After years of waiting,Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceis finally here, and here is every Tim Burton actor who appears in the film. Despite Tim Burton directing all kinds of different films,the director is known for frequently collaborating with a small group of actors, with there being very few actors who have only been in the main cast of one Tim Burton movie. WhileBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceis missing several key Tim Burton frequent collaborators, such as Helena Boham Carter, Johnny Depp, and more, several of Burton’s most common actors appear in the film. So, here they all are.
The originalBeetlejuicewas a massive success, and while fans of Tim Burton’s 1988 film have been clamoring for a sequel for decades, one is just now happening in 2024.Beetlejuice Beetlejuicesees the castof the original film reunite for another ghostly adventure for the first time, with characters like Betelgeuse, Lydia, and Delia joining franchise newcomers likeJenna Ortega’s Astrid. Plenty ot Tim Burton’s iconic movie tropes have returned inBeetlejucie Beetlejuice, including many of his recurring actors, with many members of the film’s cast appearing multiple times throughout his filmography.
6Michael Keaton
Betelgeuse
Michael Keaton has been a movie star for decades now, and while he has appeared in all kinds of beloved movies, some of his most famous roles have come from his collaborations with Tim Burton. He first began working with the director in one of Burton’s earliest films, withKeaton playing the title role in 1988’sBeetlejuice. Although the character’s name is spelled Betelgeuse in the film, Michael Keaton’s zany energy and crude humor helped solidify the tone of the franchise, with Betelgeuse possibly being Keaton and Burton’s most iconic character.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Decades after the original film was released, Michael Keaton finally reprised his role as the ghost with the most in 2024’sBeetlejuice Beetlejuice. In the legacy sequel, Keaton’s bioexorcist attempts to evade his killer wife after she manages to return to the world of the dead while he simoultaneously attempts to scam Lydia Deetz into taking a second shot at a wedding. Despite many years having passed,Keaton brings same energy and humor back to the role of Betelgeuse, with his performance being one of the most acclaimed parts ofBeetlejuice Beetlejuice.
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Betelgeuse isn’t the only role that Michael Keaton has played in a Tim Burton movie though.Keaton famously played Batman and Bruce Waynein Burton’s adaptation of the DC hero, with him starring inBatmanandBatman Returns. Although his casting was controversial in the wake ofBeetlejuice’s release, Keaton has since become one of the most well-known performers who has taken on the role of the caped crusader. Keaton actually reunited with Burton beforeBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, with him playing the villainous carnival owner V.A. Vandevere in Tim Burton’s 2019Dumboremake.
5Winona Ryder
Lydia Deetz
Winona Ryder is anotherfrequent collaborator of Tim Burtonwho has appeared in some of the director’s most popular movies, with Burton helping to define Ryder’s career as an actor. Winona Ryder got her start as a child actor, with her making her big break in the iconic role of Lydia Deetz inBeetlejuice. Winona Ryder is absolutely hilarious as Lydia, with her macabre attitude and grim humor being one of the most memorable parts of the film. Ryder’s performance made her a staple of Burton’s filmography, with her going on to appear in future Burton films.
The success ofBeetlejuicelanded Winona Ryder major roles in several other popular films of the 1980s, such asHeathers, before she reunited with Tim Burton for 1990’sEdward Scissorhands. In the film, Ryder played the female lead, with Johnny Depp’s titular character falling in love with her.Edward Scissorhandsfurther cemented Ryder’s status as a star, although it would be a while before she reunited with Burton. She finally worked with the director again inFrankenweenie, where she voiced the character Elsa Van Helsing. Despite continuing to appear in major films, it took her a while to reunite with Burton again.
2024’sBeetlejuice Beetlejuicefinally saw Winona Ryder and Tim Burton work together once again, with her reprising her role as Lydia Deetz. A lot has changed for Lydia since the time of the original film, with her now being an adult woman who has a daughter named Astrid (played be Jenna Ortega). Lydia is now a celebrity, with her hosting a popular paranormal talk show. Despite her successes, her visions of ghosts still haunt her, with her especially being plagued by sights of Betelgeuse.
4Jenna Ortega
Astrid Deetz
Despite actress Jenna Ortega getting her start well after the prime of Tim Burton’s career, her role inBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceactually isn’t her first Tim Burton collaboration. Ortega and Burton first began working together not in a movie, but in a TV show:Wednesday. Netflix’s live-actionAddams Familyseries had several episodes directed by Tim Burton, with Jenna Ortega playing the title role of Wednesday Addams. The 2022 series helped solidify Jenna Ortega as a major star, andTim Burton’s upcomingWednesdayseason 2will see Ortega and the acclaimed director collaborate once again.
Although she had been in a Tim Burton TV show before,Beetlejuice Beetlejuicewas the first time that Jenna Ortega has appeared in a Tim Burton movie. In the legacyBeetlejuicesequel, Ortega plays Astrid Deetz, the daughter of Lydia and the granddaughter of Delia. Astrid has an estranged relationship with Lydia, with Lydia’s fame and history with ghosts causing her to clash with her skeptical daughter. However, Astrid plays a major role in the ghostly adventures ofBeetlejuice Beetlejuice,with the trio of Deetz women working together to get the titular bioexoricst out of thier hair.
3Catherine O’Hara
Delia Deetz
Catherine O’Hara is another actress who has worked alongside Tim Burton several times, with her screen and voice acting skills getting her cast in several of Burton’s projects. The first Tim Burton film that the acclaimed comedian and actress appeared in wasBeetlejuice, where she played the hilarious character of Delia Deetz. In the film,Delia is the posh and pretentious sculpture artist who buys the Maitlands' house, with her immediately bursting in and making changes against the wishes of the two ghosts. O’Hara’s character gets some of the biggest laughs in the film, reinforcing her status as a comedic force.
After the originalBeetlejuice, O’Hara didn’t reunite with Tim Burton untilFrankenweenie, which coincidentally also featured the reunion of Burton and Ryder. O’Hara voices a variety of characters inFrankenweenie, with her playing Susan Frankenstein, the Gym Teacher, the Weird Girl, and a variety of other characters. Although not directed by Tim Burton, O’Hara also playedSally and Shock inThe Nightmare Before Christmas, a film commonly associated with Burton.
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InBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, O’Hara reprises her role as Delia Deetz, although her character has a far less antagonistic slant this time around. Delia has gone on to become an acclaimed artist in the years since the original film, although she has managed to hold onto her ownership of the Maitlands' house.She joins Lydia and Astrid on their otherworldly adventure, with the film showing her next encounters with Betelgeuse.
2Danny DeVito
Janitor
Of all the actors on this list, Danny DeVito has appeared in the most varied collection of Tim Burton films, with him appearing in several strange picks rather than reprising his roles in sequels. DeVito’s first collaboration with Burton came inBatman Returns, where he played the villainous role of The Penguin. DeVito was one of the manycelebrities who appeared inMars Attacks!, with him there being credited as Rude Gambler.
DeVito’s next role in a Tim Burton movie was a big more significant than hisMars Attacks!role, with him playing Amos Calloway inBig Fish. DeVito returned to the world of Tim Burton again in the 2019’sDumboremake, with him having a major role as Max Medici.
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DeVito’s character inBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceis more of a cameo that a proper role,with him playing a ghost janitor. DeVito’s character only appears in one scene in the legacy sequel, but it is fun to see this Tim Burton frequent collaborator return once again.
1Philip Philmar
Hooded Pagan
The final Tim Burton frequent collaborator who returns inBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceis Philip Philmar. Philmar has appeared in a variety of films, and while he has had parts in many of Burton’s movies, his roles are typically pretty small. In 2005’sCharlie and the Chocolate Factory, Philmar has a small role as the villainous Arthur Slugworth. Philmar then playedMr. Fogg in Burton’s musicalSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
After that, Philmar played Mr. Archer inMiss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, marking his third role in a Tim Burton movie. The actor returned once again inBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, with him being credited as Hooded Pagan.
Cast
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now joined by Jenna Ortega in a new role.
