Omri Katz | Omri Katz and Michelle Watters | Source: instagram.com/dankster_omz | facebook.com/DisneyHocusPocus
The beloved Max from "Hocus Pocus" was the teenage boy who accidentally unlocked the evil Sanderson sisters and later redeemed his town. The beloved child star, Omri Katz, who played the heroic role, retired from acting. Following the sequel, many wonders where he is now.
"Hocus Pocus" remains a constant for every household on every Halloween, thanks to its storyline, including the resurrection of three witches in Salem.
Three hundred years after their death by hanging, the Sanderson sisters were mistakenly summoned by Max, a high school student.
The witches wasted no time plotting revenge on the city that was once their home. More than two decades later, the sequel "Hocus Pocus" was released.
Although new faces were added to the cast, the women who played the three witches, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, reprised their roles.
Fans would remember that the original film featured Omri Katz, who had amassed fame from previous productions, including "Dallas," "Eerie, Indiana."
However, shortly after the Halloween film, he left the movie industry, leaving many to ask what the now-grown Max from "Hocus Pocus" is up to.
Who Is Omri Katz?
Omri Katz was born in Los Angeles to Israeli-Jewish parents Yoram and Rina. He is the youngest of three kids; his older siblings are Michael and Lali.
Although Katz still shares a close relationship with his co-stars from "Hocus Pocus," he did not work with some of them who reprised their roles in the sequel.
Although his family migrated to the US, he was raised to remember his roots. Katz lived in Israel for a few months and learned Hebrew.
Katz became a child star after appearing as John Ross Ewing III in the 1978 hit show "Dallas," which was also his most-known role. In 1991, he starred in the short sci-fi film, "Eerie, Indiana." Soon, he bagged other noteworthy roles in "Adventure in Dinosaur City," "Matinee," and, the most famous, "Hocus Pocus."
What Happened to Omri Katz?
Following his performance in "Hocus Pocus," Katz took up a few other roles, including "Freaks and Geeks and General Hospital" and "The John Larroquette Show, Katz," before pressing the brakes.
In 2002, he retired from acting to focus on other aspects of his life. Despite being away from Hollywood, Katz never shut out the friends he made during his acting career.
He is a regular member of cast reunions and still keeps in touch with his colleagues (former child stars) from "Hocus Pocus."
So far, Katz has been enjoying his life away from the industry. He runs a cannabis company. The former child star is also in a loving relationship with Michelle Watters and does not mind flaunting that part of his life with the world.
During a lovey-dovey outing with Watters in May, the former actor posed with his beau. The duo looked genuinely happy, wearing wide-eyed grins as they stared at the shutters. Katz shared the selfie and added the caption, "Walking around Gardens of the World with the love of my life."
Why Is Omri Katz Not in the "Hocus Pocus" Sequel?
Although Katz still shares a close relationship with his co-stars from "Hocus Pocus," he did not work with some of them who reprised their roles in the sequel.
While sharing his thoughts on the latest project, he mentioned, "People have been asking, and unfortunately, I'm not in it. I would have loved to be involved. I feel bad for the original fan base saying we aren't because I'm sure they wanted to see us reprise our roles."
Despite his absence, he praised the sequel, adding that it would be a great watch for fans of the original Halloween film.
Indeed, under Anne Fletcher, the new director, part two is not a remake but a continuation of the original. So it retained its essence and theme. Fletcher admitted:
"We wanted to weave in all of the people that the fans loved, and when you sat back with all the ingredients and story. It was very difficult to try to have them be a part of it because we did talk about it — painstakingly."
Fans can be assured that despite Katz's absence from the sequel, it is still a promising film, and the actor does not have any ill feelings for the new storyline.
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