How could I near the end of my Where Are They Now Halloween Editions without covering one or two of the men who played Michael Myers? One of those men, Don Shanks, was born in February of 1950 in Illinois. Although his career in the entertainment industry began in 1974, his first big break came when he booked one of the lead roles in Last of the Mohicans (1977) and a recurring role on “The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams” from 1977-1978. Continuing to build his resume, next Don received a guest spot in an episode of “The Incredible Hulk” in 1979 followed by a small role in The Ghost Dance (1980). However, things were about to change…for the better!
In 1984 Don Shanks became a team player in the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise when he booked a cameo role in the production as well as booking one of his first stunt jobs there-in. He was so well liked on set that he was brought back for more stunt work for the sequel, Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 (1987). Maybe because he loved the genre so much, or because it was a steady source of work, Don would become a part of another popular horror franchise in 1989 when he portrayed Michael Myers in Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers. In that film, Michael returns to Haddonfield for the third time to make a second attempt on Laurie Strode’s daughter, Jamie Lloyd.
After Halloween 5, Mr. Shanks bounced between stunt work and acting, although the latter of the two was eclipsed by the other. His only noteworthy credit in the 90s was a small part in 3 Ninjas: Knuckle Up (1995), while his stunt credits include El Diablo (1990), Dumb & Dumber (1994), and Walking Thunder (1997).
So, where is Don Shanks now?
His career continued into the new millennium with a cameo in – and start in the franchise – The Crow: Salvation followed by a small role in Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (2005) and taking over the role of Ben Willis from Muse Watson in I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006). As far as stunt work is concerned, this continued too, with his choreography being used in Firestarter II: Rekindled (2002), Halloweentown High (2004), The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005), Daddy Day Camp (2007), and High School Musical 2 (2007).
His most recent gigs include Death House and Smothered, both due for release in 2014 or early 2015.
