Kimberly J. Brown and Debbie Reynolds formed a special bond along the way Halloween.
Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE about her partnership with STEM, the actress, 39, fondly recalled starring alongside the late star in Disney Channel Original Movies from 1998 to 2004.
In the films, Brown plays the curious teenage witch Marnie, who has come to terms with her family’s magical origins, while Reynolds plays her eccentric witch grandmother, Aggie Cromwell, who helps her embrace her witch self.
While the magical relationship between Marnie and Aggie won the hearts of many fans, Brown notes that their relationship was very similar off screen.
“Our relationship, the Kimberly and Debbie relationship, ended up reflecting a lot on Marnie and Aggie over the years,” Brown told PEOPLE exclusively. “I grew up with her and we became very good friends outside of work as well. I’d go and see her variety show in Vegas and Hollywood, and we’d have dinner. She was very much like a real grandmother to me.”
Kimberly J. Brown in ‘Halloweentown’ from 1998 and 2024.
Singer White/Ventura Valley Film/Kobal/Shutterstock, Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
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She adds that their time on the set of the first three films far exceeded her expectations.
“You never know when you hear you’re going to work with a legend of that status, you don’t know what you’re getting into, but she couldn’t have been nicer and funnier and just wanted to uplift everyone around her as much as she could,” he says of working with the Hollywood icon.
“I was really trying to soak up as much of her wisdom as a teenager, because what an honor it is to even share a scene with her,” she continues of Reynolds. “What an amazing, amazing woman. It was such a privilege to meet her.”
Reynolds died at the age of 84 in December 2016, just one day after her daughter, actress Carrie Fisher.
Reynolds has built a stellar career in Hollywood, ranging from Singing in the rain to How the West was conqueredthough her role as Aggie still holds a special place in the hearts of millennials.
Kimberly J. Brown reveals who she is Halloween The character should have ended up with – and it’s not who you think (exclusive)
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Joey Zimmerman, Emily Roeske, Debbie Reynolds and Kimberly J. Brown in the 1998 film ‘Halloweentown’.
Singer White/Ventura Valley Film/Kobal/Shutterstock
When asked why the film still resonates with audiences today, Brown tells PEOPLE that the family aspect gives it a special magical touch.
“Beyond Supernatural Magic Themes in Halloweenat the core, it’s a family with teenagers and kids trying to find their way,” says Brown. “Marnie is a 13-year-old trying to figure out who she was in life, and I think that can relate to all of us.”
She adds that she and her co-stars became very close during filming, which further strengthened that family bond on screen.
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“The cast and I, we all really got along and had such a great time working together, and I feel like it shows,” Brown continues. “It constantly amazes me that after all these years people are still watching the movies and loving them.”
She goes on to attribute the franchise’s success to the initial fan support for the first film.
“We were only supposed to make one movie, and that was it,” she says. “And the fans loved it so much over the years that we had to do sequels. It’s amazing that I get to do so many shows and conventions over the years, and I get to meet generations of families, grandmas, moms, and kids, and it’s so touching. I’m so honored to be part of a tradition of people, and it’s super special, and they bring me as much joy as I hope the movies still do for them.”
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Source: HIS Education