s an independent, it’s really low budget, and it’ll have a week or two in the drive-in and that will be it. So, I went to the interview, and they talked to me, John Carpenter and Irwin Yablans, and they liked me and liked my face and I was hired.
Read the rest of the article here: https://www.horrorgeeklife.com/2020/09/05/unmasking-michael-myers-a-talk-with-tony-moran/