The Iconic Hocus Pocus Scene That Almost Never Happened

In a 2020 interview, another actor from “Hocus Pocus” opened up about a non-scripted moment. Doug Jones, who played the reanimated corpse Billy Butcherson, told E! News about a line that he felt compelled to change.

For a good chunk of the movie, Billy’s mouth is sewn shut. When he finally gets it open and moths fly out, he can speak again. The original script had him curse at Winnie Sanderson at that moment and shout, “B***h!” However, Jones didn’t think that was right for a family film for Disney.

“This is where I need to prove to the kids that I’m on their team, that I’m a good guy,” Jones said, referencing the characters Max, Allison, and Dani. So he pitched his own line instead, where Billy shouts, “Wench! Trollop! You bucktooth, mop-riding, firefly from hell!” He then leans over to Max and says, “I’ve waited centuries to say that.” Jones’ new line ended up in the final cut of the movie.

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