20 Things You Didn't Know About Halloween (1978)
9. The Loomis That Never Was
Donald Pleasence's fantastic performance as Michael's psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis cannot be overlooked in Halloween.
However, he was not Carpenter's original choice for the role; the director wanted a British actor who could breath gothic life into the character's many soliloquies about evil.
Sir Christopher Lee humbly admitted that declining the role of Loomis (which would have been a rare good guy role in his filmography) was the biggest mistake of his career. Whilst Halloween's filmmakers were told at the time that, due to his supporting role in 1977's Star Wars, Peter Cushing could accept nothing other than the starring role in Carpenter's film.
Although Carpenter was prepared to accept an American actor in the role of Loomis, he was thrilled when Donald Pleasence accepted the role, even though Pleasence informed the director that he had only done so as he had alimony to pay and his daughter, Lucy had been a big fan of Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 (1976).
It was a good move for Pleasence, however, as he would later appear as Loomis in four other films in what became the Halloween franchise, as well as starring in two other films by John Carpenter.