The Voice Actors of The Nightmare Before Christmas: Where Are They Now?

Chris Sarandon as Jack Skellington

Jack, known as the "Pumpkin King" of Halloween Town, was brought to life by Sarandon for his speaking voice and Elfman for his singing voice.

In 2019, Sarandon told ComicBook.com that he still gets booked for gigs to portray his skeletal persona and is amazed at how warmly the film is still received today.

"I'm still doing the character," he said. "We still get calls from Disney, going, 'Come down. We're doing the Halloween show this year. It's a live-action show, and we need you to do Jack.' "

Sarandon added, "I walk in, and I sit down in the studio, and suddenly, 'There he is. He really cares.' I have no idea why or how, but it just happens, and it's always a wonderful surprise, on the one hand. And on the other hand, I'm constantly feeling a humility and a gratefulness for being a part of it."

Speaking to PEOPLE to celebrate the film's 30th anniversary in 2023, Sarandon expressed that seeing its "multigenerational" impact throughout the decades has been beyond words. "A lot of young people come up to me and say, 'This was a movie that made me feel like I belonged,' because it was so strange and at the same time so beautiful, and its message was so positive," he said. "And as it turns out, they, in turn, now are watching it with their children."

In addition to The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sarandon starred in Fright Night (1985), Child's Play (1988) and Curse of Chucky (2013). In 1976, he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Leon Shermer in Dog Day Afternoon.

Sarandon and actress Joanna Gleason tied the knot in 1994. He was previously married to Dead Man Walking star Susan Sarandon from 1967 to 1979 and shares two daughters and one son with ex-wife Lisa Ann Cooper.

Catherine O'Hara as Sally

O'Hara voices Sally, Jack's love interest and a stitched rag doll creation of Dr. Finkelstein. Sally uses poisons to liberate herself from Finkelstein's captivity and has psychic powers that warn her about bad things to come.

In December 2018, O'Hara recalled the "beautiful but difficult" experience of singing "Sally's Song" for the stop-motion film.

"I like voicing characters for films and television. It's challenging but fun," O'Hara told Live for Films in 2018. "Recording Sally's song was intimidating — that song is beautiful and difficult to sing — but it's been even more thrilling to sing the song live onstage with an orchestra while the audience watches the film."

Thirty years after the film’s release, O’Hara took the stage in October 2023 to perform “Sally’s Song” at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Speaking with the Los Angeles Daily News ahead of the show, the actress shared her secret to nailing the “tricky” number for live performances.

“The first time I did [the live-to-film show] there was no dialogue, and I happened to add the dialogue. You know, ‘Jack, dear, Jack, whatever,’ just to help remind myself and that audience that this a character, not a singer on the stage. Which I don’t pretend to be,” O’Hara said. “So as long as I’m in character … that gets me through the song.”

O'Hara and Burton worked together in 1988's Beetlejuice and 2012's Frankenweenie, and she reprised her role as Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). She's also starred in Home Alone (1990) and its sequel, Best in Show (2000), Penelope (2006) and Argylle (2024).

After the Canadian actress won her first Emmy in 1982 for her work on Second City Television (SCTV Network), she took home her second statuette in 2020 for her performance as Moira Rose on Schitt's Creek. She earned her first-ever Golden Globe in 2021 for best actress on the sitcom.

Since 1992, O'Hara has been married to director and production designer Bo Welch, whom she met on the set of Beetlejuice. They have two sons, Matthew and Luke.

Catherine O'Hara as Shock

O'Hara also voices Shock, one of the trick-or-treaters working for Oogie Boogie. Shock, along with friends Lock and Barrel, loves to make trouble.

The actress has continued amassing a long list of voice acting credits throughout her career, including films such as Rock & Rule (1983), Pippi Longstocking (1997), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), Elemental (2023) and The Wild Robot (2024).

In an official statement during Pixar Press Day in 2023, Elemental producer Denise Ream praised O'Hara's voice acting performance in the animated comedy.

Ream said, "Pete [Sohn] and I are huge fans, so we were delighted when she accepted the role. Her improv skills were amazing, and she brought so much fun and entertainment to the role."

Ken Page as Oogie Boogie

Ken Page voiced the villainous bogeyman of Halloween Town, Oogie Boogie, who has a passion for gambling.

Page told Direct Conversations in 2014 that he still gets hired to sing the villain's "Oogie Boogie's Song" at various Disney events.

"Disney has been wonderful to me over the years," he said. "I've done a lot of events at the park in California and at the El Capitan Theater around Halloween time before."

Page continued, "When I see little kids, because they don't often connect the person and the voice of a character they see on film, I'll bend down and go, 'Well, well, well. What have we here?' When you see their faces light up, it's worth a million bucks."

For the movie's 30th anniversary in 2023, Page shared his approach to Oogie's character and baritone singing voice. "I went up to San Francisco to sing for them and not actually thinking that I was going to do the speaking role. I thought they just wanted somebody to sing a song," he told CT Insider in a Zoom interview.

He continued, "They asked me about the character and what did I think. I had seen some of the storyboards. I said, 'To me, maybe it's a cross between Burt Lahr from the Wizard of Oz, Cab Calloway and the voice of the demon in [The Exorcist]."

Apart from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Page's other film credits include Torch Song Trilogy (1988), All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), Cats (1998) and Dreamgirls (2006).

Page appeared in multiple Broadway productions, including The Wiz, Guys and Dolls, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Cats. The thespian was also a popular stage performer in his hometown of St. Louis, where he was beloved as the "Voice of the Muny" and had acted in more than 45 shows at the Muny outdoor theater since the 1970s, according to the amphitheater's website.

Page died at the age of 70 on Sept. 30, 2024.

"He was the one and only Oogie Boogie Man. He was simply one of the best, most generous souls I know," Elfman wrote on X in Page's memory. "Full of life and overflowing with joy. Talented and then some. Ken, my friend, you will be deeply missed."

After the news of Page's death, Sarandon also paid remembrance to his late costar in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE: "Ken was a big man: big in body, big in voice, but mostly big in heart. He became my dear friend, and I admired and loved him."

Danny Elfman as Barrel

In addition to providing the singing voice for Jack, Elfman voices two other characters in the film: Barrel, one-third of Oogie Boogie's henchmen, and the Clown with the Tear-Away Face.

The Emmy-winning composer — who has performed the film's score live at the Hollywood Bowl almost every Halloween since 2015, according to his official website — reflected on what inspires him to return to Nightmare Before Christmas after all these years.

"When the movie came out, it didn't do well. It was misunderstood ... The perception [was that it was] weird, scary, and kids wouldn't like it," Elfman told NME in December 2022. "Ten years after it came out, I was in Tokyo with Tim Burton doing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and there was Jack and Sally merchandise everywhere."

He continued, "[Burton] said, 'I've never even seen this stuff before,' but it became clear that there was this life around [Nightmare], beyond when it first opened, and it really bloomed after it. It was such a wonderful surprise for me because I put so much of myself into it and to have it [disappear] in a cloud of misunderstanding was disappointing."

The musician and former Oingo Boingo singer has composed scores for over 100 feature films, including Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Spider-Man (2002), Charlotte's Web (2006), Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).

His work on Netflix's Wednesday earned him two Emmy nominations in 2023. He has also received four Oscar nominations for Best Music for Good Will Hunting (1997), Men in Black (1997), Big Fish (2003) and Milk (2008).

Since 2003, Elfman has been married to actress Bridget Fonda, with whom he shares son Oliver. He has two daughters, Lola and Mali, from a previous relationship.

Glenn Shadix as Mayor of Halloween Town

Glenn Shadix voiced the Mayor of Halloween Town, whose wild mood swings cause his head to spin between his "happy" and "sad" faces.

The comic actor starred in more than 90 films and TV shows, including The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), Beetlejuice (1988), Heathers (1988), Demolition Man (1993), Planet of the Apes (2001) and on HBO's Carnivàle and several animated series.

Shadix died at 58 on Sept. 7, 2010, after falling in his home, per AL.com.

William Hickey as Dr. Finkelstein

Hickey voiced the mad scientist and creator of Sally in a role reminiscent of Dr. Frankenstein, the original creator of the monster in the horror classic.

Hickey's film credits include Prizzi's Honor (1985), for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), Major Payne (1995) and Twisted (1996). He earned his first and only Emmy for his guest appearance on the HBO horror series Tales from the Crypt.

Hickey died at 69 on June 29, 1997, as reported by The New York Times.

Paul Reubens as Lock

Voiced by Paul Reubens, Lock is one-third of Oogie Boogie's henchmen alongside Shock and Barrel.

After starring as the titular character on CBS' Pee-wee's Playhouse for five seasons, Reubens reprised the role in Burton's Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) and Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016). He also appeared in Doctor Dolittle (1998), Mystery Men (1999), Blow (2001), The Smurfs (2011) and on shows such as Murphy Brown, The Blacklist and Mosaic.

Reubens died at the age of 70 on July 30, 2023, with his rep confirming to PEOPLE in an exclusive statement that the controversial actor "bravely and privately fought cancer for years."

Joe Ranft as Igor

Joe Ranft voiced Dr. Finkelstein's assistant, Igor, who's a clear homage to Frankenstein — but this version loves receiving dog biscuits from his master as a reward for a good job.

The Oscar-nominated animator and screenwriter wrote and appeared in various popular films, including The Brave Little Toaster (1987), Toy Story (1995), A Bug's Life (1998) and Cars (2006).

Ranft died at age 45 in a car crash on Aug. 16, 2005, per Variety.