Revisit the “Hocus Pocus” Cast Then and Now

A lot has changed since “Hocus Pocus” (aka The Ultimate Halloween movie) was released in 1993, especially the actors. OK, maybe Bette Midler looks mostly the same, but the child and teen stars from the original haunting tale are all grown up now. And while some, like Thora Birch and Sean Murray, have continued to act in film and TV, others, like Omri Katz, have moved on to other projects. Only the original Sanderson sisters – Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and Midler – plus Doug Jones (aka, Billy Butcherson) returned in 2022’s long-awaited sequel, but we can always watch the original movie again and revisit the Salem residents we first fell in love with.

Back in 2018, Parker confessed on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” that though the movie is a classic with fans, her own recollection of it was pretty hazy. “I don’t have a lot of memories. I remember the filming of it. I just don’t remember what the movie’s about as much,” she explained. She continued, “Three witches, I’ve been told that, and apparently my character’s not very bright. But I fly and sing, and I think I like to suck the life . . . I think I like to kill children? I don’t know.”

Parker also revealed a little of the movie magic that made the film happen, like how they filmed the scenes where the witches flew away on their broomsticks. “They’d call ‘cut’ and they’d go to lunch or maybe they’d change the lens, and I’d just stay up there,” she said. “I could fit an entire New York Times up the back of the corset. And I found that the harness was comfortable, so I would just sit up there and read the Times while people took their breaks or changed the camera and sometime went to lunch.”

Revisit the cast of “Hocus Pocus” and learn just what they’re up to now.

Related: Get Ready, “Hocus Pocus” Fans – a Third Movie Is Officially in the Works at Disney

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Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson

In “Hocus Pocus,” Bette Midler played the witch Winifred Sanderson, who’s the leader of the three sisters, and the smartest.

Getty / JEAN-BAPTISTE LACROIX

Bette Midler Now

Midler remains an icon on stage and the screen. In the years since “Hocus Pocus,” she starred in movies like “Get Shorty,” “The First Wives Club,” “The Stepford Wives,” and also played the title role in the 2017-18 Broadway revival of “Hello, Dolly!” She also appeared in eight episodes of “The Politician.” In 2021, she was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor. She’s also set to star in a new movie, “The Fabulous Four,” with Susan Sarandon, Megan Mullally, and Sheryl Lee Ralph, in Georgia.

Disney / Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy E

Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson

Sarah Jessica Parker plays Sarah Sanderson in “Hocus Pocus.” Sarah is the least-smart witch, but it’s her voice that lures in the children as prey.

Getty / James Devaney

Sarah Jessica Parker Now

Parker found her career-changing role as Carrie Bradshaw in “Sex and the City” in 1998. Thanks to her HBO show “Divorce” and films like “Failure to Launch” and “Did You Hear About the Morgans?,” she’s cemented her star status, in addition to being one of New York’s most recognizable fashion icons. The actor also has an eponymous line of fragrances, accessories, and Italian-made footwear. Most recently, she reprised her role as Carrie for the “Sex and the City” reboot, “And Just Like That.” In 2022, she returned to Broadway in “Plaza Suite,” alongside her husband Matthew Broderick.

Disney / Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy E

Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson

Kathy Najimy rounds out “Hocus Pocus“‘s Sanderson sisters, starring as Mary. Mary can smell out children.

Getty / Nina Westervelt

Kathy Najimy Now

Najimy has continued to work in film and TV since “Hocus Pocus,” starring in projects such as 2001’s “Rat Race” and completing stints on “Veep” and “Unforgettable.” She’s also lent her voice to a number of cartoons, including “King of the Hill,” in which she voices Peggy, and the Netflix hit “BoJack Horseman.” In 2021, she appeared in Netflix’s “Single All the Way.”

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Thora Birch as Dani

In “Hocus Pocus,” Thora Birch plays Dani, Max’s Halloween-obsessed little sister.

Getty / Chelsea Guglielmino

Thora Birch Now

Birch transitioned to more adult roles with 1999’s “American Beauty” and “Ghost World.” Though she took a break from acting, she resumed her onscreen career in 2016. She went on to star in the drama series “Colony” on the USA Network and in several independent films, and made an appearance on season 10 of “The Walking Dead.” In 2022, she directed and appeared in Lifetime’s “The Gabby Petito Story.”

Disney / Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy E

Omri Katz as Max

Omri Katz plays Max in “Hocus Pocus,” the virgin the Sanderson sisters are after.

Getty / Emily Assiran

Omri Katz Now

Katz basically stopped acting after “Hocus Pocus.” He’s now runs a cannabis company called The Mary Danksters.

Disney / Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy E

Vinessa Shaw as Allison

Vinessa Shaw plays Allison, Max’s crush, in “Hocus Pocus.”

Getty / Astrida Valigorsky

Vinessa Shaw Now

Shaw continued to work as an actor, appearing in movies like “Eyes Wide Shut,” “The Hills Have Eyes,” and “3:10 to Yuma.” She also played Kate McPherson on season two of “Ray Donovan” and Dr. Jane Mathis in the 2017 thriller film “Clinical.”

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Sean Murray as Thackery Binx

In “Hocus Pocus,” Sean Murray plays the human form of Thackery Binx, a 1600s teen who the Sanderson sisters turn into an immortal cat.

Getty / CBS Photo Archive

Sean Murray Now

Murray has starred on “NCIS” as Timothy McGee for a whopping 20 years, so you can still see him on your screen on an almost weekly basis.

Disney

Doug Jones as Billy Butcherson

Doug Jones plays Billy Butcherson, Winifred’s ex-boyfriend who she resurrects as a zombie during the events of “Hocus Pocus.”

Getty / Charley Gallay

Doug Jones Now

You may not recognize Jones without his zombie makeup, but he’s made a name for himself in Hollywood as a master of portraying creatures who aren’t quite human. His many TV credits include “Teen Wolf, “What We Do in the Shadows,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” and “The Strain.” He stars as the Amphibian Man in the 2017 award-winning film “The Shape of Water.” Besides the Sanderson sisters, Jones is the only original cast member who appeared in “Hocus Pocus 2.”

Disney

Stephanie Faracy as Jenny

In “Hocus Pocus,” Max and Dani’s mom, Jenny, is played by Stephanie Faracy.

Getty / Jamie McCarthy

Stephanie Faracy Now

Faracy has kept busy with guest roles on TV shows. She’s been on everything from “Desperate Housewives” and “Castle” to “How to Get Away With Murder” and “Sneaky Pete.” Sadly, her onscreen counterpart in “Hocus Pocus,” Charles Rocket, died in 2005.

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Tobias Jelinek as Jay

Tobias Jelinek plays Jay, a teenage bully who torments the characters in “Hocus Pocus.”

Getty / Valerie Durant

Tobias Jelinek Now

Jelinek stopped acting after appearing as a gang member in 1997’s “Batman & Robin,” but returned to the industry in 2007. He starred as an agent in the first season of “Stranger Things,” and has popped up on shows like “This Is Us,” “The Mindy Project,” “Arrow,” and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” In 2023, he appeared in “Mayfair Witches” and “NCIS: Hawai’i.”

Disney

Larry Bagby as Ernie, aka "Ice"

Larry Bagby plays Ernie, another bully in “Hocus Pocus.”

Getty / Valerie Durant

Larry Bagby Now

Bagby has appeared on “The Young and the Restless,” in addition to a number of other TV shows like “9-1-1” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” His primary focus now is his work as a musician.

Disney

Amanda Shepherd as Emily

Amanda Shepherd makes an appearance in “Hocus Pocus” as Emily Binx, Thackery’s sister.

Getty / Valerie Durant

Amanda Shepherd Now

Shepherd (left) told Cosmopolitan in 2015 that she gave up acting when she was 23. She became a real estate agent. According to her website, she has since stopped being a realtor to study Reiki healing.

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