We’re four days away from Halloween and everyone is talking about the recently released Michael Myers movie sequel, so I thought it would be fun to profile one of the original Halloween cast members and see what they’re up to now. Brian Andrews started his acting career when he booked the role of Michael Horton on soap opera “Days of Our Lives” in 1970. This small success lead him to further television roles, as seen in guest appearances on “Baretta,” “Kojak” and “Kung Fu.” Around this time, he also played the son of the lead characters, Michael Horton, in Emmy Nominated abuse drama Intimate Strangers (1977) before landing the role of Tommy Doyle in Halloween (1978).
As the youngster Laurie Strode is tasked with babysitting on Halloween night, Tommy Doyle – and thus Brian Andrews – is marginally downplayed when it comes to cult characters. Although they are fan favorites, Tommy has more screen-time and more lines than Lynda and Bob. As the story goes, when Halloween hit theaters in 1978, it broke box office records and kickstarted the slasher genre; ultimately cementing Brian Andrews in horror film history, too. After Halloween, Brian jumped back to television and appeared in “240-Robert,” “The Bronx Zoo,” “CBS Afternoon Playhouse,” “Flying High” and “Quincy M.E.” He also played Matthew Meechum in The Great Santini (1979), a 2x Oscar Nominated movie. Although he continued to act sporadically, Brian’s last role was a small one in a comedy titled Three O’Clock High (1987).
So, where is Brian Andrews now?
Following a 28 year hiatus from acting, Brian returned to performing in – you guessed it – horror movies! He held modest roles in zombie flick Lazarus: Apocalypse (2014) and dark horror’s Sky Harbor (2015). After that, though, it looks like he returned to his normal life away from Hollywood. He has lent his time, appearance and commentary to four Halloween documentaries including Halloween: 25 Years of Terror and Halloween: The Inside Story. In 2013, he did an interview with HalloweenDailyNews.com where he expressed he was having issues with his finances and his family, and that several personal setbacks were keeping him from enjoying life, even going as far as to say he never goes out. I’m hopeful that his life has been straightened out now, five years later, and that he’s happy and healthy. Brian Andrews is currently listed as a client on Conventional All Stars, so it’s possible you can meet Tommy Doyle for yourself in the near future.
