Honestly, it’s kinda wild how a low-budget Disney Channel Original Movie from 1998 became a permanent cultural fixture. We all remember the first time we saw that giant pumpkin in the middle of the town square. It felt real. A big part of that magic didn't come from the CGI—which, let’s be real, was pretty rough even for the nineties—but from the actors in Halloweentown who treated the script like Shakespeare. They weren't just playing dress-up.
Debbie Reynolds. That's the name that changed everything for this franchise. When you land a Hollywood legend for a TV movie about a grandma who flies on a bus, you’ve basically struck gold. But while Reynolds was the anchor, the kids were the heart. Kimberly J. Brown, Joey Zimmerman, and Emily Roeske had this chemistry that felt like a real, bickering family. They weren't polished child actors; they were relatable.
Twenty-six years later, the legacy of St. Helens, Oregon—where they filmed the thing—still draws thousands of people every October. People don't go there for the special effects. They go because they want to feel that specific warmth the cast created.
The Cast Members Who Made the Magic Happen
You can't talk about the actors in Halloweentown without starting with Kimberly J. Brown. She played Marnie Piper with this specific kind of teenage earnestness that wasn't annoying. Kimberly wasn't new to the game, though. She’d already been on Broadway and had a solid run on the soap opera Guiding Light. She knew how to carry a scene.
After the third movie, Halloweentown High, things got messy. Disney decided to recast Marnie for the fourth installment, Return to Halloweentown. They brought in Sara Paxton. Look, Paxton is a talented actress, but for the fans? It was a betrayal. It’s one of those rare moments in TV history where the audience stayed loyal to the original performer for decades. Kimberly has actually leaned into this. She regularly attends the "Spirit of Halloweentown" festival and even runs an Etsy shop called Craftily Creative where she sells Halloweentown-themed merch.
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Then there's Debbie Reynolds. She played Aggie Cromwell. Debbie was a powerhouse who had been in Singin' in the Rain, for heaven's sake. To have her playing a quirky witch on a cable channel was a huge deal. She brought a level of "old Hollywood" professionalism to the set. Cast members often recall how she would stay late to make sure everyone felt comfortable. Her passing in 2016 was a massive blow to the community, but her performance as Aggie remains the gold standard for "cool grandmas" in cinema history.
The Piper Siblings and the Supporting Players
Joey Zimmerman, who played Dylan, the skeptical brother, basically retired from the spotlight. He’s done some photography and behind-the-scenes work, but he's mostly lived a private life. It's interesting because his character was the one who didn't want anything to do with magic, and in a way, his real life followed that path of stepping away from the "magic" of Hollywood.
Emily Roeske, little Sophie, also left acting. She became a high-level martial arts instructor. If you saw her now, she could probably kick your teeth in—in the most respectful way possible. She’s a Grandmaster in American Kenpo Karate. It’s a pretty cool pivot from being the "cute kid" who could sense people coming through the portal.
- Judith Hoag (Gwen Piper): She was already famous for being April O'Neil in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She brought the "worried mom" energy that grounded the fantasy elements.
- Phillip Van Dyke (Luke): The goblin who got a handsome makeover. Phillip did a lot of voice work, including Hey Arnold!, before eventually moving into the financial services industry.
- Robin Thomas (Kalabar): He played the villain with such delicious camp. You loved to hate him. He's still a working actor, appearing in everything from NCIS to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Why the Recasting of Marnie Still Stings
We have to address the elephant in the room. When discussing the actors in Halloweentown, the conversation always circles back to the fourth movie. Disney has never given a perfectly clear answer as to why Kimberly J. Brown wasn't asked back for Return to Halloweentown.
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Kimberly has stated publicly that she was available and wanted to do it. Rumors suggested it was a "creative direction" shift, but the fans didn't buy it. Sara Paxton took the role and did her best, but the chemistry was off. It felt like a different universe. This moment in Disney history actually serves as a case study for "brand loyalty." When an audience connects with a specific face, you can't just swap it out like a lightbulb. It’s one of the few times a DCOM felt like it lost its soul by ignoring the history of its performers.
The Unexpected Romance
Here is a bit of trivia that feels like fan fiction but is actually 100% real: Kimberly J. Brown and Daniel Kountz are married. Daniel Kountz played Kal, the villain and son of Kalabar in Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge. In the movie, he's literally trying to destroy her family and turn the world into a grey wasteland. In real life? They reconnected years after filming and started dating. They got married in 2024. It’s the ultimate "enemies to lovers" arc that happens to involve real-life actors in Halloweentown. The wedding was full of nods to the movie, and yes, other cast members were there. It’s the kind of wholesome ending that makes the franchise feel even more special.
Behind the Scenes and Practical Magic
The production of these movies was famously scrappy. In the first film, the "Broom" was often just a prop on a wire. The actors had to do a lot of heavy lifting with their imagination.
St. Helens, Oregon, wasn't just a set; it was a character. The town square with the courthouse is real. The actors in Halloweentown spent weeks in this small town, and that isolation from the Hollywood bubble helped create a tight-knit vibe. They weren't staying in five-star hotels. They were in local motels, eating at local diners. That "small town" energy translated directly onto the screen. It didn't feel like a movie set in a magical land; it felt like a magical land that happened to be a small town.
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The makeup for characters like Benny the Cab Driver (voiced by the late Richard Side) was a nightmare. It was an animatronic head that often broke down in the Oregon heat. The actors had to perform alongside a robot that was literally melting. That's the kind of grit you don't see in modern, CGI-heavy Disney Plus shows.
The Enduring Legacy of the Cromwell Lineage
What most people get wrong about these movies is thinking they are just for kids. They aren't. They're about the fear of growing up and the struggle of identity. Marnie’s journey is about a girl who feels "different" and finds out that her "difference" is actually her greatest strength.
The actors in Halloweentown sold that message. When Aggie tells Marnie, "Being normal is the most cruel insult of them all," it resonates. It resonated with the weird kids in 1998, and it resonates with the weird kids now.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of these performers or the movie itself, don't just re-watch the films. There are actual ways to engage with the history of the production.
- Visit St. Helens in October: The town goes all out. You can see the original courthouse and the giant pumpkin. Often, Kimberly J. Brown or other cast members make appearances for photos and signings.
- Follow the Cast on Social Media: Kimberly J. Brown is very active on TikTok and Instagram, sharing behind-the-scenes stories that you won't find on IMDb. Daniel Kountz often joins her.
- Check out the "Spirit of Halloweentown" Museum: There are rotating exhibits of costumes and props used by the actors in Halloweentown. Seeing the actual velvet cloak Aggie wore puts the scale of the production into perspective.
- Support Local Theater: Many of the background actors and secondary cast members came from the Portland and Vancouver theater scenes. Supporting regional acting guilds is a great way to honor the "boots on the ground" talent that filled the streets of the fictional town.
The story of the Cromwells ended on screen years ago, but the people who brought them to life are still very much a part of the community they helped build. Whether it's through marriage, Etsy shops, or karate dojos, they've proven that there is life after the portal closes. Just remember, magic is really just simple science that we don't understand yet—at least, that's what Aggie would say.