Where original cast of Practical Magic are now – from love child scandal and Taylor Swift feud to awkward sequel snub

PRACTICAL Magic cast a spell over film audiences when it was released in 1998 – and the second instalment is hitting cinemas next month. While it wasn’t a huge hit with critics, the romantic-comedy has gained cult classic status among fantasy lovers in the decades that have followed. Practical Magic first hit cinemas in 1998 and followed the lives of sisters Sally and Gillian Credit: Alamy Practical Magic 2 is coming out next month, starring a number of the original cast Credit: Alamy Based on the 1995 novel by Alice Hoffman, the film revolves around two sisters, Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman), who are descended from a long line of witches. Raised by their eccentric aunts, they are raised under a centuries-old family curse: any man who falls in love with an Owens woman is doomed to a premature death. Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter Thank you! The supernatural drama wasn’t just on-screen, with director Griffin Dunne reportedly hiring a local witch consultant to ensure the rituals appeared authentic. However, when the studio declined her sudden demand for a percentage of the film’s profits, she reportedly left a voicemail speaking in tongues and cursed the entire production. In light of Practical Magic 2 launching on September 11, here’s where the spell-binding cast are now… Sandra Bullock (Sally Owens) The role of Sally Owens was played by Sandra Bullock, who went on to win an Oscar for The Blind Side Credit: Alamy Sandra’s partner photographer Bryan Randall passed away in 2023 Credit: Alamy Since starring as one of the film’s leads, Sandra Bullock has solidified her spot as a Hollywood A-lister, with blockbusters such as The Blind Side winning her an Oscar. She may be a rom-com queen with hits like Miss Congeniality, but in real life Sandra has struggled to get her own happy ending. She married American TV personality Jesse James in 2005, after a four-year relationship in the Nineties with US actor Tate Donovan, and brief flings with Ryan Gosling and Matthew McConaughey. Most read in Fabulous But her hopes for the future were shattered when several women came forward to say they had had affairs with Jesse. After the cheating scandal came to light, Sandra immediately cancelled promotional appearances, went into hiding, filed for divorce, and proceeded to adopt her first child, Louis, as a single mother. Following the high-profile collapse of her marriage, photographer Bryan Randall was meant to be Sandra’s happy ever after, but tragically he passed away in 2023 after a battle with ALS. Nicole Kidman (Gillian Owens) Nicole Kidman played sister Gillian Owens, and has also gone from strength to strength in her career Credit: Alamy Nicole recently went through a high-profile divorce from husband Keith Urban Credit: Alamy She is a picture of Hollywood poise – but inside, Oscar winner Nicole Kidman feared for the future after the end of her marriage to country singer Keith Urban. They seemed to be one of showbiz’s most enduring couples, balancing their private lives with hugely successful careers. So when Nicole, who has starred in Big Little Lies and Moulin Rouge, called time on their 19-year union last September, it sent shockwaves through celebrity circles. Even though it was the actress who lodged the papers in Nashville to end the marriage, Nicole reveals she had never imagined their romance would crumble. In the cover interview for the September issue of British Vogue, Nicole said: “I’m like, ‘OK, I didn’t expect this. I had a different view of what my life was going to be, but this is what it is now’. “You make all these plans and you have all these ideas of what it’s all going to be like and then it’s . . . not.” In the weeks and months after their separation, various reports suggested Keith had already moved on with a new woman. He was linked to his guitarist Maggie Baugh after a video emerged of him changing the words to his song The Fighter on stage. Her divorce from Keith was swift, finalised by January, with irreconcilable differences cited as the reason behind it – and it followed a high-profile divorce from Tom Cruise in 2001. Keith and Nicole agreed to share custody of their two daughters and not to pay spousal support to each other, keeping the whole thing out of court. Goran Višnjić (Jimmy Angelov) Goran Višnjić played the abusive but charismatic boyfriend of Gillian, Jimmy Angelov Credit: Alamy Goran had a love child with a Croatian woman from a one-night stand Credit: Getty Images – Getty Best known for playing the abusive, resurrected boyfriend Jimmy Angelov in Practical Magic, Goran Višnjić has had his fair share of public drama too. In 2007, while starring on ER, he made international headlines when Croatian woman Mirela Rupic claimed he had fathered her child, Lana, during a one-night stand. Višnjić publicly admitted to an extramarital affair while jet-lagged and intoxicated, expressing deep remorse to his wife, Ivana, who he has been married to since 1999. After a DNA test confirmed he was the father, he took full financial responsibility for child support. Camilla Belle (Young Sally) Camilla Belle played a young Sally in the 1998 Practical Magic film Credit: Alamy Camilla found herself swept up in a Taylor Swift feud after dating Joe Jonas Credit: Getty Fans of the film will remember Camilla Belle, who played the younger version of Sandra Bullock’s character, Sally. The child actress, who had previously starred in A Little Princess (1995) and The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), went on to land roles in When a Stranger Calls and 10,000 BC. The actress found herself at the centre of a Taylor Swift feud in 2008 when she dated Joe Jonas shortly after his breakup with the singer. It is said Taylor famously penned the scathing track Better Than Revenge about her, which included the controversial line “She’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress”. The controversy was so persistent that Swift eventually changed the song’s lyrics to “He was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches”, when re-recording her Taylor’s Version album in 2023. Evan Rachel Wood (Kylie Owens) Evan Rachel Wood played Sally’s daughter Kylie in the cult classic Credit: Alamy Westworld actress Evan has shared her sadness at not being invited back for the second film Credit: Getty After starring as Sally’s daughter in Practical Magic, Evan Rachel Wood went on to become an Emmy-nominated lead in HBO’s Westworld. She made headlines after expressing sadness about not being asked back for Practical Magic 2, with the role of Kylie being recast with Joey King, 26. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Evan said: “We bonded with that cast so much as children. “And so to miss out on the opportunity to look at that cast and look at that house as an adult and see the history in our eyes is something that can’t be faked. “I’m sad that that doesn’t get to exist, especially for the fans. “But I wish them all the best, and obviously wish Joey King the best.” In her personal life, Evan dated musician Marilyn Manson in the late 2000s when she was 19 and he was 38. In 2021, she publicly named Manson as an abuser, leading to legal battles and detailed coverage in her 2022 HBO documentary, Phoenix Rising. Aidan Quinn (Gary Hallet) Aidan Quinn played the role of investigator and detective Gary Hallet Credit: Alamy Aidan raised eyebrows for his views on vaccinations Credit: Getty In the first Practical Magic, Aidan Quinn played the role of Gary Hallet, the swoon-worthy state trooper investigating the disappearance of the abusive Jimmy Angelov. The star has been married to actress Elizabeth Bracco (sister of The Sopranos star Lorraine Bracco) since 1987, and they have two daughters together. Quinn sparked an anti-vaccine controversy after publicly claiming that the MMR vaccine caused his eldest daughter’s autism diagnosis, although extensive scientific research has conclusively shown no link between the two. Since starring in the first film he had a long-running main role as Captain Thomas Gregson on CBS’s Sherlock Holmes procedural Elementary (2012–2019), and has appeared in Law & Order: SVU, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Weeds. Margo Martindale (Linda Bennett) Margo Martindale starring in the first film as Sally’s close friend Linda Credit: Alamy Margo has gone on to win three Emmy Awards Credit: Getty Following her role as Sally’s close friend Linda in the first film, Margo Martindale spent years playing supportive friends and neighbours in films. However, in 2011, at age 60, she completely reinvented her career by playing a terrifying crime matriarch in Justified, winning her first Emmy and cementing her as a dramatic powerhouse. Margo, who has been married to musician Bill Boals since 1986, followed that success with back-to-back Emmys as a deadly KGB handler in The Americans and landed major roles in films like August: Osage County and Cocaine Bear. Comment now