'Hocus Pocus 2' features Portsmouth dance studio owner: 'My first big movie'

PORTSMOUTH — Devotees who catch the "Hocus Pocus 2" debut streaming on Disney Plus this weekend may recognize a local face.

Anthony Bounphakhom — a 29-year-old dancer, instructor and co-owner of The Block Collaborative dance studio on Lafayette Road in Portsmouth — is one of 40 principal hoofers in the show's big musical number. And, yes, he was on set with the likes of Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker.

"It was such an honor being on set, but it was just me doing my thing," Bounphakhom said. "This is my first big movie, my first time with the union. I've done (independent films), but Disney Plus?! Who would have thought my first big experience would be 'Hocus Pocus.'"

"Of course," he watched the original 1993 cult classic "Hocus Pocus" as a child.

"It was one of those movies that gave you a feeling, rather than just a movie," said Bounphakhom, who has danced since he was 13. "You knew it was Halloween when you saw it on the Disney Channel."

Bounphakhom spotted the film's audition on a friend's social media page. As a lark, he filled out and sent in the form, "thinking if I get it, I get it; if I don't, I don't," he said. His assumption was it was a call for extras. Soon after, he received a request for an audition tape.

Two things occurred when he received the acceptance email. First, he thought it was a scam. "Then I realized it was from someone in the casting agency — good thing I didn't delete it." Second, it informed him he'd be a principal dancer.

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"They wanted me to dance!" he said.

That was early November 2021. Character outline and costume fitting was scheduled for in mid-November in Providence, Rhode Island, an event that nearly didn't happen.

"It's a funny story. I was supposed to get my costume fitting on my birthday, Nov. 9, but I actually got food poisoning. ... My friends told me that it was such a big set, they usually just cut (a person). All I could think is I'm sick on my birthday and I don't get to be in this movie," Bounphakhom said. "But luckily the casting director made it work!"

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Filming and callbacks, also in Providence, ran about five days. Because the film is set largely at night, the work ran from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. "Lucky I stayed with a friend in Rhode Island," he said.

Working with Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker

The dancers' scene was shot with principals Midler, Najimy and Parker, aka the Sanderson sisters. During scenes featuring only the three witches, the others were invited on set to "help keep their energy up."

Given the cold evening temps, no one was required to, he said. Some of the dancers were  "grumpy," or uninterested. Not Bounphakhom.

"I was such a geek. I was like 'That is amazing, let's go out there,'" he said. "There were so many opportunities when they'd let us on set. I was checking out the cameras and taking it all in. It was super, super cool to watch the director work."

It was during one of the witch-only scenes when "Sarah and I locked eyes," and "we were bumping up and down and hyping each other up," he said. "I was like 'Wow this childhood character was bopping along with me!'"

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There was a pleasant  "Hi" from Najimy, the moment with Parker, and Midler proved herself the pro she is. "You could see her flip the switch."

The only downside was keeping silent until the film was released. "We weren't supposed to tell anyone," he said.

Bounphakhom hadn't had time to watch the film (though he'd checked out his scene) by the time of this interview. The plan was to watch it with his students at The Block Collaborative Friday night.

"I can't wait to watch it and they don't know I'm in it yet!" he said. "It was such an awesome experience. Really cool."

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hocus Pocus 2 features Anthony Bounphakhom, Portsmouth NH dance studio