The Original “Hocus Pocus” Cast Looks So Different 27 Years Later
1) Then: Bette Midler
Hocus Pocus fans may remember Bette Midler as the hilariously wicked Winifred Sanderson, but this was far from Bette's only major acting role when the movie premiered in 1993. In 1979, she starred in The Rose (and earned an Oscar nomination for it) and sang the film's title soundtrack also entitled "The Rose." By the early 1990s, Bette's résumé also included a Special Tony Award, two Emmys, three Grammy Awards, and three Golden Globe awards.
2) Now: Bette Midler
Bette has continued to receive many accolades. Her principle role in Hello Dolly! scored her a Tony, Outer Critics Circle Award, and Drama Desk Award all in 2017. A few years back in 2015, Bette was busy on her 10th concert tour entitled Divine Intervention. Most recently though, you may have seen her on The Good Place, Wedding Day Winners, or The Goldbergs. She also appeared at the 2019 Oscars to perform the Mary Poppins Returns ballad "The Place Where Lost Things Go." Today, she remains married to her husband, Martin von Haselberg.
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3) Then: Sarah Jessica Parker
Like Bette, Sarah Sanderson — er, Jessica Parker — was making waves well before casting spells on the children of Salem. Her credits in the '80s included Square Pegs, A Year in the Life, Footloose, Hotel, and The Ryan White Story.
4) Now: Sarah Jessica Parker
Since Hocus Pocus, Sarah has gone on to receive worldwide fame for her titular role in Sex and the City (which also inspired two films). More recently, Sarah has acted in Glee, Failure to Launch, The Family Stone, and starred in the HBO TV series Divorce. Four years after Hocus Pocus was released, Sarah got married to fellow actor Matthew Broderick.
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5) Then: Kathy Najimy
Kathy had an amazing acting career in the '90s. Apart from Hocus Pocus, she scored several parts in films, TV series, and animated projects. Most notably, Kathy worked on Sister Act, It's Pat: The Movie, Topsy and Bunker: The Cat Killers, King of the Hill, Chicago Hope, and The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story.
6) Now: Kathy Najimy
In the new millennium, Kathy began taking on roles behind the camera, as well. In 2012, she worked on the film These Girls. Four years later, she served as a consulting producer for the TV series The Jamz. Her latest roles to date include acting as Wendy Keegan in Veep and Judge Gayle Eno in The Good Fight. In 1998, she married singer and actor Dan Finnerty.
7) Then: Sean Murray
Thackery, a.k.a. Sean, was only 16 at the time when he played Emily's heroic older brother. Because of his young age, he only had a few credits to his name in 1993, including Too Romantic, Civil Wars, and This Boy's Life.
8) Now: Sean Murray
Post HP, the acting jobs kept coming for Sean. Aside from appearing in various TV series — Touched by an Angel, The Random Years, Harts of the West — most NCIS fans know him today as Timothy McGee. In 2005, Sean married Carrie James.
9) Then: Omri Katz
Just like Sean, Omri was only a teen (17 to be exact) when he was cast as Max. Even though it seems early, Omri actually started acting when he was seven as John Ross Ewing in the TV series Dallas.
10) Now: Omri Katz
There are no recent public photos of Omri, and his Instagram page has been disabled. But thankfully, Vinessa Shaw, who played Allison, posted this photo with her co-star in 2015. Omri's IMDb shows that he retired after his role in Journey Into the Night in 2002 and instead took up hairdressing. Since then, he's kept a relatively low profile.
11) Then: Vinessa Shaw
Vinessa was just 17 at the time when she appeared as Allison in the popular Disney flick.
12) Now: Vinessa Shaw
Vinessa continued to appear here and there in various projects (including in CSI NY). She has also scored bigger roles in Ray Donovan, Vegas, Those Who Kill, and, most recently, Family Blood. On a personal note, Vinessa Shaw tied the knot with Kristopher Gifford back in 2008.
13) Then: Thora Birch
Though Hocus Pocus was a big deal to the then 11-year-old, Thora had already been discovered when she appeared in Patriot Games as little Sally Ryan. Before that, Thora played Molly Johnson in Purple People Eater when she was only six.
14) Now: Thora Birch
Six years after Hocus Pocus, Thora gained even more notoriety in Hollywood for her starring role in American Beauty. She has since landed many big roles in the industry, such as Colony, Night Visions, Deadline, and Affairs of State. The last two years have been particularly busy ones for Thora. Most recently, she's portrayed Jolene in Above Suspicion and Chloe in Kindred Spirits.
15) Then: Doug Jones
Doug Jones is a man of many talents. Not only was he an actor when he played the sympathetic zombie Billy Butcherson, but he was also a well-known contortionist. Besides his role as Billy, his IMDb shows that he had only priorly worked on the TV series McDonaldland, Batman Returns, Night Ken, and In Living Color.
16) Now: Doug Jones
Today, Doug has a whopping 166 acting credits to his name, many of which you've never seen his face for. That's because Doug has taken on so many projects involving heavy prosthetics and movie makeup. His work includes playing Silver Surfer in the Fantastic Four sequel, the Gentleman in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Faun in Pan's Labyrinth, and Satu in Star Trek: Discovery. He remains married to his wife, Laurie Jones, who he wed in 1984.
Thackery Binx and Dani Dennison are not even recognizable.