Top 10 Hocus Pocus Stars: Where Are They Now?

Jelinek briefly appeared in the movie as Jay, a bully who harasses Max and Dani. Despite the minor role in “Hocus Pocus,” Jelinek has become a prominent actor in film and TV. In addition to being cast as Luke in Season 7 of “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” his roles include “Boots in “Arrow,” and Lead Agent in season one of “Stranger Things.” For all you YouTube fanatics out there, he also portrayed Dylan in “Rhett & Link’s Buddy System.” He hasn’t scored a breakout role, but something tells us that he is perfectly happy jumping from gig to gig. It’s steady work, and you don’t have to deal with the paparazzi! Win win.

Faracy also had a smaller role in “Hocus Pocus,” playing Max and Dani’s mother Jenny. Like Tobias Jelinek, Faracy has remained a supporting player in countless films and television shows. Perhaps her most substantial post-“Hocus Pocus” role is that of Rosie, Zac Efron’s mother in “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.” However, Faracy has primarily stuck to television and has remained busy in the 2010s by, starring as Frances in “Devious Maids,” Ellen in “How to Get Away with Murder,” and Dotti in “Sneaky Pete.” Who knew all these minor characters from “Hocus Pocus” were still so active!?

You may not recognize Doug Jones in person, because he’s seemingly always under a pound of makeup and prosthetics. In “Hocus Pocus,” he played Billy Butcherson, the zombie who eventually aids the kids in defeating the Sanderson sisters. Jones has appeared in some notable films since “Hocus Pocus,” including “Hellboy,” “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Shape of Water,” where he played the Amphibian Man. He also starred as The Ancient in the FX horror series “The Strain” and Commander Saru in “Star Trek: Discovery.” You may notice that all those roles require extensive prosthetics. It seems like Jones is the go-to guy in Hollywood when it comes to dressing up!

“Hocus Pocus” was Sean Murray’s first film role. Talk about hitting the ground running! He played Thackery Binx, the teen boy who was transformed into a black cat for insulting Winifred. Murray proceeded to star in mostly random TV movies and bit episodes of shows before landing the role of a lifetime in 2003. It was then that he began his stint as Timothy McGee on “NCIS,” a role he has inhabited for well over three hundred episodes. Funnily enough, that remains his latest credited role, and he has hasn’t played a character OTHER than Timothy since 2003. Like we said, it’s quite literally the role of a lifetime.

“Hocus Pocus” wasn’t Vinessa’s first movie role, but it was the one that launched her career. She played Max’s love interest Allison and was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Youth Actress. Shaw has gone on to lead a quiet but successful movie career, starring in films like “The Hills Have Eyes” and “3:10 to Yuma.” In 2017, she starred as Dr. Jane Mathis in the Netflix horror movie “Clinical.” She has also enjoyed some success on television, starring as Kate McPherson in ten episodes of the Showtime drama “Ray Donovan.” We’re also happy to announce that Shaw and her husband gave birth to their first son in 2018.

Birch was an established child actor by the time she starred in “Hocus Pocus,” having appeared in “Patriot Games” and winning the Young Artist Award for her work in “Purple People Eater” and “Paradise.” She continued her award-worthy performances in “American Beauty” and “Ghost World,” for which she was respectively nominated for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe. Before going on an extended hiatus to pursue academics in 2012, Birch played in the 2010 TV film “The Pregnancy Pact” based on supposed real life events. She has since resumed work and starred in “The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” “Colony,” and “The Walking Dead.” In the post-apocalyptic TV series, she plays Gamma, a member of the Whisperers.

Like Thora Birch, Katz was a known actor at the time, having starred as John Ross Ewing III for 149 episodes of “Dallas” between 1983 and 1991. He proceeded to star as Max as a teen, which seemed to signify that he was transitioning from child to adult actor. However, following some bit roles in “The John Larroquette Show,” “Freaks and Geeks,” and “General Hospital,” Katz disappeared from the limelight and retired from acting. He hasn’t been seen on screen since 2002, when he starred in a short film called “Journey Into Night.” According to his IMDb biography, Katz is currently working as a hairdresser in Los Angeles.

And now we come to the first Sanderson sister. Kathy Najimy portrayed Mary Sanderson, Winnie’s right hand…witch. She has subsequently appeared in dozens of films and television shows throughout the years, seemingly earning a reputation as one of the finest character actors in the biz. Perhaps her biggest post-“Hocus Focus” role is the voice of Peggy Hill in “King of the Hill,” a character she voiced for thirteen years and 258 episodes. She has also appeared in shows like “Veep,” “Elementary,” and “BoJack Horseman,” and even portrayed herself in an episode of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” When it comes to film, she was The Evil Queen Grimhilde in “Descendants” as well as Mrs. Michalchuk in “Dumplin’”.

Fun fact – Parker, who plays Sarah Sanderson, actually had relatives who were involved in some capacity with the infamous Salem witch trials! Fun fact over. Parker has remained a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, known primarily for her work on “Sex and the City.” However, she has appeared in a ton of movies as well as starring as Frances in the HBO comedy drama “Divorce.” She also began her own production company called Pretty Matches, which produced “Divorce” and the movie “Here and Now,” and has even dabbled in fashion, starting the footwear line SJP Collection and launching ready-to-wear bridal dresses with Gilt.

Bette Midler is one of the most recognized and respected entertainers of all time, and to be quite honest, we’re surprised she agreed to do such a silly Disney movie. She has won three Grammys, four Golden Globes, three Emmys, and one Tony, and her career has spanned decades, going back to the mid 60s when she starred in “Fiddler on the Roof” on Broadway. Today, Midler continues to work and embarked on the Divine Intervention Tour in 2015 to promote her fourteenth studio album, It’s the Girls! Before voicing Grandmama in “The Addams Family,” she starred as Dolly in the 2017 Broadway revival of “Hello, Dolly!” This is the role that earned Midler her first Tony, furthering her total dominance of the entertainment landscape.