The horror genre has lost one of its most memorable scream queens. Garn Stephens, who portrayed the ill-fated Marge Guttman in the cult classic Halloween III: Season of the Witch, died this week at the age of 87.
According to Sean Clark, a producer who befriended Stephens during filming of the retrospective documentary Halloween 25 Years of Terror, the actress passed away peacefully over the weekend. “I’m heartbroken to announce that my dear friend Garn Stephens has left us,” Clark wrote on social media. “She was a class act and helped make ‘Halloween III’ the movie we all know and love.”
While Stephens’ acting credits were not extensive, her standout role in Halloween III established her forever in the annals of horror history. As Marge Guttman, she meets a gruesome fate in one of the most disturbing scenes from the strange sequel that abandoned the Michael Myers storyline. Her chilling demise is still discussed today in the horror fan community, cementing Stephens’ status as a legend of the genre.
Born in 1933, Stephens began her career on stage before transitioning to film and television, where she was often cast as a wise and warm-hearted figure. In addition to her infamous part in the Halloween franchise, Stephens appeared in the Lifetime films Her Best Friend’s Husband and Deadly Revenge. On television, she made memorable guest appearances on shows like “The Golden Girls,” “Who’s the Boss?” and “Murphy Brown.”
A woman of many talents, Stephens was also a gifted writer, earning a Primetime Emmy nomination for her work on “St. Elsewhere.” However, she will forever be most recognized for her death in Halloween III, a moment of cult horror history. Though her time on screen was brief, Stephens’ impact on horror cinema and devoted genre fans alike will never fade. Our condolences go out to her daughter and all who were fortunate enough to know this unforgettable star.
