The 2025 TV schedule has been off to a pretty great start. Between awards shows delivering and the exciting series returning or premiering, the year has already one for the books. For Hocus Pocus vet Thora Birch, to join Mayfair Witches Season 2 alongside Alexandra Daddario and return to her witchy roots is quite the treat. Based on recent comments, Birch seems to be relishing everything about it from the spooky content to the excellent costumes.
Mayfair Witches, based on the Anne Rice book series, has only been gaining traction with its first season's long-awaited arrival on Netflix. As its sophomore installment begins (with two episodes already out), Birch is one of many new faces to see in the cast as the thriller saga continues. While talking with TV Insider, the American Beauty alum was asked about her connection to the subject matter due to her character Dani, in the OG Hocus Pocus. Birch had this to say of her connection with witchy interests:
I don’t know how uncommon it is, but I did pretend to be a Wiccan for a couple of years there when I was 14 to 15. I think just like a lot of young women, I was always drawn into the occult and was already an Anne Rice fan. Love vampires, loved the whole New Orleans of it all. I love that this show treats [New Orleans] like another character, which was Anne Rice’s calling card as well, so it’s a fun space to play in. But I always loved Halloween and things like that, and vampires more than zombies, even though I was on Walking Dead as well [laughs]. So this [witchy stories] has always been a little bit more fun. It’s visually playful. Good clothes, great jewelry, you can’t go wrong.
The Ghost World alum’s interest in Wiccan ways and all that lies adjacent to that isn’t surprising. Mayfair Witches absolutely feels like the right place for someone who acted alongside the Sanderson Sisters so early on in their career. After all, Hocus Pocus was a monumental movie that grew in popularity, continues to have new viewers, and possibly has more material in the works beyond the sequel. And while Birch was bummed about not being able to be in the sequel due to work reasons, ending up in a witchy Rice world seems pretty okay for her.
While exciting and thrilling, the AMC drama can be on the darker side of the magical world, Birch’s character included. If you’re looking for a reprieve, there are plenty of more light-hearted witch movies and witchy shows that are family-friendly out there to help balance out the fates of all those on Mayfair Witches.
It’s great to see that Hocus Pocus wasn’t the end of the spellcasting world for Thora Birch. She’s a perfect and seasoned addition to the Alexandra Daddario series. The clothes, jewelry and setting aren’t bad either. You can find new episodes of Mayfair Witches on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC or stream via AMC+.
