Catherine O’Hara has nothing but love for her Beetlejuice costar Michael Keaton.
While speaking to GQ in a new profile about Keaton, 72, published Monday, August 19, O’Hara, 70, couldn’t help but gush about the actor ahead of the premiere of the film’s sequel, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, next month.
“He brought his energy to Beetlejuice,” O’Hara told the outlet. “So that is Michael — real fast-talking, full of great crazy ideas, and really free. There’s a sexiness to him. Which is crazy to say about Beetlejuice!”
Director Tim Burton – who was just 29 years old when he directed the original 1988 film – also praised Keaton for flawlessly stepping back into his role as the titular character.
“It was like a weird family reunion,” Burton, 65, said of filming the Beetlejuice sequel. “Very strange, but the strange part of it is, Michael got back so into it, it was kind of scary in a way. I mean, for somebody who didn’t really maybe want to do it, he seemed to channel it very quickly. And so it was quite exciting and surreal.”
In May 2023, it was confirmed that Keaton would bring his iconic horror character back to the big screen in Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice alongside new and original cast members. Newcomers Jenna Ortega and Justin Theroux will join Winona Ryder – who reprises her role as Lydia Deetz – alongside O’Hara and Keaton.
While O’Hara, Keaton and Ryder, 52, are some of the most recognized names in the industry, Ortega, 21, has become well-known as a spooky starlet. In addition to starring as Tara Carpenter in Scream 5 and Scream 6, she’s gained critical acclaim for her role as the titular character in Netflix’s Wednesday series. As she took on the task of portraying Wednesday Addams, Ortega gushed to The Hollywood Reporter about her working alongside Burton on the project.
“It’s been quite an insane experience,” she recalled in January 2022. “I’ve been lucky enough to get the opportunity to work with an iconic director who just so happens to be one of the sweetest directors I’ve worked with, and also the most detail-oriented.”
She continued, “To step into the shoes of somebody who’s a bit more eccentric and frightening has been really exciting for me, and definitely a challenge — especially with such a beloved character, I really want to take care of her and do her justice.”
While speaking to Entertainment Tonight about shooting Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice earlier this year, Ortega told the outlet that it was “some of the most fun I’ve ever had on a set.”
She added, “Visually, so exciting. Everything was practical. I think we’re not using very much CGI or something like that at all. Everyone did an incredible job. I felt so lucky to be there, it was insane … I can’t wait for people to see.”
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice hits theaters on Friday, September 6.
