Where You've Seen The Cast Of Hocus Pocus 2 Before
When director Kenny Ortega's "Hocus Pocus" made its theatrical debut in 1993, the supernatural comedy was met with mixed reviews and it performed poorly at the box office. However, thanks to its home video release and annual Halloween broadcasts, the film found redemption as it slowly amassed quite a cult following throughout the years. As a generation grew up with it, "Hocus Pocus" became one of the most iconic Disney films from the '90s.
Nearly three decades later, Walt Disney Pictures finally gave in to fan demand by officially confirming the development of the long-awaited "Hocus Pocus 2." The sequel, directed by "The Proposal" filmmaker Anne Fletcher from a screenplay written by Jen D'Angelo, takes place in modern-day Salem where three teenagers unknowingly mess with real magic. Their carelessness ultimately leads to the return of the Sanderson sisters.
The hype for "Hocus Pocus 2" truly took off with the official announcement of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy's return. Fans are looking forward to seeing new wacky witchcraft and magical musical performances from the beloved villainous trio, and to finding out how the sisters might have changed since the original film. The fantastic trio are joined by a new ensemble cast of rising young stars, comedians, and acclaimed TV stars who you just might recognize. Get to know more about the cast and find out where you've seen them before.
Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson
In "Hocus Pocus 2," the formidable Bette Midler returns as Winifred Sanderson, the leader of the witchy Sanderson sisters. This marks Midler's latest collaboration with Disney, a partnership that first started in 1985 when she signed a multi-picture deal with the studio (per The New York Times). As part of said deal, she starred in a few successful comedy films during the late '80s, including "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," "Ruthless People," "Outrageous Fortune," "Big Business," and "Beaches," which were all produced under the Disney-owned production label Touchstone Pictures.
Before becoming the award-winning superstar she's known as today, Midler began her professional acting career in the 1960s when she joined the Broadway musical "Fiddler on the Roof" and the Off-Broadway rock musical "Salvation" (via Playbill). Afterward, she could be found singing at the New York City gay bathhouse known as The Continental Baths (via The Guardian). Her performances at The Continental Baths ultimately led to widespread recognition. She began releasing albums in the early 1970s, and awards soon followed. She managed to nab her first Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1974. Later on, she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special – Comedy-Variety or Music, for her first television special titled "Ol' Red Hair is Back."
Following a successful music career, Midler shifted her focus to making films, beginning with Mark Rydell's 1979 drama "The Rose." For her feature acting debut performance as a troubled rock star, she earned an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe win, both for the Best Actress category. By the '90s, she had already established herself as a powerhouse icon of music, stage, and screen. Her other notable film credits include "For the Boys" and the classic '90s comedy "The First Wives Club."
Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson
Sarah Jessica Parker returns in "Hocus Pocus 2" as Sarah Sanderson, the youngest of Salem's iconic witchy trio. Parker is a very familiar face, having been an influential figure on television during the late '90s and early 2000s thanks to her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on HBO's "Sex and the City." She took home a score of awards for her memorable performance throughout the show's six-season run, bagging four Golden Globe awards for Best Actress, as well as two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress and Outstanding Comedy Series as an executive producer.
Parker started acting at an early age, when she debuted on Broadway in the 1976 production of "The Innocents," and it wasn't long after that she took the lead role for a run of "Annie" (via Playbill). In 1984, she landed her first major film role in the Kevin Bacon-led coming-of-age dance drama "Footloose," in which she played Rusty. The following year, she starred in another iconic '80s dance film, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," opposite Helen Hunt. Her career continued to flourish into the 1990s, as she started the decade with performances in two romantic comedies, "L.A. Story" and "Honeymoon in Vegas." Her other notable roles in the '90s include the all-star sci-fi comedy "Mars Attacks" from Tim Burton; the female-led comedy "The First Wives Club" reuniting her with "Hocus Pocus" co-star Bette Midler; the crime thriller "Extreme Measures"; and the Brendan Fraser-led comedy "Dudley Do-Right."
Over a decade after "Sex and the City" ended, Parker return to HBO to executive produce and co-star in the dramedy "Divorce." For her leading role of Frances Dufresne, she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. In 2021, she reprised the role of Carrie Bradshaw once again for the HBO Max revival of "Sex and the City," titled "And Just Like That..."
Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson
Once again taking on the role of middle sister Mary Sanderson is Kathy Najimy, reprising her character who has the ability to track down children using her sense of smell. Najimy made her acting debut in 1991 with a run of three all-star comedy films: "The Hard Way" with Michael J. Fox, "The Fisher King" with Robin Williams, and "Soapdish" with Whoopi Goldberg.
Soon after, Najimy's breakthrough performance came in Touchstone Pictures' iconic music comedy "Sister Act," in which she portrayed Sister Mary Patrick opposite Goldberg, whom she would worked with again in two more features, "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit" and "Rat Race." Her other notable film credits include supporting roles in the Forest Whitaker-directed drama "Hope Floats," the slasher horror "Bride of Chucky," the Barbara Streisand-led road comedy "Guilt Trip," Netflix's coming-of-age dramedy "Dumplin'," and the romantic comedy "Single All the Way."
As for her TV career, Najimy landed recurring roles in '90s series "Ellen" and "Chicago Hope." Afterward, she became a part of the main cast for the NBC sitcom "Veronica's Closet," from "Friends" creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman. She followed that up with more recurring appearances on the crime drama "Numb3rs," the political comedy "Veep," and the comedy-drama "Younger." Besides her live-action appearances, Najimy is also known for her voice acting in animated features like "Cats Don't Dance," "Brother Bear 2," "WALL-E," and "Tinker Bell," as well as in animated TV shows such as "Hey Arnold," ""Hercules," "The Legend of Tarzan," "BoJack Horseman," and "Duncanville." The biggest showcase of her vocal talents is undoubtedly her 13-season run as Peggy Hill on "King of the Hill."
Doug Jones as Billy Butcherson
Doug Jones is returning in "Hocus Pocus 2" to reprise his role as zombie Billy Butcherson, first introduced in the original movie as Winifred's two-timing ex-boyfriend who cheated on her with younger sister Sarah. Though you may not know his face, Jones is a talented contortionist and mime actor who's famous for portraying creature characters.
Jones gained recognition through his longtime partnership with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, the pair having first met on the set of the 1997 film "Mimic." The acclaimed Mexican director later gave Jones a spotlight role by casting him as one of the main cast members in "Hellboy." He played Abe Sapien, an intelligent human-like amphibian who has psychic and psychometric abilities. Four years later, Jones returned for "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."
Outside of "Hellboy," Jones also starred in Del Toro's dark fantasy film "Pan's Labyrinth" in the dual role of two unforgettable creatures, the Faun and the Pale Man. In 2017, the duo reunited once more for the Oscar-winning romantic fantasy "The Shape of Water." This time, Jones portrayed the male lead opposite Sally Hawkins as another humanoid amphibian creature who gets captured by the government and falls in love with a mute woman.
Apart from his collaborations with Del Toro and extensive horror credits, Jones is also known for playing the live-action version of Marvel hero Silver Surfer in "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer." In 2017, he joined the "Star Trek" universe in the series regular role of Captain Saru on "Star Trek: Discovery."
Hannah Waddingham as The Witch
"Hocus Pocus 2" sees the addition of Hannah Waddingham in the role of a mysterious unnamed witch, who, according to the official trailer, is the one who first gifted the Sanderson sisters their book of witchcraft. Of course, Waddingham herself is less shrouded in secrecy than her character. Before venturing into film and television, she first debuted as a professional stage actress in the West End musical "The Beautiful Game" (per Broadway World).
After landing one-episode appearances on a few British TV shows, Waddingham finally scored her first big break after getting cast in a recurring role on "Game of Thrones," playing the merciless Septa Unella in eight episodes. Her character worked closely with Lena Headey as she became Cersei Lannister's main tormentor during the fifth and sixth seasons. After her time in Westeros ended, she jumped into the DC Universe for a recurring appearance in the Syfy prequel series "Krypton." Following that show's cancellation, Waddingham picked up a supporting role on Netflix's popular teen comedy-drama "Sex Education."
In 2020, Waddingham secured her most significant role to date, as a main cast member on the Apple TV+ sports comedy series "Ted Lasso." For her performance as football team owner Rebecca Welton, she won her first Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Before her witchy turn in "Hocus Pocus 2," she appeared in a handful of films including "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People" and "Les Misérables."
Tony Hale as Jefry Traske
One of the new characters featured in "Hocus Pocus 2" is Mayor Jefry Traske, the father of young hero Cassie, played by Tony Hale. Hale began his acting career with one-episode appearances on popular TV shows, including "Sex and the City," "The Sopranos," and "Dawson's Creek."
Hale's major acting breakthrough came in 2003, when he landed the series regular role of Byron "Buster" Bluth on the acclaimed ensemble sitcom "Arrested Development," playing the endearingly stunted youngest sibling of the dysfunctional Bluth family. During the show's hiatus, he made recurring appearances on the spy comedy "Chuck," the medical drama "ER," and the crime drama "Numbers." In 2012, Hale nabbed one of his most memorable roles to date on HBO's political comedy "Veep" as Gary Walsh, the personal assistant to Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Selina Meyer. For his performance throughout the show's seven-season run, he bagged two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Hale is also a talented voice actor who has lent his voice to a number of animated shows like "Rick and Morty," "Amphibia," "Harley Quinn," Rugrats," and "The Legend of Vox Machina."
Besides his frequent TV presence, Hale has also portrayed supporting characters in films for the past two decades. His notable film credits include "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector," "RV," "Stranger Than Fiction," "The Heat," "The Angry Birds Movie," "Love, Simon," Toy Story 4," "Clifford the Big Red Dog," and "Being the Ricardos."
Sam Richardson as Gilbert
Sam Richardson stars in "Hocus Pocus 2" as Gilbert, the new owner of the Sanderson sisters' former house, which he's renovated into a magic store. Richardson started his career as an improv performer for the oldest theater troupe in Chicago, Second City. In 2013, he finally made his screen debut with minor roles on "Arrested Development" and "The Office," as well as in the crime comedy film "We're the Millers."
The following year, Richardson nabbed his first major TV project as a series regular during the last four seasons of HBO's acclaimed political satire "Veep," in which he portrayed the kindhearted but naïve Richard Splett. Despite being a late addition to the cast, Richardson managed to capture fans' attention with his character's hilarious dialogue and unwavering optimism, leading him to become an instant fan favorite. During the show's run, he also began building his film career by appearing in multiple comedies, such as "Horrible Bosses 2," "Spy," "Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising," "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates," Ghostbusters," and "Good Boys." In 2021, he appeared in the independent horror comedy "Werewolves Within," his first feature a lead actor and producer.
In 2017, Richardson also got the chance to create, write, and executive produce his own comedy series "Detroiters" with fellow comedian Tim Robinson at Comedy Central. After "Veep" ended, he tried his hand at voice acting, with roles on animated shows including "Archer," "BoJack Horseman," "Hoops," "M.O.D.O.K," "Q-Force," "Harley Quinn," and "HouseBroken."
Whitney Peak as Becca
Whitney Peak portrays Becca, one of the sequel's young heroes who aspires to become a witch. As seen in the official trailer, she's the one who accidentally brings the Sanderson sisters back to life. "Hocus Pocus 2" officially marks Peak's first major film role since getting cast at the age of 14 for a brief appearance in Aaron Sorkin's directorial feature debut "Molly's Game," which starred A-listers Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba.
Peak is a Ugandan Canadian actress who gained recognition for her breakthrough role as Zoya Lott on the HBO Max revival of the hit teen drama "Gossip Girl." Her character is the intriguing new girl, Constance Billard, who's been admitted through a scholarship program. Unlike most of the students at her new school, she doesn't come from a wealthy background. Before landing one of the leading roles in the hit "Gossip Girl" reboot, Peak had one-episode appearances on two CW shows, "Legends of Tomorrow" and "iZombie."
In 2019, she also joined the cast of Netflix's supernatural teen drama "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina," playing the character of Judith Blackwood for ten episodes. A year after that, she nabbed the series regular role of Alpha Jessica on Apple TV+'s mystery drama "Home Before Dark."
Lilia Buckingham as Cassi Traske
Lilia Buckingham stars in "Hocus Pocus 2" as the mayor's daughter, Cassie Traske. Despite no longer being close with childhood friends Becca and Izzy, she will be reuniting with them as they team up to stop the Sanderson sisters from enacting their wicked revenge on Salem.
Buckingham is a social media personality, who's best known for her talent in dancing and acting. After performing at a young age in local musical productions of "Annie," "High School Musical," and more, she began training for competitive dancing at the MNR Dance Factory, a popular Los Angeles-based dance studio. During her time at MNR Dance Factory, she became friends with fellow young stars Maddie and Mackenzie Ziegler of "Dance Moms" fame. Together, they've created an anti-bullying organization called Positively Social. In 2012, Buckingham scored a one-episode appearance on the hit ABC family sitcom "Modern Family."
Before making her feature debut in "Hocus Pocus 2," Buckingham started building her acting career through several collaborations with the YouTube channel Brat TV, a digital media network focusing on original content geared toward Gen Z. Their first project is the YouTube series "Chicken Girls," on which she played the role of Autumn Miller for five episodes. After that, she continued to reprise the role four more teen dramas for Brat. In 2019, she got the chance to become an executive producer on the channel's anthology series "Crown Lake," alongside "Pretty Little Liars" author Sara Shepard. Shepard and Buckingham went on to co-write a coming-of-age novel titled "Influence" in 2021.
Belissa Escobedo as Izzy
In "Hocus Pocus 2," Belissa Escobedo plays the role of Izzy, Becca's best friend who accompanies her in the woods to light the Black Flame Candle and unwittingly revive the witches. Escobedo is an up-and-coming actress who first gained recognition in 2020 with a series regular role on ABC's romantic comedy drama "The Baker and the Beauty." On the short-lived series, she portrayed Natalie, the younger sister of Victor Rasuk's Danie Garcia.
During the same year, Escobedo also appeared in Quibi's short-form sci-fi thriller miniseries "Don't Look Deeper," which was directed by "Twilight" filmmaker Catherine Hardwicke. She followed that up with a recurring appearance on the horror anthology series "American Horror Stories," playing Shanti in two episodes opposite Matt Bomer, Sierra McCormick, and Kaia Gerber. She recently made her feature acting debut as a supporting character in Hulu's coming-of-age comedy drama "Sex Appeal," led by former Disney Channel star Jake Short.
Following "Hocus Pocus 2," Escobedo has already lined up her next acting projects, which include the highly-anticipated DC Comics movie "Blue Beetle." Escobedo will be portraying Milagro Reyes, the younger sister of the titular teen hero, played by "Cobra Kai" breakout Xolo Maridueña.
Froy Gutierrez as Mike
Froy Gutierrez plays Mike, the boyfriend of Lilia Buckingham's character Cassie Traske. Gutierrez began his acting career in 2015, when landed a recurring role on the Nickelodeon sitcom "Bella and the Bulldogs" opposite DC's "Stargirl" lead Brec Bassinger. On the short-lived comedy series, he portrayed the role of Charlie for three episodes.
Since then, Gutierrez continued making appearances on popular shows, including "The Goldberg" as Handsome Ben, "One Day at a Time" as Josh, and "Liza on Demand" as Doug. In 2017, his first big break came when he was cast as a supporting character in the sixth and final season of supernatural drama "Teen Wolf" in which he played Nolan Holloway. His character was first introduced as a high school lacrosse player who developed anxiety issues after seeing a wolf up close. His fear of the supernatural world led him to join a group of Hunters. However, after realizing the group's cruel methods, he switches sides in hopes of redeeming himself for his previous actions as a hunter.
Following his stint in "Teen Wolf," Gutierrez nabbed another recurring role on Hulu's supernatural thriller series "Light as a Feather," based on Zoe Aarsen's novel of the same name. In 2021, he finally secured his first major TV role as one of the main cast members in the first season of the Jessica Biel-produced drama thriller anthology "Cruel Summer." Before "Hocus Pocus 2," Gutierrez also nabbed supporting roles in two independent films, the family drama "A Cowgirl's Story" and slasher piece "Initiation."
Dan Finnerty as Lucas
Dan Finnerty appears in "Hocus Pocus 2" as Lucas. This marks Finnerty's latest collaboration with his wife Kathy Najimy — the couple have previously appeared together in films like "The Wedding Planner," "Dumplin'," and "Single All the Way."
Finnerty is best known as the frontman of the comedy music group known as The Dan Band, who gained recognition for their hilarious musical cameos in Todd Phillips-directed films "Old School," "Starsky & Hutch," and "The Hangover." In 2005, they filmed their first-ever concert special, "Dan Finnerty & The Dan Band: I Am Woman," which was executive produced by Steven Spielberg. The Oscar-winning filmmaker first worked with Finnerty in the 2004 Tom Hanks-led comedy-drama film "The Terminal." The Dan Band also received attention for appearing in Drake's wedding-themed music video for his hit song "Falling Back," with Finnerty performing his version of the rapper's 2009 song "Best I Ever Had."
Apart from his work with The Dan Band, Finnerty's acting credits include appearances on comedy shows like "Veronica's Closet," "Meego," "Ellen," and "King of the Hill." His only major ongoing TV project was a recurring role on the late '90s sitcom "Rude Awakening," in which he starred as Joe the Bartender for six episodes. In 2012, he also joined the Tom Cruise-led film adaptation of "Rock of Ages," based on the popular Broadway musical. Interestingly, Finnerty was one of the original cast members for the rock musical's off-Broadway run.