The Halloweentown Cast Reunited in Honor of Late Debbie Reynolds
Travis Mullins
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Since its original broadcast in October 1998, Disney Channel’s Halloweentown has become an annual staple of the holiday season. The success of the TV film spawned three sequels (both Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge and Halloweentown High were the most-viewed Disney Channel pics in 2001 and 2004) and helped establish the early aughts popularity of the Disney Channel Original Movie.
Having grown up with the films, Halloweentown was a place that lit my imagination on fire… that wonderful alternate universe in which the residents consisted of zombies, trolls, wolf-mans and pumpkinheads alike. The kind of place where a wise-cracking skeleton served as the taxi driver and where the abominable snowman operated a dessert emporium. Like so many other youths at the time, the Halloweentown series is what initiated my personal love for all things of the spooky nature.
In recent years, the town of St. Helens, Oregon (filming site of the original) has hosted a month-long Halloweentown event to celebrate the fandom of the films and its iconic setting. The festivities kick off with the annual Halloween Parade and the town plays host to a variety of activities including haunted tours, costume contests, and specialty food & beverage locations. As icing on the cake, the Old Town District is decked with decor reminiscent of the film, the most notable being the infamous giant jack-o-lantern restored to the front and center of the town’s City Hall.
Spirit of Halloweentown
Disney Channel star and “Marnie Cromwell” actress Kimberly J. Brown (who, by the way, should’ve never been replaced in 2006’s Return to Halloweentown; sorry Sara Paxton, much love)… has appeared at the last two events to assist with the annual Pumpkin Lighting ceremony and while she returned this year, Brown was also accompanied by a handful of other Halloweentown stars including Judith Hoag (Gwen), J. Paul Zimmerman (Dylan), Emily Roeske (Sophie) and Judith Ford (Harriet).
The circumstances for the reunion were a bit somber. The cast was brought together to celebrate the legacy of Debbie Reynolds, the late Hollywood icon who fans will remember as the memorably bright and whimsical witch, grandma Aggie Cromwell.
Emily Roeske (Sophie), J. Paul Zimmerman (Dylan), Judith Hoag (Gwen), and Kimberly J. Brown (Marnie)
Addressing the hordes of people who gathered around the town square, Brown noted, “This is such a special year… to be able to get together and remember how special Debbie Reynolds was. It’s hard trying to narrow down one story or one little tidbit because she was truly so full of wisdom and had so many funny stories and most of the jokes were at her expense.
She was so willing to share that wisdom with the rest of us and wanted everybody to shine in their own light. It was so refreshing, as a young actress, to work with somebody who was not only such a huge legend, but who was also willing to share the spotlight with everybody around her, which I think is so true in the business and just so true in life. Everybody has their own special light and everybody can shine brightly in their own way and it doesn’t mean that because one person is shining brightly that anybody else is shining any less brightly. Everybody’s own special shine is what we need in this world for it to be a more loving, happy place. That’s what she really taught me. I think one of our favorite joint stories is… there were fans that gather around the set and in her kindness, she would always come up and introduce herself as, ‘Hello, I’m Princess Leia’s mother.'”
Halloweentown (1998)
Judith Hoag elaborated on her own experiences saying, “This movie would not be the lasting Halloween tradition that it is without all of you. It was an honor to do these movies and it was a huge honor to work with the absolutely incredible, iconic, unbelievable, creative, talented Debbie Reynolds.
No matter how busy she was… no matter what was going on, if they were calling her to the set and she was late… If a fan stepped up and wanted to say hello or take a picture or get an autograph, Debbie always stopped and she always made time for her fans. I loved to tease her because she was the funniest person on the planet and she loved to play and to joke… she was the sauciest and funniest lady… I used to say, ‘Debbie… my god, you would pose with a coat hanger.’ She looked at me, absolutely serious, and said, ‘Judith… those are my fans. I would not have a career without those fans.’ And I have never forgotten that. It was an honor to work with her and finding that she had passed was a very sad moment. But we were so lucky because we had her talent and her performances and her music and her collection… she had single-handedly kept so many legendary Hollywood props. We were so blessed to have her. Being here tonight to commemorate her life and her work and her fans is an honor.”
Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge (2001)
J. Paul Zimmerman appeared in all four films as the skeptic brother Dylan and shared one of his favorite memories of Reynolds. “I’ve always wanted to be a director and there was a movie I wanted to make during Halloweentown High. Somehow, I got the guts to walk up to Debbie Reynolds, this legend, and say, ‘Hey Debbie, I want to make a movie. Would you be in my movie if I directed it?’ And she said that she reads every script that she’s given, she considers everything… and she gave me her home number. I sent her the script and then I called Debbie Reynolds at home… and I don’t remember how the conversation went because she picked up the phone… after two or three rings, Debbie Reynolds picks up the phone at her house… and I said, ‘Debbie, this is J. Paul Zimmerman from Halloweentown.’ And there’s a pause and I’m thinking maybe she doesn’t remember me… And she said, ‘Well… now that’s an interesting phone call to get… Not J. Paul Zimmerman from Boston, not J. Paul Zimmerman from Philadelphia, but J. Paul Zimmerman from Halloweentown.'”
Like Brown, “Sophie” actress Emily Roeske did not appear in the fourth installment but made a rare appearance at the event. “I was six years old and I got to work with Debbie Reynolds. It’s something that’s so incredible that I’ll never forget. She was so talented. Not only that, she was beautiful, inside and out. She had the best sense of humor and that’s one of the things I remember about her the most. Making jokes with everyone on the set… inviting me into her trailer to tell me stories and help me practice my lines… It was just so incredible to have someone like that as a role model for me as a young girl. Losing her this year was really hard to hear but I just thought about all the memories I have of her and what an impact she had on me. I’m so happy to be here to commemorate her life.”
Halloweentown High (2004)
Despite the eleven years that have passed since Return to Halloweentown, the popularity of this classic TV film series doesn’t seem to be waning anytime soon. It was a mistake to recast Kimberly J. Brown in the aforementioned and often-disregarded last film and while Debbie Reynolds’ absence is already felt… one can’t help but ponder the idea of a Kimberly J. Bown/Marnie Cromwell-centered fifth entry. Personally, I need closure on whatever happened to Marnie’s goblin friend Luke (Phillip Van Dyke) from the first two films.
At the very least, in honor of the film’s 20th anniversary, we can only hope that next year’s Spirit of Halloweentown event will knock the socks off of fans and continue to bring forth the cast of characters that make this series so memorable. If you’re ever looking to make it over to Halloweentown, be sure to check out the official Spirit of Halloweentown Facebook page!
“Being normal is vastly overrated.” – Aggie Cromwell (Debbie Reynolds), Halloweentown (1998)
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