
It's been 27 years since Sabrina the Teenage Witch first graced our screens and gee... doesn't time fly.
Featuring Melissa Joan Hart and the sassiest cat that ever did live (Salem, we're looking at you), the http://www.mamamia.com.au/best-90s-hairstyles/ sitcom was a weekly TV staple, inspiring iconic fashion looks such as butterfly clips, velvet shirts and spaghetti straps.
Almost three decades on from bewitching us all, we decided it was about time we looked back at where all our favourite characters are now.
Watch the moment Sabrina discovers she is a witch. Story continues below.
Melissa Joan Hart — Sabrina.
Melissa Joan Hart played everyone's favourite witch, Sabrina.
When filming ended, Melissa directed her first short film,Mute, which premiered in 2005 and starred her sister, Emily. She made a guest appearance inLaw and Order SVUin 2007 and joinedDancing With the Stars USAin 2009 where she teamed up with two-time reigning champion, Mark Ballas.
In 2010, Melissa starred on the sitcomMelissa and Joeyalongside Joey Lawrence. The show, which saw Melissa play a local politician raising her niece and nephew, lasted five seasons.
Now, she's a mother to three boys with her husband, Mark Wilkerson. These days, she hosts a podcast calledWhat Women Binge.
Reflecting on her time withSabrina the Teenage Witch, Hart said she almost lost her job after she posed in a nude photoshoot forMaximto promote her filmDrive Me Crazy.
"My lawyer comes up to me and says, 'Don't talk to anyone. You're being fired from your show because you didMaximmagazine.' So, my mum calls me, 'What did you do? We're being sued, and you're being fired'," she recounted on the Hey, Dude… The 90s Called podcast.
She explained that in her contract there had been a clause forbidding her character Sabrina to be associated with nudity. And on theMaximcover, Hart didn't realise that her real name 'Melissa' hadn't been used, but 'Sabrina' was used instead.
"They put Sabrina. There was a very big contract drawn up [about] what I was and wasn't allowed to do as the character. Being seen in my underwear wasn't something I was supposed to do as the character... If you look at the cover, it says, 'Sabrina, your favorite witch without a stitch'."
Thankfully, Hart managed to not get fired or sued — her publicist spinning the photoshoot as a way to gain further press for the hit TV series. An apology letter was sent out and Hart said she felt quite scarred by the whole experience — never wanting to pose nude again.
Nate Richert — Harvey Dwight Kinkle.
Nate Richert played Sabrina's love interest and boyfriend, Harvey Dwight Kinkle.
Since the show ended in 2003, he starred in various roles onFantasy Island,Touched by an Angel,Lovely & Amazing,and inPiñata: Survival Island.
Apart from a cameo or two, Richert finished up with acting around 2006 and ventured into the musician realm instead.
In 2018, the singer-songwriter said: "I'm currently a maintenance man, a janitor, a carpenter, and do whatever random jobs I can get to pay the bills."
Richert saidSabrina the Teenage Witchwas his "absolute dream job" and that he continues to keep in touch with his cast mates. In 2019, Richert married actress Malorie Felt.
Caroline Rhea — Hilda Spellman.
Comedian Caroline Rhea played Hilda Spellman, one of Sabrina's aunts.
Since the show, Caroline has continued a successful stand-up career, with a number of specials airing on major networks in the US.
Caroline voiced the character of Linda on Disney show,Phineas and Ferb, and was the original host ofThe Biggest Loser USA, which premiered in 2004. She also starred in cult films likeMom's Got a Date with a VampireandChristmas with theKranks.
In 2008, Caroline had a daughter with comedian Costaki Economopoulos, but the pair split two years later.
"Die alone or try harder I realised," she said about deciding to get back in the dating world.
"One of my friends who literally hired a dating coach said 'you have to be less of a boss'. And I'm like 'I'm an Aries, a stand-up comedian and a single mother, what am I going to do - pretend that I'm helpless?' I'll order and I'll pay."
Beth Broderick — Zelda Spellman.
Beth Broderick played Zelda Spellman, Sabrina's other aunt and Hilda's sister.
After filmingSabrina the Teenage Witch, Beth launched her way into the sci-fi TV realm, starring onLOSTfrom 2005 - 2008 andUnder the Domein 2013.
Nowadays, Broderick lives in Austin Texas and stars in local theatre productions, as well as starring in a bunch of hallmarks Christmas films.
Broderick recently said that at the height ofSabrina the Teenage Witch'spopularity she would receive "nasty notes" from angry religious viewers. And sometimes, she still does receive the odd one or two.
She said they used to often read: "You're going to go to hell!"
"I got two Bibles in the mail from people who thought maybe I needed to read it, like I didn't have one," she said to Digital Spy. "There were people who reacted very negatively, but they were so few and far between. I think most people understood that we were talking about a different kind of magic, one that's rooted in human behaviour, and that brings out the best in us."
Lindsay Sloane — Valerie Birkhead.
Lindsay Sloane played Valerie Birkhead, Sabrina's best friend.
Since filming ended, Lindsay has been keeping very busy, with roles in many teen films likeBring it On, Over Her Dead BodyandShe's Out of My League. She also appeared in the 2011 comedyHorrible Bossesand its sequel.
Nowadays, Lindsay lives in New York with her husband, Dar Rollins, and their two daughters.
Recently to celebrate the anniversary ofSabrina the Teenage Witchshe said: "I got to go to work with my best friends who were as funny as they were kind. We were a bunch of teenage weirdos who felt so cool because we had each other."
Jenna Leigh Green — Libby Chessler.
Jenna Leigh Green played Sabrina's arch enemy, Libby Chessler.
Since the show ended, she has focused on musical theatre, with roles inThe Wizard of Oz, West Side StoryandWicked.
And funny enough, her and Nate Richert have remained close friends!
Salem — Nick Bakay.
Voiceover actor Nick Bakay played the wisecracking warlock cat Salem.
In some of the scenes they used a real cat and in others they used puppets and did animatronic post-edits to make the puppet look real.
AfterSabrina the Teenage Witchfinished, Bakay continued doing voice acting, even featuring as Salem in an episode ofThe Simpsons.
He then went on to co-writeThe Big Bang Theoryspin-offYoung Sheldonand the twoPaul Blart: Mall Copfilms alongside Kevin James. He did the screenplay for the 2011 filmZookeeper, but since has mostly kept away from the spotlight.
Reflecting on his time as Salem, he said to Refinery29: "We were reunited at the Stan Lee Comic Con, I think it was last year, and that was really something because a huge crowd turned out. Honestly it's weird. That show owned a generation, I think particularly of girls. I still get great feedback from it. It’s really been fascinating."
Who was your favourite character on Sabrina the Teenage Witch? Let us know in the comments below!
This article was originally published in 2017, and has since been updated with new information.
Feature Image: ABC.
Love all-things beauty? Take this short survey now to go in the running to win a $50 gift voucher!
No Comments
Be the first to leave a comment