SARAH JESSICA PARKER ‘I’M A WITCH & PROUD OF IT!’
Double, double toil and trouble, SJP is back for more magic in Hocus Pocus 2
Nearly 30 years after the original film cast a spell over the world, Sarah Jessica Parker, 57, returns to Salem, alongside Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy, for Hocus Pocus 2. And hot on the heels of its Disney+ premiere, Woman’s Day chats with the star about all things Halloween, what her kids think of her witchy portrayal – and just how many pairs of shoes she really owns!
We’re so happy Hocus Pocus is back! How does it feel to reunite with Bette and Kathy as your fellow witches?
It felt a little peculiar but also so natural and so familiar. It was so easy at first but it did get a little harder as the days went on because you started to realise what you didn’t know and didn’t remember that you felt was important to
get right. But to be there with Bette Midler and Kathy was just a joy.
What does it mean to you that Hocus Pocus has gained such a loyal fan base over the years?
It’s always amazing when you do something that people have a connection to. It’s very meaningful and I feel very grateful. As actors, we like to tell a story, transport ourselves and, far more importantly, the audience if we can. Hocus Pocus does that. I think we
all feel very lucky to be a part of it.
How much have you watched the first Hocus Pocus over the years?
Honestly, not so much. Before this came along, I don’t think I had actually seen the original since the premiere almost 30 years ago! This came to me when I was shooting And Just Like That… But it was actually the best case scenario that I was thrown into it and couldn’t think too much about it.
Your 13-year-old twin daughters Tabitha and Marion were not even born when the first Hocus Pocus came out. What’s it like having them old enough to share this experience with you?
It’s so much fun. They’ve grown up with the first movie. They love it and were so excited from the moment I told them we were doing a second movie. We shot in Rhode Island, so they were able to come and visit a few times. But it’s really nice how much they both genuinely love these movies. With or without me in it, this is something they really do love.
Do you celebrate Halloween at home?
I’m a parent, so sure I do. I loved it as a child. My mother made our costumes on a Singer sewing machine filled with rage the entire time I’m sure, because I’m one of eight [laughs].
Can you remember your costume?
I always liked being a lion. My mother made a lion costume with a mane that I adored. I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, so Halloween was cold, wet and rainy – I would have to put on horrible boots, which would ruin it. But I didn’t care because dressing up for trick-or-treat meant candy. We weren’t allowed to have candy at my home. So Halloween meant we could get candy out.
Given your reputation as a style icon, is there an added pressure that comes with big movie premieres for you?
No. I’m like everybody else. You get shined up and make yourself appropriately presentable when the occasion calls for it but a lot of the day, even at work, I don’t even wear makeup.
Finally, how many pairs of shoes do you own?
I don’t have as many as you might imagine. I have far less than many women I know but I have a nice amount. Anyone who saw my closet would be enormously disappointed because I don’t have a big closet.