Kimberly J. Brown Admits She and Daniel Kountz ‘Never Sat and Watched’ the ‘Halloweentown’ Movies (Exclusive)

Halloween takes Tampa!

Kimberly J. Brown, who played Marnie Piper in Halloween (1998) and its sequels, Halloweentown II: Calabar’s Revenge (2001) and Back to Halloweentown (2006) and her fiance, Daniel Kountz, who played Kal Halloween IIstopped by 90s Con Tampa to reminisce about the Disney Channel movie — and talk about their upcoming nuptials.

While talking to PEOPLE on the red carpet out front Halloween The panel, Brown, 38, and Kountz, 44, admitted they don’t usually watch their movies together.

We never sat back and watched it, Brown said. “I see it occasionally with my nephew, niece, so I get to see different parts of it, but I don’t know if we’ve ever sat down and watched it.”

Still, Brown said she feels “so honored that people are still watching the movies after all these years.”

“It’s one of my favorite holidays to ever be a part of, so it’s been fun to watch it grow over the years,” she continued. “When I was a kid, Halloween wasn’t two months out of the year, whereas now it’s comparable to Christmas with the decor and everything. I love it and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”

Debbie Reynolds and Kimberly J. Brown in “Halloweentown High” (2004).

Filmski/Alamy

Halloweentown star Kimberly J. Brown recreates the witch’s outfit for the film’s 22nd anniversary

Brown and Koutnz also gave an update on their wedding planning while speaking with PEOPLE.

“It was a lot of fun,” the actress said. “It feels like its own production and it’s so nice to be able to put my own individual, unique touches on it and kind of express my personality and stuff. It kind of tickled the creative in me.”

The couple recently went shopping for their wedding bands, which Brown called “a lot of fun.”

“We had more fun than I thought,” she continued. “There were so many different things to try. Every little step makes the big day more real. It’s getting closer and it’s getting exciting as we do those little things within it.”

Brown added that she is most looking forward to having “all our dear friends and family together” on the big day.

Debbie Reynolds. Collection of Ron Galella via Getty

During the panel, Brown and Kountz reflected on their collaboration with Debbie Reynolds, whom Brown called “legendary.”

Every time I ‘flew’ with her, it was a very special time in my life, she said.

Brown shared that she and Reynolds, who died in December 2016 at age 84, became “good friends” as a result of working together, so much so that Quintuplets star has seen Reynolds’ variety show several times over the years.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better experience with such an amazing person who had so much behind her and yet wanted to help everyone around her shine brighter,” Brown said. “She shared so much about her life and everything, and she did it at her own expense just to make everyone laugh. It taught me so much when I was young what a gift it is to just bring joy to people. She believed in it 100 percent and I learned it in youth. I love the time we spent together.”

Kountz, meanwhile, remembers Reynolds being “so full of energy” on set.

“She was 68 years old when I worked with her [on Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge]. She was running around the set, dancing, singing, telling jokes,” Kountz continued. “We had one scene where it was really late at night, there were a bunch of extras and everyone was tired, it was 1:00 in the morning and she noticed and said, ‘Well, we’ve got to raise the energy’.”

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In 2022, Brown and Kountz spoke with PEOPLE in honor of the first movie’s 25th anniversary, reflecting on the incredible legacy of the Disney Channel series.

“It’s such a gift to bring joy to people and have this relationship with people over the course of the movies and share the magic over the years,” Brown told PEOPLE at the time. “I love Marnie as much as anyone, and she was definitely a part of me… I’m so grateful to all the fans and everything that made the movies what they are. And I’m so grateful to continue to be able to spread a little joy in the world.”

Kimberly J Brown and Daniel Kountz attend the opening night of Center Theater Group’s “A Soldier’s Play” at Ahmanson Theater on May 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Unique Nicole/Getty

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Over the years, Kountz learned how the film resonated with viewers.

“We’ve done some fan events and one of the things that hits me the most is ‘Being normal is so overrated.’ [line] and how much that quote meant to so many people,” he chimed in. “So many people come up and say, ‘I just want you to know that it helped me through my childhood because I felt like I was different… . but I felt better.’ It almost brings tears to my eyes now.”

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