Hocus Pocus star Sean Murray recalls how his now step-sister had a crush on his character. Murray was 16 years old at the time of Hocus Pocus’ release when he played Thackery Binx, who gets bewitched by the Sanderson sisters and cursed into a cat for centuries. The actor did not appear in 2022’s Hocus Pocus 2 but continued a successful career after Hocus Pocus, starring in the popular CBS crime show NCIS.
Reflecting on his time in Hocus Pocus, Murray recalls to EW that he caught the adoring eye of his now step-sister Troian Bellisario. According to Murray, Bellisario was strange around him when she first met him. Bellisario later revealed that she had a childhood crush on Murray after seeing him in Hocus Pocus, long before they became step-siblings. Check out Murray’s full explanation:
“Troian Bellisario, who became my stepsister after a certain point, was acting a little weird around me when she first knew me. She then told me years later it was because when she was a kid, she had seen Hocus Pocus and had a crush on me and she was trying to work that out.”
The Everlasting Hocus Pocus Nostalgia
The first encounter between Murray and Bellisario makes for an amusing Hocus Pocus legacy. Bellisario was not the only person who was crushing on Murray’s Hocus Pocus role. Since Murray was a teenager while acting in Hocus Pocus, the film had young teens and preteens swooning as it gained popularity. With even his future step-sister joining in on the fun, the now-television star Murray had an amusing acting origin story with Hocus Pocus and the surrounding attention.
Beyond Murray’s heart-flutter-inducing legacy, Hocus Pocus’ staying power has been huge in general. Since the original film’s 1993 release, Hocus Pocus has become somewhat of a modern classic. This allowed the film’s sequel to be made almost 30 years later.
Hocus Pocus 2 did not have quite the same adoring response as the original film, but nonetheless was viewed by many in its adoring fan base. While also introducing new characters to the coven, Hocus Pocus 2 saw the return of leads Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy to Salem. The ogling eyes of Murray’s step sister and countless other fans may have subsided, but the nostalgia for Hocus Pocus has not. Hopefully, those fans will compell Disney to make a Hocus Pocus 3.
Source: Entertainment Weekly