The Nightmare Before Christmas Voice Cast & Character Guide
David Craig It’s hailed as one of the best stop-motion animation ever made, but what do the actors who voice The Nightmare Before Christmas characters look like?
Summary
- The Nightmare Before Christmas is a beloved animated movie praised for its animation style, characters, songs, and music.
- The voice cast includes well-known actors like Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, and William Hickey.
- Jack Skellington is voiced by Chris Sarandon, while Sally is voiced by Catherine O'Hara, who also provides her singing voice. William Hickey voices Doctor Finkelstein, and Ken Page voices Oogie Boogie.
The Nightmare Before Christmasis regarded as one of the greatest animated movies of all time, but what do the actors that voice the characters look like? In 1993, director Henry Selick brought The Nightmare Before Christmas, a dark fantasy stop-motion musical from the mind of Tim Burton. The charmingly creepy movie tells the tale of a ghoul named Jack Skellington, Halloween Town’s “Pumpkin King” who has grown tired of his town's titular holiday and so attempts to hijack Christmas with disastrous consequences.
The Nightmare Before Christmas was a critical and commercial success and is now regarded as both a Christmas and Halloween favorite. The Nightmare Before Christmas has been praised for its animation style, characters, songs, and music, and a key element in its continuous success is its voice cast. The Nightmare Before Christmas cast is formed by some well-known actors as well as some of Tim Burton’s frequent collaborators, and here’s who voices who and what the voice actors look like in real life.
Is The Nightmare Before Christmas Based On A Book? Tim Burton Origins Explained
The beloved holiday stop-motion movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas, didn't start as a screenplay, and its origins might surprise viewers.Chris Sarandon as Jack Skellington
The Nightmare Before Christmas chronicles Jack Skellington's ill-fated attempt to bring Christmas to Halloween Town by kidnapping Santa Claus (or Sandy Claws, as he calls him) after he grows tired of only celebrating Halloween year after year. Jack Skellington is voiced by Chris Sarandon, best known for his roles as Jerry Dandrige in Fright Night, Prince Humperdinck in The Princess Bride, and detective Mike Norris in Child’s Play, though Jack's singing voice is provided by The Nightmare Before Christmas composer Danny Elfman.
Catherine O’Hara as Sally
Jack Skellington might be the protagonist, but the heroine of The Nightmare Before Christmas is Sally, a living ragdoll who was created by Halloween Town’s resident mad scientist Doctor Finkelstein, and who is secretly in love with Jack. Sally was brought to life by multi-award-winning actress Catherine O’Hara, who is best known for her roles in Home Alone, Schitt’s Creek, and fellow Burton movie Beetlejuice. O'Hara also provided the singing voice for Sally.
What Happened To Jack & Sally After Nightmare Before Christmas Ended
A cut epilogue from The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack reveals what happens to Jack and Sally after the cult movie comes to a close.William Hickey as Doctor Finkelstein
The Frankenstein-like Doctor Finkelstein is Sally’s father/creator and rather overprotective of his surrogate daughter/creation. The Nightmare Before Christmas character is listed simply as “Evil Scientist” in the credits and is voiced by the late William Hickey, whose other movies include Prizzi’s Honor – for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor – and who was in the cast of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Ken Page as Oogie Boogie
Bogeyman Oogie Boogie is the main villain of The Nightmare Before Christmas and a long-time rival of Jack Skellington. Oogie Boogie lives in an underground lair beneath Halloween Town, and after hearing of Jack's Christmas-in-Halloween Town plans, he came up with the idea of cooking the kidnapped Santa Claus in a stew. Veteran theater actor Ken Page is the man behind the voice of Oogie Boogie.
Paul Reubens, Catherine O’Hara & Danny Elfman as Lock, Shock & Barrel
Accompanying Oogie Boogie in his evil plans and more are Lock, Shock and Barrel, a trick-or-treating trio. Lock, who wears a devil costume and mask is voiced by Pee-wee Herman star Paul Reubens; Shock, who is dressed as a witch, is voiced by Sally actress Catherine O’Hara; and Barrel, who wears a skeleton costume, is voiced by The Nightmare Before Christmas composer and regular Tim Burton collaborator, Danny Elfman.
