Why Hocus Pocus Star Omri Katz Disappeared From Hollywood

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1993's "Hocus Pocus" remains a Halloween classic that reliably graces the screens of audiences worldwide every spooky season. In fact, for '90s kids who grew up on the movie, there's a strong case to be made for "Hocus Pocus" being the greatest Halloween movie ever, even for adults.

The Sanderson Sisters, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, were the stars of the film, introducing kids everywhere to witchcraft and making the whole thing look undeniably cool even as the trio embarked on a mission to devour children. But the kids who appear in the film were audiences' gateway into the world. Omri Katz's Max Dennison not only had one of the finest examples of that '90s curtain haircut, he was, like all of us '90s kids going into the movie, a fish very much out of water. Having moved from Los Angeles to Salem, Massachusetts, Max is responsible for resurrecting the Sandersons by lighting the Black Flame Candle, ultimately overcoming the evil sisters and returning them to dust by the end of the movie.

With "Hocus Pocus" becoming a Halloween cult classic we're reminded of Omri Katz every year. Which will no doubt have many wondering what exactly happened to the star of this beloved children's horror, who seemingly disappeared in the early 2000s. 

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Prior to starring in "Hocus Pocus" at the age of just 16, Omri Katz had racked up some impressive TV credits including as a main cast member on the soap opera "Dallas" and as the lead in the short-lived series "Eerie, Indiana." But playing Max in 1993's "Hocus Pocus" was by far his biggest film role at that point, coming as it did after his one appearance in the 1991 TV film "Adventures in Dinosaur City." After "Hocus Pocus," Katz continued to act, mostly in TV series and short films, including TV movie "Dallas: J.R. Returns" in 1996 and in an episode of "Freaks and Geeks" in 1999. His final credited role, according to IMDb, was as Sean in the 2002 short film "Journey Into Night."

So, almost ten years after he starred in what became a beloved Halloween classic, Katz decided to bow out from Hollywood. But why? Well, speaking to his former "Eerie, Indiana" co-star, Justin Shenkarow, on the Bronx Buds YouTube Channel, Katz said: "I left the industry not too long after 'Hocus Pocus' and kind of never really looked back." That move was simply motivated by wanting to try new things, with Katz telling Bloody Disgusting:

"I grew up in the industry, so that's kind of all I knew. I think I was soul searching and wanted more of a human experience; just see what else is out there, see the world, and be normal. I didn't really have that growing up."

Those post-"Hocus Pocus" years saw the actor spending five years following the Grateful Dead before taking up snowboarding and surfing. But as his money ran out, Katz returned to acting, only to find something was off. "I wanted to get back into acting for all the wrong reasons," he told Bloody Disgusting, "to make money so I could escape again — and that didn't work out too well. I had to get a real job, the first one in my life!"

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The job tha Katz got following his second run at Hollywood was hairdressing, which he did for a brief period before founding his own cannabis company in 2002. The Mary Danksters is his brand, which is still in business today and which on its website claims to be made up of "ambassadors of the cannabis culture, with deep roots within the traditional cannabis community."

But while wanting to travel and then struggling with his second go at acting is part of the story, Katz also seems to have had some hesitancy around his experience with fans after starring in "Hocus Pocus," telling the Bronx Buds Channel, "There's kind of this strangeness, you know, because people don't know you, they know your characters." While Katz clearly wanted to try new things after appearing in the film, he also seems to have been looking for a break from what must have been a truly surreal experience.

That might seem as though it explains Katz's absence from the extra-silly, extra-nostalgic "Hocus Pocus 2" in 2022, but in reality, as the actor revealed during a panel discussion (via USA Today), he was never asked to return. "We weren't invited to that meeting," said Katz. "So we don't really know why we weren't invited. I think the fan base really wanted to see something with us. It's hard to really figure out the decisions that are made regarding what they want to do."

Still, it seems the former actor remains fond of his contributions to the original movie, returning for fan events and, as he told Bloody Disgusting in 2022, maintaining a group text chain with several people from "Hocus Pocus." What's more, with talk of a potential "Hocus Pocus 3" happening at Disney, we may well see the return of Max Dennison yet.