Skip to main content

Only in Hollywood can stars’ kids go trick or treating, dressed as their friends’ creations. That’s exactly what happened once upon a time when Halloween icon John Carpenter’s kids and family dressed as Star Wars characters. While Star WarsMark Hamill’s kids showed up as Michael Meyers.

Carpenter’s wife Sandy King recalled the fun memory, of a Halloween party she threw where her children and even her parents dressed as Star Wars characters. Actor Mark Hamill and his family were invited and surprised the Carpenters by showing up in full horror attire.

“There was a year where the kids were all characters from Star Wars,” she recalled to Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “A girlfriend of mine who was married to a major effects guy, we sewed all the costumes and did all this stuff every night watching, you know, hammer horror films while we were sewing. So we had the party and stuff and everybody, my parents included, were all Star Wars people. And there’s a knock on the door. And Mark Hamill and his kids showed up as Michael Myers … Leatherface.”

King added that Hamill definitely surprised them. “I didn’t know what they were coming as! But I was certain they weren’t coming as Star Wars,” she laughed.

What is Halloween like at John Carpenter’s house?

King recalled having pretty normal Halloweens while her children were growing up. No big scary effects or a special guest dressed as Michael Meyers.

“I’m usually giving out candy like other suburban moms. When the kids were growing up, there was always a big Halloween party with costumes and things like that. Yeah, we’re remarkably normal,” she laughed.

Today the couple typically works on Halloween. “A lot of the years [John’s] been on tour with his music, so we wind up doing nothing except for him playing on stage and stuff. And I’ll put on like top hats with spiders on them and things like that,” she said.

In an interview with USA Today, Carpenter said King was the one who loved Halloween the most. “My wife loves Halloween so we have candy prepared for any trick-or-treaters. And we have two residences, basically — one is an office, one is a home,” he said. “My home in the Hollywood Hills, no one comes by. It’s very quiet so I sit here and watch basketball or play video games. My wife goes down to the office, which is in Hollywood but on the flatlands, and a lot of kids come by. She gives out candy and dresses up and it’s great. I don’t at all.”

‘Halloween’ is not what scares Sandy King the most

She may love Halloween, but ghosts and even Michael Meyers doesn’t scare King. “Real life. Wanna ask what scares me? Politics right now has me terrified. The world situation of more nuclear bombs than fewer. Overpopulation is causing a lot of our problems. Those things scare me more than any monster I can dream up,” she said.

Related

‘John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams’ Finds Terror in Safe Spaces [Exclusive]

King and Carpenter recently refreshed their horror line with Peacock’s Suburban Screams, currently streaming on Peacock.