The Nightmare Before Christmas: All the Actors Behind Your Favorite Voices in the Movie

Chris Sarandon as Jack Skellington

Jack, known as the "Pumpkin King" of Halloween Town, was brought to life by Sarandon for his speaking voice and Elfman for his singing voice.

In 2019, Sarandon told ComicBook.com that he still gets booked for gigs to portray his skeletal persona and is amazed at how warmly the film is still received today. 

"I'm still doing the character," he said. "We still get calls from Disney, going, 'Come down. We're doing the Halloween show this year. It's a live-action show, and we need you to do Jack.' " 

Sarandon added, "I walk in, and I sit down in the studio, and suddenly, 'There he is. He really cares.' I have no idea why or how, but it just happens, and it's always a wonderful surprise, on the one hand. And on the other hand, I'm constantly feeling a humility and a gratefulness for being a part of it."

He also starred in Fright Night (1985), Child's Play (1988) and Curse of Chucky (2013). In 1976, he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Leon Shermer in Dog Day Afternoon.

Sarandon and actress Joanna Gleason tied the knot in 1994. He was previously married to Dead Man Walking star Susan Sarandon from 1967 to 1979 and shares two daughters and one son with ex-wife Lisa Ann Cooper. 

Catherine O'Hara as Sally

O'Hara voices Sally, Jack's love interest and a stitched rag doll creation of Dr. Finkelstein. Sally uses poisons to liberate herself from Finkelstein's captivity and has psychic powers that warn her about bad things to come.

In December 2018, O'Hara recalled the "beautiful but difficult" experience of singing "Sally's Song" for the stop-motion film.

"I like voicing characters for films and television. It's challenging but fun," O'Hara told Live for Films in 2018. "Recording Sally's song was intimidating — that song is beautiful and difficult to sing — but it's been even more thrilling to sing the song live onstage with an orchestra while the audience watches the film."

O'Hara and Burton worked together in 1988's Beetlejuice and 2012's Frankenweenie, and she is set to reprise her role as Delia Deetz in the Beetlejuice sequel in 2024. She's also starred in Home Alone (1990) and its sequel, Best in Show (2000) and Penelope (2006). After the Canadian actress won her first Emmy in 1982 for her work on Second City Television (SCTV Network), she took home her second statuette in 2020 for her performance as Moira Rose on Schitt's Creek. She earned her first-ever Golden Globe in 2021 for best actress on the sitcom. 

Since 1992, O'Hara has been married to director and production designer Bo Welch, whom she met on the set of Beetlejuice. The couple shares two sons — Matthew and Luke. 

Catherine O'Hara as Shock

O'Hara also voices Shock, one of the trick-or-treaters working for Oogie Boogie. Shock, along with friends Lock and Barrel, loves to make trouble.

The actress has continued amassing a long list of voice acting credits throughout her career, including films such as Rock & Rule (1983), Pippi Longstocking (1997), Where the Wild Things Are (2009) and Elemental (2023).

In an official statement during Pixar Press Day in 2023, Elemental producer Denise Ream praised O'Hara's voice acting performance in the animated comedy.

Ream said, "Pete [Sohn] and I are huge fans, so we were delighted when she accepted the role. Her improv skills were amazing, and she brought so much fun and entertainment to the role."

Ken Page as Oogie Boogie

Ken Page voices the villainous bogeyman of Halloween Town, Oogie Boogie, who has a passion for gambling.

Page told Direct Conversations in October 2014 that he still gets hired to sing the villain's "Oogie Boogie's Song" at various Disney events. 

"Disney has been wonderful to me over the years," he said. "I've done a lot of events at the park in California and at the El Capitan Theater around Halloween time before."

Page continued, "When I see little kids, because they don't often connect the person and the voice of a character they see on film, I'll bend down and go, 'Well, well, well. What have we here?' When you see their faces light up, it's worth a million bucks."

Apart from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Page's other film credits include Torch Song Trilogy (1988), All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), Cats (1998) and Dreamgirls (2006).

Danny Elfman as Barrel

In addition to providing the singing voice for Jack, Elfman voices two other characters in the film: Barrel, one-third of Oogie Boogie's henchmen, and the Clown with the Tear-Away Face.

The Emmy-winning composer — who has performed the film's score live at the Hollywood Bowl almost every Halloween since 2015, according to his official website — reflected on what inspires him to return to Nightmare Before Christmas after all these years.

"When the movie came out, it didn't do well. It was misunderstood ... The perception [was that it was] weird, scary, and kids wouldn't like it," Elfman told NME in December 2022. "Ten years after it came out, I was in Tokyo with Tim Burton doing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and there was Jack and Sally merchandise everywhere."

He continued, "[Burton] said, 'I've never even seen this stuff before, but it became clear that there was this life around [Nightmare], beyond when it first opened, and it really bloomed after it. It was such a wonderful surprise for me because I put so much of myself into it and to have it [disappear] in a cloud of misunderstanding was disappointing."

The musician and former Oingo Boingo singer has composed scores for more than 100 feature films, including Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Spider-Man (2002), Charlotte's Web (2006), Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). His work on Netflix's Wednesday earned him two Emmy nominations in 2023. He has also received four Oscar nominations for Best Music for Good Will Hunting (1997), Men in Black (1997), Big Fish (2003) and Milk (2008).

Elfman has been married to actress Bridget Fonda since November 2003, and the couple share son Oliver. He has two daughters, Lola and Mali, from a previous relationship.

Glenn Shadix as Mayor of Halloween Town

Glenn Shadix voiced the Mayor of Halloween Town, whose wild mood swings cause his head to spin between his "happy" and "sad" faces.

The comic actor starred in more than 90 films and TV shows, including The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), Beetlejuice (1988), Heathers (1988), Demolition Man (1993), Planet of the Apes (2001) and on HBO's Carnivàle and several animated series.

Shadix died at 58 on Sept. 7, 2010, after falling in his home, per AL.com.

William Hickey as Dr. Finkelstein

Hickey voiced the mad scientist and creator of Sally in a role reminiscent of Dr. Frankenstein, the original creator of the monster in the horror classic.

Hickey's film credits include Prizzi’s Honor (1985), for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), Major Payne (1995) and Twisted (1996). He earned his first and only Emmy for his guest appearance on the HBO horror series Tales from the Crypt.

Hickey died at 69 on June 29, 1997, as reported by The New York Times.

Paul Reubens as Lock

Voiced by Paul Reubens, Lock is one-third of Oogie Boogie's henchmen alongside Shock and Barrel.

After starring as the titular character on CBS' Pee-wee's Playhouse for five seasons, Reubens reprised the role in Burton's Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) and Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016). He also appeared in Doctor Dolittle (1998), Mystery Men (1999), Blow (2001), The Smurfs (2011) and on shows such as Murphy Brown, The Blacklist and Mosaic. 

Reubens died at the age of 70 on July 30, 2023, with his rep confirming to PEOPLE in an exclusive statement that the controversial actor "bravely and privately fought cancer for years."

Joe Ranft as Igor

Joe Ranft voiced Dr. Finkelstein's assistant, Igor, who's a clear homage to Frankenstein — but this version loves receiving dog biscuits from his master as a reward for a good job.

The Oscar-nominated animator and screenwriter wrote and appeared in various popular films, including The Brave Little Toaster (1987), Toy Story (1995), A Bug's Life (1998) and Cars (2006). 

Ranft died at age 45 in a car crash on Aug. 16, 2005, per Variety.