Hocus Pocus star Omri Katz looks very different decades after playing Max as he takes on a very different career
With spooky season fast approaching, the time has almost come to stream one of the best Halloween classics ever: Hocus Pocus.
Released in 1993, the Disney favorite follows teenager Max Dennison, who accidentally resurrects the mischievous Sanderson sisters on Halloween night. As a result, Max, his little sister Dani and their friend Allison must find a way to stop the witches before they wreak havoc on Salem.
The beloved movie stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as the iconic Sanderson sisters. All three women returned for Hocus Pocus 2 in 2022.
The original film also starred Omri Katz, Thora Birch and Vinessa Shaw.
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Katz, who was just 16 years old when he filmed Hocus Pocus, left Hollywood and retired from acting. Max Dennison remains his most iconic role but he also had parts in Dallas and Eerie, Indiana.
Why did Omri Katz stop acting?
Katz, who is now 50, started acting when he was three years old.
While speaking on the Bronx Buds YouTube Channel, Katz said he left Hollywood because he simply wanted a break as a result of his schedule.
“I left the industry not too long after Hocus Pocus and kind of never really looked back,” he said.
"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."
Here's what Katz looks like as an adult:
After leaving Hollywood, he became a snowboarder and stayed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He also surfed during the summer
However, when he ran out of money, he returned to Los Angeles and tried acting again. He soon realized that acting was no longer for him, later describing a psychological block that caused him to freeze up and struggle with his lines.
Speaking on the Est. in the 90s podcast in September 2025, he recalled taking on a few episodic roles, including appearances on Freaks and Geeks and General Hospital. But he struggled to perform as he had before.
What does Omri Katz do now?
He now works as a hairdresser and runs a cannabis-themed merchandise and lifestyle brand called The Mary Danksters.
At the time of the brand's launch, Katz said: "Lots of people wondering what I’ve been up to.
"Being a member of the cannabis community for almost 20 years now and jumping through hoops of fire to get here I’m proud to announce our online apparel store will be opening up soon.
"Keep your eyes peeled as we will be announcing our opening date. I’m so proud of what we’ve created so come show your love and support."
But despite moving away from Hollywood, Katz regularly attends fan conventions and participates in cast Q&A panels, particularly for Hocus Pocus reunions, including the recent "Hocus Pocus Returns" panel during FanExpo Chicago 2026 in August.
Katz told TMZ in 2021 that he hadn't been asked back for the Hocus Pocus sequel although he expressed interest in returning for the fans.
"In terms of my phone ringing, I haven't heard anything," he said.
By August 2022, director of the sequel, Anne Fletcher, confirmed that neither Katz nor Shaw would be back because of a specific reason.
"We wanted to weave in all of the people that the fans loved, and when you sat back with all the ingredients and story, you're like, how do we make this work?" Fletcher told Entertainment Weekly. "It was very difficult to try to have them be a part of it, because we did talk about it — painstakingly. You're trying to stay on track with story, even if they came in as a cameo. People would say, 'They could be in the background!' and I'm like, really? You're going to put the leads of the first movie in the background and be satisfied? You're not going to be satisfied, you're going to be angry."
Topics: Halloween, Film and TV, Celebrity
Greg Harris