I had the honor of chatting with Erik Preston, who played Young Michael Myers in “Halloween 4!”
Q: Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Q: How did the role in “Halloween 4” come about?
I was a young actor in Salt Lake City, which is where they shot the film. Outside of the main casting, they did casting calls in the area. My agent contacted my parents and brought me in to read for the role of the Frankenstein kid. They called us back a few days later and said that they liked me, but wanted me to play the role of Young Michael instead.
Q: What were peoples reactions growing up when you told them you played Michael Myers in “Halloween 4?”
When I shot it, all my friends in school knew. Me getting pulled out of school to go to auditions wasn’t abnormal. Growing up, it would get brought up eventually. It wasn’t like I would say “Hi, I’m Erik I’m from Halloween 4.” It would get brought up down the road.
Q: What is your favorite part of acting?
I like trying to entertain people. Sometimes you can, sometimes it doesn’t work. It gives you the ability to always try something new. As a kid, you would go outside to play and pretend to be He-Man, or whatever character you wanted to be. As an actor, it allows you to play as an adult.
Q: What is your favorite part of attending horror conventions?
I love meeting the fans! People didn’t know who I was for nineteen or twenty years because I wasn’t in the credits. I was shocked that fans even cared about me. ::laughs:: Obviously they cared about people like Danielle, Ellie, Sasha..they had main roles in the film. I got to see that fans love every little characters in these films..that to me is the best part about doing conventions. It’s great meeting these people who have passion for the movie you were in, as small as that part is. They’re happy just to shake your hand and talk to you for a few minutes. It’s very rewarding.
Q: How does it feel to be a part of the “Halloween” legacy?
Up until the convention circuit, it was cool to say that I played this iconic character. It was cool to ME..I didn’t think the world cared. Not a lot of people can say they’ve played Michael Myers. That role will go down in cinematic history. Not me as Michael in “Halloween 4”, but more so Michael Myers in John Carpenter’s “Halloween. As an adult doing convention circuit, I feel blessed and surreal.
Q: Do you have any upcoming projects?
I’ve been in pre-production for a film called “Thirteen Girls.” It’s an independent horror film starring Sadie Katz. Outside of that, I’m doing a web series. I don’t want to say too much, but it’s more about the viewers experiences than the story. Hopefully I’ll be able to launch that soon and be able to entertain people with ::laughs::
Q: What is your favorite scene from the “Halloween” films?
That’s tough. The two that stand out to me are Bob’s death in “Halloween”, where he’s stabbed and pinned against the cabinet. The other is the scene with Jamie Lee Curtis at the top of the stairs crying. They use a lighting effect where they brought up the blue and Michael’s mask comes out of nowhere. From a cinematic view, it’s just a beautiful sequence.
Q: What is your favorite horror movie?
I’ve got sooo many. I love “The Shining.” There’s this late 70’s flick called “American Gothic.” It’s not revolutionary by any means, but it’s a fun film. I still think my absolute favorite is “The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari” from the early 1900’s. If your readers haven’t seen it, they should. It’s pretty much the first horror film ever made. It was done during the German Expressionism era. You can see where Tim Burton was directly influenced by this film.
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