Doug Jones has a long career of donning prosthetics for his film and television work. From The Faun in Pan’s Labyrinth to the moon-headed McDonald’s spokesman Mac Tonight, Jones has transformed himself for a variety of roles.
When he returned to the role of Billy Butcherson in Hocus Pocus 2, prosthetics allowed him to play the part as though no time had passed. “I got to hide behind a layer of rubber,” he said during the global press conference for the film. “That’s why I look the same.”
While “Billy” hasn’t aged in the sequel, Jones felt the difference while performing as the character. “I was 32 when I played him the first time. I was 61 playing him the second time.” The stumbling and floppy performance required was a little more challenging and exhausting while making the second film. Jones had no trouble capturing the spirit of the character, however. “I looked at myself in the mirror and thought, oh, my gosh, two minutes have passed in the last 29 years. He came back right away, voice and everything. I don’t know how that happened, but it was kind of magical.”
When it comes to the question of why Billy Butcherson has become a fan-favorite character, the man behind the rubber has a ready answer. “I was a zombie before zombies were cool,” according to Jones. “And I was not a brain-eating zombie, that’s a big difference.”
You can watch everyone’s favorite zombie in Hocus Pocus 2, streaming now on Disney+.
About Hocus Pocus 2
It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow’s Eve.