Taylor Paige Henderson is a sensation on the rise. Living almost every young teenager’s dream, her life working in film is nothing short of dreamy! Her recent casting in Hocus Pocus 2 as young Winifred is, honestly, the highlight of the new movie. She is fresh and super sassy! Apart from being a super fun actress, she also volunteers at Lost Pets of Amarillo, which is a local animal rescue group that places abandoned pets with new loving forever homes. Let Jejune Magazine help you get to know Taylor and her witchy ways a bit more through our exclusive interview.

Where are you based?
I am originally from Texas, and that is still my “home base”, when I’m not traveling for work or auditions. Before the COVID pandemic hit, my mom and I were living in NYC and I was doing the whole New York thing. Once it became obvious that things would be shut down for a while, we came back to Texas to be with my dad and brother. Now that most first submissions for auditions are by self-tape, it has made it easier to be in Texas more because I don’t have to be in NYC or LA for those. I love both of those cities and love being able to be there, but it’s also really nice to be home more than I was used to before COVID. Being an actor means quite a bit of hustle, but now I can just do most of that hustle from the spare bedroom of our home which is where all my self-tape setup is! My agents and my manager are in Los Angeles, NYC and Chicago; so, I am fortunate to be well represented all over the country!

What inspired you to get into acting?
I started acting at my local community theater when I was just five years old. I took a class called “Creative Dramatics”, because I was a VERY dramatic kid, and my parents thought it would be a good outlet for me. I loved the class and quickly told my parents that I wanted to audition for the upcoming show my theater was doing. I auditioned for Alice in Wonderland and got cast as a baby oyster and spent a total of 45 seconds on stage during the show. It didn’t matter – I loved every second of it and was hooked! I was able to do a lot of shows at my community theater, but by the time I was 10 years old I was ready to do more. I booked my first professional job at an equity theater and I started training with an acting coach in New York City. That acting coach is who introduced me to my agent and manager that I ended up signing with. I knew even then that it was going to be very hard for me to find something else that I loved more than acting. I love the storytelling aspect of acting, and I love to bring joy to people through what I create. Creating amazing art and telling a story in a way that is captivating to audiences is my goal and what drives me to learn more and more about acting. To help people get lost in a character and forget about what might be troubling them at the time, even for just a little while, is what continues to inspire me. Life can be hard and I think people enjoy movies, TV shows and theater because they can have a way to suspend reality for just a little bit and be entertained. I can’t imagine doing anything else for the rest of my life.

Making your debut in Earwig and the Witch, we must ask, do you have a thing for witches?
Haha! It does seem that way, huh?! I like to think that I have been really fortunate to be cast in these roles that portray really strong, independent characters. Both Earwig and Young Winifred are fearless and really bold, and I love that about them.

It is Halloween season and we have all been waiting for the new Hocus Pocus 2 movie! How excited were you to be a part of the sequel to the iconic Hocus Pocus? Did you love the first one?
Excited is an understatement! I love the first Hocus Pocus and watched it every Halloween growing up. It was a Halloween tradition for my family; so, I was already really familiar with the Sanderson Sisters. When I booked the role of Young Winifred, I had a lot of different emotions, but for the longest time I was just in disbelief that I would get to be a part of such an iconic Halloween movie. I still sometimes can’t believe it! It is such an honor to be able to be a part of this franchise and the Disney family. It was a dream come true and I am so thankful.

Ok, you got the best role in the whole movie, hands down — the young Winifred Sanderson. What was it like playing her? Did you work closely with the amazing Bette Midler to master the character?
Oh, thank you! I think Young Winifred is pretty spectacular too. When I first got the audition and read the script, I was immediately drawn to her. The way she stood up for herself and her sisters was just this amazing side to Winifred that I knew was going to become something that would really show a different side to this character and that fans of the movie would love. She speaks her mind and has this inner strength that comes from some tough things she has experienced, but she isn’t going to let that stop her from becoming all she is meant to be. I mean, how could you not love her? And then just the love she has for her sisters and how protective of them she is from when they were very young is really beautiful. It was a little intimidating playing the younger version of such an iconic character that was made so familiar and popular by the legendary Bette Midler. It was a huge task and it was very nerve-wracking! Bette was so kind to pass on some valuable pieces of advice about Winifred and the character development. There was no better person to learn that from than her! The best part was getting to watch her do her camera test before filming began. The producers of the movie were really kind to invite me in to watch her work. She stepped in front of the camera in full costume and the minute she started moving she was instantly Winifred Sanderson. My jaw was pretty much on the floor the whole time. I am positive that very moment will go down as one of my all-time best acting moments ever. I learned a lot that day and carried it with me through the entire filming process.

Not going to lie, your part was my favorite part of the whole movie. What do you think the chances of a Hocus Pocus 3 that focuses even more on the back story of the young sisters?
Thank you! That is really sweet! The glimpse we got at the sister’s back story is something that people really responded to and I think fans needed that. I’ve seen so many people saying they would love to know more about their origin story and what their life was like when they were younger. I don’t know what the chances of that happening are, but I know we would all love to see more of their story! I think we all have so many questions about them now!

Spoiler: The movie ends with the hint of a Hocus Pocus 3. What would you like to see in a third addition?
I love that the movie ends that way! If there was a Hocus Pocus 3, I would love to know more about Hannah Waddingham’s character. How did she come to be? What happened to her coven? How did she know Young Winifred had special powers the moment she met her? Did she help Winifred learn more about her special power? How long did she have Book before she gave it to Winifred? So. Many. Questions! LOL. And I think the burning question everyone wants to know is just how many kisses did Winifred and Billy actually share? And Billy and Sarah?? Ok, maybe we really need this to happen! LOL!

It is nice that your backstory really gave Winifred a powerful feminist background that made the audience fall in love with her even more. Why do you think it was important that she was shown like this?
The theme of sisterhood and women sticking together is so important as we look around our country and world and see women being treated as “less than” in certain situations. I think it was so cool that they showed these really strong women who support one another and have this unyielding friendship that goes beyond any competition and jealousy — even if it is happening in a hilarious way at times. The fact that Winifred was standing up for herself and her sisters at such a young age is incredible and something that I think little girls everywhere can look at as a positive message. I mean, it was done in a campy way, but the message is still there. Even in the Forbidden Wood when the girls meet the Mother Witch (Hannah Waddingham), Young Winifred fights to keep her sisters together and stands up for herself against someone who was really powerful. If even one little girl somewhere watches that and thinks to herself that she can stand up against a bully or some other wrong or evil, then I think an important message has been conveyed. That makes me really proud to think about.

With Halloween coming up, what are your plans? What are you dressing up as this year?
I am excited to be home this year for Halloween and get to hang out with my friends! Last year I was still on set in Providence, RI, which was amazing, but I’m really looking forward to being with friends this year. I am dressing up as a cat this year and have plans to hang out at a friend’s house on Halloween night. The Saturday before Halloween I am helping with an animal adoption event that has a Halloween theme and I am excited about that too!

In addition to playing a fiery young witch, Jejune loves that you volunteer at a local animal rescue, Lost Pets of Amarillo? What inspired you to do so?
I have always loved animals! My dad and I just have a really soft spot for animals, and especially animals that need homes. If we see a dog or cat that doesn’t seem to have a home, we will stop and pick it up and try to find its owner or find a new home if it’s a stray. We would have a house full of rescue animals if my mom would let us! Right now, we have two rescue dogs and one rescue cat. We do sometimes foster animals until they can find a home. We just finished fostering an 80-pound black lab who was the sweetest! My hometown has several animal rescue groups that are doing great work to help dogs and cats find good, loving homes; so, it was only natural for me to jump in and volunteer. When I am at home and not on location working, I help with cleaning cages, cleaning out litter boxes, feeding animals, adoption events, and just loving on the animals who are in the rescue right now. It really is one of my favorite parts to my week. Here is your reminder: adopt, don’t shop! Local shelters are full of animals who are ready to be your loyal best friend!

Are there any other social causes close to your heart?
Oh wow, it’s hard to pick just a few. I think one great thing about my generation is that we are very socially aware and are closely watching what those older than us are doing and saying. Say what you will about social media, I think one benefit of it has been the education and access to information for my generation to what is happening around us. My hope is that we are learning to speak up and stand our ground against wrongdoing. I’m not old enough to be a voter yet, but I AM watching and I can’t wait until I can make my voice heard through my vote. I think the environment has to be something that we all become socially aware of. None of the rest of it matters if we don’t take action now to undo the destruction we are doing to our planet. I’ve really been thinking a lot about my fashion choices. Do I really need this mass-produced, “fast fashion” shirt? Couldn’t I find something just as cute at a thrift shop? Just trying to be more aware of what I buy and the impact that has on the planet is important to me and something I want to be better at.

It has been a rough few years, how have you been staying positive during these times?
A very rough few years for sure. I lost several acting jobs I had booked that I never got back, lost people I love and admire, and lost contact with friends because of COVID. To be honest, I went through a period of time where I wasn’t so positive. It was really hard. But focusing on the things I had to be thankful for, instead of all the hard, negative things, really helped me. My Nana is really good at this and taught me that counting all the ways I have to be thankful and grateful for what I have, what I CAN do, and what is good in my life can really change my perspective on the hard things. At the end of the day, I have so much to be thankful for and reminding myself of those things really helped. Sometimes I have to remind myself over and over several times a day, but practicing that has made it easier with time. Flipping my thought process to what is good and positive — sometimes I have to get a pen and paper and write them all down to clear my brain — has been a game changer for me.

What is your motto in life?
This is a great question! I don’t think this is something I have thought much about before now, but after thinking about it for a while I keep coming back to “treat others the way you want to be treated”. This world can be HARSH! I’ve been on the receiving end of it more than I would like. One thing I have learned is that treating others the way I want to be treated is a good way to live. I haven’t always been perfect at that by any means, but it is something I want to strive for. I was taught this from an early age from my parents and more recently from my mentor. In fact, as I was leaving to go to Rhode Island to start filming Hocus Pocus 2, one of the last things my mentor said to me was to be sure to treat every person on set the same no matter what their job title is and the way I would want to be treated. It was a great reminder and something I strive to do. So I guess without even being fully aware of it, that is my life motto!

To know more about Taylor, please check her out on:
www.taylorpaigehenderson.com
Instagram - @taylorpaigehenderson
TikTok - @taylorpaigehenderson
Twitter - @misstaylorpaige
Facebook - @taylorpaigehendersonofficial

Taylor Paige Henderson - All Things Witchy and Magical