See Hocus Pocus star's unreleased behind-the-scenes video, photos from set of Disney classic (exc...

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Tobias Jelinek tells EW about the lifelong emotional bonds he formed with his costars: &34;We immediately hit it off. It just took off from there.&34; See Hocus

Tobias Jelinek tells EW about the lifelong emotional bonds he formed with his costars: "We immediately hit it off. It just took off from there."

See* Hocus Pocus* star's unreleased behind-the-scenes video, photos from set of Disney classic (exclusive)

Tobias Jelinek tells EW about the lifelong emotional bonds he formed with his costars: "We immediately hit it off. It just took off from there."

Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes *RuPaul's Drag Race* video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

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October 30, 2025 4:27 p.m. ET

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The emotional bond between the cast of *Hocus Pocus* isn't just a bunch of... well... hocus pocus, star Tobias Jelinek exclusively tells **.

As the actor (who played Jay in the film) shares with us his never-before-released images (below) and video (above) taken during his time on the set of Disney's 1993 Halloween classic, Jelinek reveals behind-the-scenes secrets from production — starting with that time Omri Katz got him high before rehearsals with director Kenny Ortega.

"Little Thora Birch was in there with us, probably wondering what's going on with these teenagers," Jelinek recalls with a laugh. The actor says he and Katz — who previously revealed to EW that he was high for most of the production — got so zooted they couldn't get through preparation for the pumpkin-smashing scene.**

Larry Bagby and Tobias Jelinek on the set of 'Hocus Pocus'.

Courtesy of Tobias Jelinek

"I didn't smoke weed that much. I took a few puffs, I went into that rehearsal, and I was a mess. We were supposed to be running this scene with Kenny. I really couldn't hang," Jelinek says. "He was smoking weed throughout that entire shoot, and he knew how to handle it. I remember saying, 'Never again, Omri!'"

Though he and the cast bonded over the unbridled freedom they felt as teen stars acting in a major Hollywood production about a trio of witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) terrorizing New England youths, Jelinek says their foundation as an enduring cinematic family is as solid as a petrified statue of Winifred Sanderson.**

"The entire experience was just thrilling. It was my first *anything," *reminisces* *Jelinek, who was 15 at the time. "That was my first audition. I'd been a kid in Santa Barbara, Calif., doing theater. A Disney scout saw me on stage, and it led me to an audition for this Bette Midler film. I met Larry Bagby in the callback. It was just the two of us. We immediately hit it off. It just took off from there."

'Hocus Pocus 2' originally included Max cameo, cut scene with Jay and Ice

'Hocus Pocus 3' writer teases sequel, wants more Hannah Waddingham

That dynamic with Bagby — who played Ice, the other half of an iconic bullying duo who wreaked havoc on Katz's Max at the start of the film — was essential for the work they'd do together in the movie.

As evidenced by the candid footage Jelinek provides EW, he and Bagby developed a connection that went beyond the friendship their characters shared. Enough so, Jelinek says, that Bagby, who was 18, even became his temporary legal guardian to make filming easier on his parents.**

"I remember flying first class to Massachusetts. They'd pick us up in a limo, they'd give us per diem for spending money. Going to the cemetery was the first day. It was an autumn day, we were all bundled up," Jelinek says. "Larry and I very quickly found out how to goof off with one another and play off of each other's energy. Kenny was encouraging it, and that's a big part of the memory."

He says that his mom had a full-time job, which made it difficult for her to accompany her son to set. Thus, the teens "came up with this brilliant idea" to exploit Bagby's status as "a legal adult," Jelinek describes, noting that things came to fruition when production moved from Salem, Mass. back to Los Angeles.

Larry Bagby and Tobias Jelinek shooting 'Hocus Pocus'.

Courtesy of Tobias Jelinek

"Let's try to convince my mom to sign legal guardianship over to you so you can drive me to set," he says with a laugh. "We can stay at the hotel together! We somehow convinced her. I found the letter [my mom wrote to him], she signed over guardianship to Larry, and these two kids, a 15- and 18-year-old, were at the Universal Sheraton with spending money. You can imagine the rest."

Well, "the rest" is still being written for Jelinek and his costars, as he indicates that they've maintained close contact over the years — and points to the film's 25th anniversary celebration reunion in 2018 as a highlight of the entire experience.

Beyond that, though, Jelinek hasn't closed the door on reuniting on screen once again.

Larry Bagby poses with the crew of 'Hocus Pocus'.

Courtesy of Tobias Jelinek

After the success of 2022's *Hocus Pocus 2* — which EW exclusively revealed Katz, Shaw, Birch, Bagby, and Jelinek would not reprise their roles in — Disney announced in 2023 that a third *Hocus Pocus* film was in development. Though Midler recently revealed that she'd read a script, Katz and Jelinek tell EW now that they haven't been asked to return just yet.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

"I have not been asked to be part of the third. We'll see," Jelinek says, adding that he's "so curious where they're going to go after the second."

Larry Bagby and Tobias Jelinek pose with a toiler-papered house on 'Hocus Pocus' set.

Courtesy of Tobias Jelinek

"If it was done right, I know for a fact Larry would make sure we both did it," Jelinek continues. "I would want something with Omri and Vinessa [Shaw], and we also have to get Jason Marsden in there to be the voice of [the black cat] Binx. I'd flip over that opportunity, because we've all become really close friends."

Writer Jen D'Angelo previously told EW in 2023 that, while a story wasn't solidified at the time, she was toying with the idea of elaborating on storylines involving* Hocus Pocus 2* star Hannah Waddingham's mother witch — who had one scene at the start of the sequel.

*Hocus Pocus *is now streaming on Disney+. See EW's exclusive photos and video from the making of the film above.

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