'Hocus Pocus' Cast: Where Are They Now?
I smell children! When Hocus Pocus dropped in theaters in 1993, it flopped — but it more than lasted the test of time, becoming a must-watch film every October. Starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson Sisters, the classic follows a high school boy (Omri Katz), his crush (Vinessa Shaw) and his little sister (Thora Birch), who quickly find out the rumor of the witches is true and must find a way to stop them from becoming immortal before Halloween is over.
Although it’s been years since the movie’s release, it has become such a hit that the cast has reunited multiple times over the years at various conventions around the world. Additionally, in 2020, the actresses who portrayed the witches will host a virtual Halloween special, “In Search of the Sanderson Sisters: A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover,” to benefit the New York Restoration Project. Usually, Midler hosts a large Halloween event in New York City, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, this will take place of that.
In March 2020, it was announced that Adam Shankman is set to direct a sequel film, written by Jen D’Angelo, for Disney+. While Midler, Parker and Najimy weren’t originally attached to the project, the team behind-the-scenes is hopeful they will be part of it. “We’re just talking logistics,” the three-time Grammy winner told Entertainment Tonight in September 2020, saying she’s “absolutely” up for the challenge of another movie. “I can’t wait to fly.”
In May, the Sex and the City alum also expressed interest. “I think that it’s something that Bette and Kathy and I are … very hospitable to the idea,” Parker said on Sirius XM’s Quarantined. .“I think for a long time, people were talking about it as if people were moving forward with it in a real way but we were unaware of it. … I think now we’ve gotten to the point where we all, like, agreed publicly to the right people, [saying], ‘Yes! That would be a very, very fun idea.’ So, we’ll see. We’ll see what the future holds.”
Scroll through the gallery below to see what the original cast is up to today.
The icon continued her acting and singing career after the spooky hit, starring in The First Wives Club and The Stepford Wives. She had a Las Vegas residency, Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On, from 2008 to 2010. The next year, she produced the Broadway production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Midler landed her first-ever leading role on Broadway in 2017 in Hello, Dolly, for which she won a Tony Award. In addition to film and stage appearances, the singer was an adviser on The Voice in 2016 and starred in Netflix's The Politician in 2019. In 2020, she led HBO's Coastal Elites. She has been married to Martin von Haselberg since 1984, and the pair have one daughter, actress Sophie von Haselberg.
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Five years after the spooky flick, Parker landed one of the lead roles in Sex and the City, which aired from 1998 to 2004 and was followed by two films. She starred in multiple other movies, including The Family Stone, Failure to Launch and New Year's Eve. From 2016 to 2019, she led the HBO drama Divorce, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. In 2014, she launched her footwear line, SJP Collection. Parker has been married to Matthew Broderick since 1997 and they have three children.
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Najimy continued to act following Hocus Pocus, starring in Rat Race, Veronica's Closet, Dumplin', Veep and voicing Peggy Hill on King of the Hill. She also wrote and performed a play, The Kathy and Mo Show, with Mo Gaffney. Najimy married Dan Finnerty in 1998 and the pair have one daughter.
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Katz, who held main roles in Dallas and Eerie, Indiana, before Hocus Pocus, slowed down his acting career after the film. After briefly appearing in a few projects, including The John Larroquette Show, Katz retired from acting in 2002. He is in a relationship with Michele Watters and the pair live in Los Angeles. Katz runs The Mary Danksters, a cannabis company.
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The former child star rose to fame following Hocus Pocus, landing roles in Monkey Trouble, Now and Then and Alaska as a child. In 1999, her part in American Beauty landed her a BAFTA nomination. She was later nominated for a Golden Globe in 2001 for her part in Ghost World and an Emmy in 2003 for her role in Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story. She took a break from acting in 2012 but has since returned, landing recurring roles on USA's Colony and AMC's The Walking Dead. In 2018, she married talent manager Michael Adler.
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After Hocus Pocus, Shaw enrolled in Barnard College but continued acting, starring in Eyes Wide Shut at the same time. She went on to appear in 40 Days and 40 Nights and The Hills Have Eyes. In 2014, she landed a supporting role in Showtime's Ray Donovan. She is married to Kristopher Gifford and the pair have one son.
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After portraying Thackery Binx, Murray continued his acting career, starring in Hart of the West, The Lottery, JAG and Boston Public. In 2003, he landed a recurring role in NCIS, which he still stars on today. In 2005, he married Carrie James. The pair have two children.
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The star has made cameos in multiple big-budget TV shows, including Stranger Things, American Woman and This Is Us. In 2020, he joined the cast of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as villain Luke. Jelinek married Irina Costa in 2014.
Courtesy of Tobias Jelinek/Instagram
Bagby has starred in numerous films and TV shows since Hocus Pocus, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Saints and Soldiers, Walk the Line and The Young and the Restless. Also a musician, he released his first album in 2005 and an EP in 2007.
Courtesy of Larry Bagby/Instagram
Jones went on to star in dozens of films, including Mimic, Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth, Crimson Peak and The Shape of Water. On the TV front, he appeared in one of the most famous episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and later landed large parts on Falling Skies and The Strain. Since 2017, he has been a lead on Star Trek: Discovery. He married his childhood love Laurie Pontoni in 1984.
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Portraying Emily Binx was Shepherd's only acting role. The former model is now a language channeler and healer.
Courtesy of Amanda Shepherd/Instagram
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