5 days ago
Beloved Hocus Pocus star looks unrecognizable decades after the Halloween movie premiered
More than three decades after he was skyrocketed into the spotlight by starring in the beloved Halloween movie Hocus Pocus, Omri Katz is now unrecognizable.
The actor became a sensation practically overnight after he played Max Dennison in the 1993 Disney flick, the boy who accidentally unleashes the three Sanderson sisters upon Salem, Massachusetts.
The film has since become a spooky season staple, and is re-watched by millions every year when fall comes around.
But now, 32 years after it premiered, Omri looks pretty different than he did when he captured viewers' hearts as the sarcastic teen in Hocus Pocus.
Omri acted in Hocus Pocus when he was only 16-years-old, and he quickly became a heartthrob thanks to his charming personality and handsome looks.
Now 48, his long, brown locks are a lot shorter, and he's got a lot more facial hair.
Omri started acting when he was only seven, starring as John Ross Ewing III in the show Dallas.
He also acted in the show Eerie, Indiana and the TV movie Adventures in Dinosaur City before landing his role in Hocus Pocus.
But now, 32 years after it premiered, Omri looks pretty different than he did when he captured viewers' hearts as the sarcastic teen in Hocus Pocus
After that, he continued to act, starring in The John Larroquette Show, the flick Dallas: J.R. Returns, and the short film Journey Into Night.
But his last role was in 2002, and after that, he left the spotlight.
Now, it appears that he operates his own cannabis company and often attends conventions with other Hocus Pocus stars.
He also sells personalized videos to fans on Cameo for $60. He is currently dating a woman named Michele Watters.
Omri was not part of the sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, which was released in 2022 on Disney+.
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy all reprised their roles as Winifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson.
Doug Jones, who played the role of Billy Butcherson in the original film, also returned for the sequel.
Back in 2022, Omri reflected on his time in the film - and revealed that he was high during many scenes of the cult classic.
He told Entertainment Weekly that filming took place when he was 'at an age where he started experimenting with cannabis.'
'Let's just say, some of those scenes, I was having a good old time,' he joked.
While he didn't remember which scenes specifically he was high in, he added: 'I'll tell you what I do remember: I was mis-performing and not hitting my keys or marks.'
He said the director Kenny Ortega came up to him during one scene and 'practically' grabbed him by the shirt, and said, 'Are you high?'
Omri said that he told the director 'no,' adding 'but of course, I was.'
'We got it done, but that was kind of a wake-up call, like, Omri, you've got to be a little more professional and make sure you hit your cues,' he said.
