Rosie O’Donnell Reveals Why She Turned Down Hocus Pocus Role

It may not have been a huge hit when it first arrived in 1993, but Hocus Pocus has gone on to become a wildly beloved Halloween movie in the three decades since. One of the most popular films each and every October, Hocus Pocus has gained an enormous and passionate following over the years. The trio of witches known as the Sanderson Sisters have basically become Halloween icons. What you may not know, is that comedian Rosie O’Donnell almost played one of them.

During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, O’Donnell confirmed that she was offered the role of Mary, which was eventually played by Kathy Najimy. She also confirmed that she turned the role down, not wanting to be mean to kids or have her character be on the receiving end of jokes about weight.

“Yes. Because I didn’t want to play the fat, mean witch who eats and kills kids,” O’Donnell explained. “Even though it was Bette Midler, who was like, my favorite, and Sarah Jessica Parker.”

“I just couldn’t do it,” she continued. “I couldn’t do a pat where I would be mean to kids and the joke was about the size. I just felt like I had to say no for that.”

When asked if she regretted turning it down, O’Donnell said she didn’t. She also went on to praise Najimy for how she brought the character to life.

“No, and I think Kathy’s fantastic in it,” O’Donnell said. “You know, she does that face. I don’t even know how she does it.”

Hocus Pocus Sequels

It took nearly 30 years, but Hocus Pocus did eventually spawn a sequel. 2022’s Hocus Pocus 2 saw the return of Midler, Parker, Najimy, and Doug Jones, with the characters once again descending on the town of Salem. The film was released exclusively on Disney+ and quickly became the biggest original movie in the streamer’s history.

Given the success of Hocus Pocus 2, it should come as no surprise that a third film is in the works at Disney. Hocus Pocus 3 will be bringing back the director and one of the writers from the hit sequel, with both Anne Fletcher and Jen D’Angelo reportedly returning for the next film. 

As of right now, there has been no word as to which characters could appear in Hocus Pocus 3. The Sanderson Sisters are the cornerstone of the franchise, and Hocus Pocus 2 ended up establishing a new trio of main characters.