Hocus Pocus is a treasured Halloween staple among pretty much anyone with eyes and some holiday spirit, and the stars who brought it to life retain a special place in our hearts.
30 years after the film was first released to theaters, the first Hocus Pocus remains an iconic, and necessary, element of the Halloween season. Many of its stars returned for a long-overdue sequel in 2022, but the kids at the core of its story did not. This makes sense, considering how much they’ve grown up over the last few decades, but seeing Winifred, Sarah, and Mary back on our screens prompted a common question among longtime fans of the story. Just who were the child stars who brought those beloved characters to life, and what are they doing now?
Who played Max in Hocus Pocus?
A few vital characters make up the core of the Hocus Pocus story. The trio of child-hungry witches are vital, of course, but the kids they hunt over the course of the movie are just as essential. Max, Allison, Dani, and of course, Thackery Binx skillfully evade the witches’ clutches throughout the course of the movie, and eventually defeat their tormenters. Many of the stars behind those fan-favorite characters went on to enjoy long careers in front of the camera, but not all.
Take Omri Katz, the child star behind Max Dennison. Katz appeared in the film in his late teens, bringing protective big brother Max to memorable life, but soon pivoted away from acting. He did appear in a few additional projects, post-Hocus Pocus, but by the early 2000s, he was largely absent from the spotlight. After Hocus Pocus, he appeared as a recurring character in The John Larroquette Show before putting out his second TV film, Dallas: J.R. Returns, and tantalizing his fans with a brief stint on both Freaks and Geeks and General Hospital. His final on-screen appearance came about in 2002.
What does he do now?
That leaves more than 20 years of Katz life to be led outside the public eye. While he’ll likely always be recognizable as Max to true fans, Katz moved on with his life a long time ago. Hocus Pocus will always hold a special place in his heart, but Katz is in his late 40s these days. He’s left his child star days far behind, after spending the bulk of his youth — between 1983 and 2002 — in front of the camera.
In the years since his departure from the spotlight, Katz has reportedly maintained a friendship with his Hocus Pocus co-stars. They’ve kept in touch, at least occasionally, over the years that now separate them from the 1993 Halloween favorite.
Katz is 47 now, and is thoroughly busy operating his own cannabis company. Located in California, Katz and his partner, Michele Watters, run The Mary Danksters, a “Cannabis Culture and Lifestyle Apparel Company.” He seems to be thriving in his new life, and living by his company motto as he embraces “positivity, herb, and unity.”