Tim Burton has managed to create some crazy characters and elaborate stories over the years, but the tale of Jack Skellington bringing together Halloween and Christmas in The Nightmare Before Christmas is by far one of the director's most memorable works. Burton had always been fascinated by the way things just felt different around the holiday season, so he figured why not combine the jump scares and darkness with the holly jolly attitude.
To bring this stop-motion animated film to life — which, in fact, began as a poem — the cast and crew spent three years perfecting the sets, characters, and musical numbers. The voice actors came in with varying levels of experience in the industry, and they were each able to perfectly embody their spooky characters.
Since the dark fantasy film has just celebrated its 30-year anniversary, fans should take a moment to recognize and honor the cast. Here is what The Nightmare Before Christmas cast looks like in real life.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
- Release Date
- October 9, 1993
- Director
- Henry Selick
- Cast
- Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens
- Rating
- PG
- Main Genre
- Animation
Chris Sarandon as Jack Skellington
Lionsgate
Everyone can rest assured that while Chris Sarandon voices Jack Skellington, he looks nothing like the lanky skeleton. Sarandon is best known for his 1980s roles as Jerry Dandrige in Fright Night, Prince Humperdinck in The Princess Bride, and Detective Norris in Child's Play. Providing the iconic voice of the self-proclaimed King of Halloween Town, Sarandon resprised his role in a number of video games, and he was a part of several Disney attractions, including Halloween Screams, the Frightfully Fun Parade, the Haunted Mansion Holiday, and Disney on Ice.
Danny Elfman as Jack Skellington and Barrel
While Sarandon serves as the speaking voice of Jack Skellington, Danny Elfman actually took on all the character's singing parts. Elfman is also credited for creating the songs and score for The Nightmare Before Christmas. He and Tim Burton complement one another when it comes to eccentric tastes, and Elfman has said that working on The Nightmare Before Christmas was the easiest job ever because he identified so much with Jack Skellington. Other notable works of Elfman's include Good Will Hunting, Men in Black, Spider-Man, Fifty Shades of Grey, Wednesday, and plenty of others.
Catherine O'Hara as Sally and Shock
Just a few years after working with Tim Burton, Danny Elfman, and Glenn Shadix on Beetlejuice, Catherine O'Hara was cast as Jack Skellington's love interest, Sally, a Frankenstein-like ragdoll who is often the voice of reason. Aside from her lead role in The Nightmare Before Christmas (she also voiced Shock, one of the trick-or-treaters), O'Hara is best-known for her work on the Canadian sketch comedy Second City Television, Home Alone, and her role as the dramatic riches-to-rags mother Moira Rose in Schitt's Creek. As of right now, O'Hara has two films in the post-production process: a comedy spy film entitled Argylle and Beetlejuice 2.
William Hickey as Doctor Finkelstein
William Hickey was known for having a husky voice that often got him cast in the roles of a grouchy but questionable old man. In The Nightmare Before Christmas, Hickey voiced Sally's overprotective "father," who created her and tried to convince her that she was not ready to venture out into the world.
Hickey is best-known for his role as Uncle Lewis in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, but many actors — including George Segal, Barbra Streisand, and Sandy Dennis — fondly remember him as an incredible acting teacher and mentor. Hickey passed away just four years after The Nightmare Before Christmas premiered, but his legacy lives on.
Glenn Shadix as the Mayor of Halloween Town
While the mayor of Halloween Town had two interchangable faces, we are happy to report that the voice actor, Glenn Shadix, only had one. Before working with Tim Burton on The Nightmare Before Christmas, Shadix had previously been cast in Beetlejuice as the interior decorator, Otho, and eight years later, the two were reunited for Burton's Planet of the Apes.
Shadix also lent his voice to television series such as Jackie Chan Adventures, All Grown Up!, Teen Titans, and dozens more. He passed away in 2010 after falling in his home.
Ken Page as Oogie Boogie
While Oogie Boogie is a terrifying villain who is a menace to both Jack Skellington and Santa Claus, the voice actor, Ken Page, is actually a really sweet man. Page is no stranger to belting out songs as he is a veteran theater performer best-known for his roles in the stage and film productions of Cats and many acclaimed shows at The Muny in St. Louis, Missouri. Like Sarandon and Shadix, Page has reprised his role as the greedy boogeyman in several video games, and he frequently joins Disney productions as Oogie Boogie.
Paul Reubens as Lock
The late Paul Reubens will forever be known as Pee-Wee Herman, the eccentric and hilarious character Reubens created in the Groundlings improvisational troupe. Reubens and Burton met when the latter signed on to direct the adventure comedy film Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. Then, while Reubens was facing backlash for an indecent exposure charge, Burton cast him as a supporting character, Lock, in The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Reubens kept a low profile for a while, but he eventually reemerged as Pee-Wee Herman in The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway, Pee-Wee's Big Holiday and several other memorable film roles.
Joe Ranft as Igor
D23
You may not know Joe Ranft by name, but you certainly know his work at Pixar. Along with voicing Igor in The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ranft voiced supporting characters in Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, and several others. He was also known as a writer, storyboard artist, and producer, so, in short, he did just about everything there was to do in animation.
Burton and Ranft worked on Corpse Bride together in 2005, but the actor passed away during the production of the film. Both Corpse Bride and Cars (another film Ranft was working on) are dedicated to the talented creator.
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