It's been 30 years since the Sanderson sisters were brought back to life for the first time by a virgin lighting the Black Flame Candle in Hocus Pocus. In an effort to impress his crush Allison (Vinessa Shaw) and prove to his little sister Dani (Thora Birch) that he was not afraid of legends based on some "hocus pocus," Max Dennison (Omni Katz) had no idea what he was in for when he lit the 300-year-old wick. Instead of spending the night parading around the neighborhood and trick-or-treating, the three kids found themselves running for their lives until the sun finally rose, turning the sisters to dust.
A sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, was released in 2022 that shows how yet another group of teenagers managed to resurrect the Sanderson sisters from the dead. While Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and Doug Jones would reprise their roles as the witch sisters and the helpful zombie, fans were left wondering why the rest of the original 1993 cast did not return.
Check out where the original cast of the 1993 Hocus Pocus is today.
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an award-winning actress as well as singer. Long before she was playing a sinister yet kooky witch, Midler was selling albums, going on tour, and hitting the top of the charts. She has won awards for her rendition of "The Rose" and "Wind Beneath My Wings." In 2008, she had a residency, Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On, at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
Midler is no stranger when it comes to taking center stage as she had been in a number of performances, and she landed the lead role on Broadway's Hello, Dolly! in 2017. As for films, Midler's most recent works include The Addams Family, its sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, and Sitting in Bars with Cake.
Sarah Jessica Parker
After portraying the promiscuous Sanderson sister that just so happened to share Sarah Jessica Parker's first name, she went on to become one of the most empowering women characters in all of television history in the dramedy series, Sex in the City. Parker would reprise her role as Carrie Bradshaw in two films and Max's revival series, And Just Like That.
She also starred in the films Failure to Launch, Did You Hear About the Morgans?, and New Year's Eve. From 2016 to 2019, Parker starred in and served as an executive producer on the HBO series Divorce. As of right now, it does not seem like Parker plans to step away from the spotlight anytime soon, especially with And Just Like That being renewed for Season 3.
Kathy Najimy
Between Kathy Najimy's feral growl and perfect facial expressions, fans cannot soon forget the most eccentric Sanderson sister. Just four years after Hocus Pocus aired, Najimy would find herself starring in the NBC sitcom Veronica's Closet as well as voicing the matriarch of King of the Hill, Peggy Hill. She has been a part of films including Rat Race, Step Up 3D, Guilt Trip, and Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas.
Off-screen, Najimy has been a huge advocate for women's rights traveled and spoke on topics such as equal rights, body positivity, and a woman's right to choose what she does with her body. Najimy has also worked with PETA for a number of years.
Doug Jones
In Hocus Pocus, fans were made to believe that Billy was Winifred's unfaithful boyfriend, but come to find out in the sequel, he was merely a boy she had a crush on who met a horrible fate after the young witch discovered magic.
Doug Jones has certainly put on some interesting costumes in films such as The Labyrinth, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and The Shape of Water. Since 2017, Jones has played Saru in the Star Trek: Discovery series, and at this time, fans are awaiting a release date for its fifth season. He was also a recurring character in the mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows television series.
Jason Marsden
While many may not know Jason Marsden by his looks, his voice seems to be just about everywhere. After giving life to the lovable talking cat, Binx, Marsden landed the voice role of Max Goof in Disney's A Goofy Movie. He would go on to preside the role in the 2000 sequel and the animated series Disney's House of Mouse.
From 2003 to 2017, Marsden had a solid role as Timmy Turner's best friend, Chester, on The Fairly Oddparents. He was also the voice of the titular character in the award-winning videogame trilogy Tak and the Power of Juju. As of right now, Marsden is in two films that are coming out this year: the science fiction movie The Shift and the animated film Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham.
Sean Murray
Though the human Thackery Binx was not on-screen for very long, Sean Murray's longing face and kind eyes caught the attention of many. Just five years after Hocus Pocus, Murray played a recurring character, Danny Walden, in the legal drama television series, JAG. Though he was only in the show for a total of seven episodes, a spin-off series, NCIS, would pick him up as a main character, NCIS Field Agent Timothy McGee, for more than 20 years.
With as much success as Murray has had with the military television series, he has not branched out into any other films or series. His character, McGee, did cross over into one episode of NCIS: New Orleans, but other than that, he seems to have found his niche.
Omri Katz
Before Omri Katz was portraying a teenager who could not follow one simple rule in a museum, he was an adorable child actor on the soap opera, Dallas, for eight seasons. The same year as Hocus Pocus, Katz also managed a recurring role on The John Larroquette Show as the title character's son. After the third season came to a close in 1995, Katz stayed away from the spotlight. He was a guest star on Freaks and Geeks in 1999, and he played a tattoo artist on General Hospital for a single episode.
After 2002, the young actor retired from Hollywood, and he currently runs a cannabis company called The Mary Danksters. Katz told EW that he would love to reprise his role as Max Dennison if Disney offers him the chance in a potential Hocus Pocus 3.
Thora Birch
By the time Thora Birch was playing Katz's know-it-all little sister, Dani Dennison, she was already an award-winning child actress for her role in the sci-fi comedy film Purple People Eater. After Hocus Pocus, Birch kept a steady career by starring in films such as Monkey Trouble, Now and Then, Alaska, and Dungeons and Dragons.
In 2001, Birch was nominated for a Golden Globe for Ghost World, and later she was nominated for an Emmy Award for the biographical film Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story. She has been in a number of independent films such as Slingshot, The Pregnancy Pact, and Petunia. Right now, Birch's latest works include her director debut film The Gabby Petito Story and a coming-of-age film entitled The Midway Point.
Vinessa Shaw
Vinessa Shaw entered the industry as a child actress in 1981 with her role in the slasher film Home Sweet Home. From there, she appeared in the sports-comedy Ladybugs, but her big break came with her role as the smart and savvy Allison Watts in Hocus Pocus. Shortly after the Disney film, Shaw went off to college, but the appeal of acting continued to pull at her.
She landed a supporting role as a prostitute that meets up with Tom Cruise's character in Eyes Wide Shut, and then she starred in 40 Days and 40 Nights and Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes. In August 2017, Shaw married the graphic designer, Kristopher Gifford, who has worked on films such as Black Widow and Fantastic Four. Just one year later, they had a baby boy.
Larry Bagby
Ernie, or as he prefers, "Ice," was the typical bully in Hocus Pocus. Between taking Max's shoes and literally stealing candy from children on Halloween night, there was not a lot of sympathy for him when he found himself caged up by the Sanderson sisters. Larry Bagby, on the other hand, is the total opposite. He is a great guy, fantastic musician, and a decent actor.
After filming Hocus Pocus, Bagby earned a recurring role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In 2008, he landed the role as the conman Frank Ellis in The Young and the Restless. He also released his first music album entitled Where I Stand in 2005. He has since toured and stuck to smaller roles in the shows and films.
Tobias Jelinek
Jay may not have been the brightest of the bunch, but he was a good companion for Ice. Like Larry Bagby, Tobias Jelinek is the complete opposite of his character. He is a good husband to The Legend of Bloody Mary actress, Irina Costa, he is a great father to his two sons, and he has kept up fairly well in the entertainment industry.
In 1997, Jelinek landed a small role in Batman & Robin, and he later had a recurring role in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. More recently, he has been a part of the NBC drama series This is Us, Netflix's Stranger Things, and a new thriller film, The Resurrection of Charles Mansion.