Most television viewers know Sean Murry as Special Agent Timothy McGee from NCIS. He first took the role almost twenty years ago. Since then, his cybersecurity expert has become a fan-favorite on the show. However, many may not know that Murray was in a classic Halloween film alongside Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Studio 10 co-host Tristan MacManus pointed this out last October when Sean Murray came on the show to talk about NCIS. “Now, NCIS is obviously huge. People know you from that. But also, Hocus Pocus which is also a popular film, especially around Halloween.” MacManus then went on to point out that the film had returned to theaters in the United States last year and was number one at the box office. He then asked, “Did you ever imagine that something in 1993 would still be number one in 2020? Must have been a fun film to make.”
Sean Murray said, “Yeah. It was such a fun film to make and it was one of my earlier jobs, too. So, getting to be a part of that was amazing and I’ll never forget any of it. It’s funny. We made this Halloween movie that I think came out in May of that year, oddly enough. It didn’t do very well and it was kind of this sleeper thing that happened over years and years.”
Sean Murray went on to say how amazed he was that Hocus Pocus has become a cult hit over the years. Today, several generations of fans watch the movie every year around Halloween. Looking back, Murray said that he was fourteen when they started the movie. He turned fifteen by the time they were done shooting it. Additionally, he grew four inches during the production of the film.
Sean Murray has two children. During the interview, he told Studio 10 that both of his kids have seen Hocus Pocus and they both “get a kick out of it.” According to Murray, they like it much more than NCIS.
Sean Murray’s Sleeper Hit
Hocus Pocus hit theaters in July of 1993. So, Sean Murray was only a little off. However, he wasn’t wrong about box office performance. The film only took in just over $8 million. However, it has become a cult classic over the years.
It’s one of the few Halloween movies that is truly a family film. It has something for everyone. So, it’s safe for kids to watch. At the same time, most parents won’t be bored to tears watching it.
Sean Murray plays Thackery Binx, a teenage boy who witnesses a trio of witches drain away his little sister’s youth which kills her. Thackery confronts them and gets transformed into an immortal black cat for his troubles. Hundreds of years later, Max, the new kid in town, brings those witches back to life. So, Thackery, as a black cat, has to help Max and his friends defeat the witches.
