Original ‘Halloween’ Star Makes Cameo Appearance in New Film

Halloween, the 40-years-later direct sequel to the John Carpenter-directed 1978 classic, features an easily missed cameo appearance from one of the series’ original stars: P.J. Soles, who played totally bubbly cheerleader Lynda.

While daydreaming in a high school class, Allyson (And Matichak) pays little attention to the words of her teacher (voiced by an unseen Soles), who lectures on fate. The moment pays homage to a similar scene from the original, where it was Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) who peered outside the classroom window to catch a glimpse of an unmoving Michael Myers (Nick Castle); in the newest film, Allyson looks outside to see her ever-vigilant grandmother standing watch.

Also returned to the franchise alongside Curtis and Soles is original writer-director John Carpenter, who acts as executive producer and again provides the eerie score with collaborator and son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies. Castle briefly reprised the role of masked murderer Michael Myers in a cameo appearance while the heavy lifting of the elusive Shape was portrayed by series newcomer James Jude Courtney.

“They were willing to pay me, which is always a good thing, so I said yes,” Carpenter told Rotten Tomatoes of returning to a series that had weathered the release of a mixed bag of sequels over the course of 40 years.

“I talked about the Halloweens for a long time, the sequels — I haven’t even seen all of them. I don’t even know what really was there — but finally it occurred to me: Well if I’m just flapping my gums here, talking about it, why don’t I try to make it as good as I can?” Carpenter said. “I could offer advice. I could talk to the director. I like the director very much. I like the script. So, you know, stop throwing rocks from the sidelines and get in there and try to do something positive.”

Halloween has since opened to a $7.7 million opening night and is looking to carve out a $100 million global opening weekend. A sequel is reportedly now in the works.

Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, and Andi Matichak, Halloween is now playing.