Donald Henry Pleasence has been an English film, television, and stage actor. He was most famous, however, by playing Dr. Sam Loomis in the Halloween franchise.
Biography[]
Donald Pleasence started his career in the theatres of England and Scotland after World War II.
Possessed with an unassuming manner that offset his intensity, British actor Donald Pleasence accrued over 200 film and television roles in an impressive career that spanned more than four decades. He began making a name for himself with small roles in film and TV projects such as "1984" (1956) and "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (ITV, 1955-1960). His first role in a major Hollywood blockbuster came as a part of the ensemble cast of director John Sturges' "The Great Escape" (1963).
It was, however, his iconic portrayal of James Bond's evil nemesis, Blofeld, in "You Only Live Twice" (1967) that most affected the trajectory of Pleasence's future output. Finally he appeared as Dr. Samuel Loomis in John Carpenter's horror film Halloween (1978), a role he reprised again in Halloween II (1981), Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995).
Horror filmography[]
| Film | Character | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Flesh and the Fiends | William Hare | 1960 | |
| Circus of Horrors | Vanet | ||
| The Hands of Orlac | Graham Coates | ||
| What a Carve Up! | Everett Sloane | 1961 | |
| Eye of the Devil | Pere Dominic | 1966 | |
| Death Line | Inspector Calhoun | 1972 | |
| Tales That Witness Madness | Professor Tremayne | 1973 | |
| From Beyond the Grave | Jim Underwood | 1974 | |
| The Mutations | Professor Nolter | 1974 | |
| I Don't Want to Be Born | Dr. Finch | 1975 | |
| Land of the Minotaur | Father Roche | 1976 | |
| The Uncanny | Valentine De'ath | 1977 | |
| Night Creature | Axel MacGregor | 1978 | |
| Halloween | Dr. Samuel Loomis | ||
| Dracula | Dr. Jack Seward | 1979 | |
| Halloween II | Dr. Samuel Loomis | 1981 | |
| Alone in the Dark | Dr. Leo Bain | 1982 | |
| The Devonsville Terror | Dr. Warley | 1983 | |
| Phenomena | John McGregor | 1985 | |
| Specters | Professor Lasky | 1987 | |
| Prince of Darkness | Father Loomis | ||
| Vampire in Venice | Don Alvise | 1988 | |
| Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers | Dr. Samuel Loomis | 1988 | |
| Paganini Horror | Mr. Pickett | 1989 | |
| Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers | Dr. Samuel Loomis | ||
| Buried Alive | Dr. Schaeffer | 1990 | |
| Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers | Dr. Samuel Loomis | 1995 |
