The original Beetlejuice – released back in 1988 – brought us some characters that have well and truly entered into cinema legend, with Winona Ryder's goth teenager Lydia Deetz and Michael Keaton's titular bio-exorcist both becoming iconic figures.

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Thankfully, both of those actors are back to reprise their roles for the new sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, with Tim Burton also back in the director's chair and Catherine O'Hara returning to her role as Lydia's stepmother Delia.

Alongside those familiar faces, there are also plenty of high profile new additions to the cast, most prominently Wednesday star Jenna Ortega as Lydia's teenaged daughter Astrid, who has no truck with the supernatural and therefore has something of a combative relationship with her mother.

Meanwhile, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe – two actors who seem tailor made for the Burton universe yet have somehow never starred in one of the eccentric director's works – also appear, and recently explained in an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com that stepping on to the set was like going to an "amusement park".

Read on for everything you need to know about the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice cast – including details on their characters and where you might have seen them before.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice full cast list

  • Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice
  • Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz
  • Catherine O'Hara as Delia Deetz
  • Jenna Ortega as Astrid Deetz
  • Justin Theroux as Rory
  • Monica Bellucci as Delores
  • Willem Dafoe as Wolf Jackson
  • Burn Gorman as Father Damien
  • Danny DeVito as Janitor
  • Arthur Conti as Jeremy
  • Filipe Cates as Vlad
  • Santiago Cabrera as Richard

Michael Keaton plays Beetlejuice

Michael Keaton in Beetlejuice 2
Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice.

Who is Beetlejuice? A mischievous bio-exorcist who lives in the afterlife but can be summoned to the realm of the living when his name is uttered three times. He loves causing chaos and still wants to marry Lydia Deetz – 36 years on from the events of the original.

What else has Michael Keaton been in? In addition to his role in the original Beetlejuice, Keaton is perhaps still best known for his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Tim Burton's films, but he also has a number of other impressive credits to his name including Jackie Brown, and The Other Guys.

He received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his leading role in Birdman and also garnered acclaim for roles in Spotlight and The Founder. He made a return to superhero films when he played the main antagonist the Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming, while he recently had a starring role on Hulu limited series Dopesick.

Winona Ryder plays Lydia Deetz

Winona Ryder plays Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Winona Ryder plays Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. WB

Who is Lydia Deetz? Lydia had a previous brush with Beetlejuice when she was a goth teenager in the previous film and now hosts a paranormal themed TV show titled Ghost House with Lydia Deetz. She is also now a mother but has something of a strained relationship with her teenaged daughter.

What else has Winona Ryder been in? After breaking through with a succession of hit roles in the late '80s – including the original Beetlejuice and Heathers – Ryder become one of the biggest Hollywood stars in the '90s, appearing in a succession of big films such as Edward Scissorhands, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Age of Innocence, Little Women, The Crucible, Alien: Resurrection and Girl, Interrupted.

Other big-screen credits have included Star Trek and Black Swan, while more recently she has enjoyed a huge career renaissance, thanks to her role as Joyce Byers in Stranger Things.

Catherine O'Hara plays Delia Deetz

Catherine O'Hara in Beetlejuice 2 in a black outfit standing in a graveyard
Catherine O'Hara in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Warner Bros 2/YouTube

Who is Delia Deetz? Lydia’s stepmother and a somewhat pretentious artist – who has recently become a widow following the death of her husband Charles.

What else has Catherine O'Hara been in? In recent years, O'Hara has become perhaps best known for her role as Moira in Schitt's Creek, but she also has a long list of impressive film credits to her name, including the likes of After Hours, Beetlejuice, Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show and For Your Consideration. Recent film credits include Elemental, Pain Hustlers and Argylle.

Jenna Ortega plays Astrid Deetz

Jenna Ortega as Astrid in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Jenna Ortega as Astrid in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. WB

Who is Astrid Deetz? Lydia's teen daughter who is bulled at school, embarrassed by her mother, and does not believe in the supernatural.

What else has Jenna Ortega been in? One of Hollywood's biggest young stars, Ortega rose to fame in critically acclaimed comedy-drama Jane the Virgin, where she played a younger version of Gina Rodriguez's title character. Since then, she has become a favourite of horror fans for her roles in The Babysitter: Killer Queen, X and 2022's Scream reboot, while she found a whole new level of fame for her leading role in Tim Burton's Netflix series Wednesday.

Justin Theroux plays Rory

Justin Theroux plays Rory
Justin Theroux plays Rory. WB

Who is Rory? The producer of Lydia's TV show and her new boyfriend.

What else has Justin Theroux been in? Theroux has had a lot of impressive credits on both the big and small screens – with film credits including American Psycho, Mulholland Drive, Miami Vice and Bumblebee and TV highlights including Six Foot Under, The Leftovers, Maniac and The Mosquito Coast.

Monica Bellucci plays Delores

Monica Bellucci plays Delores in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Monica Bellucci plays Delores in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Who is Delores? Beetlejuice's ex-wife who died during the Black Plague and now lives as a soul-sucking witch in the afterlife.

What else has Monica Bellucci been in? A huge name both in her native Italy and globally, Bellucci's most recognisable film highlights include Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, The Passion of the Christ and Spectre.

Willem Dafoe plays Wolf Jackson

Willem Dafoe plays Wolf Jackson in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Willem Dafoe plays Wolf Jackson in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. WB

Who is Wolf Jackson? A ghost detective in the afterlife who was a B-movie action star when he was alive.

What else has Willem Dafoe been in? A major name in Hollywood for several decades, Dafoe has had memorable roles in a wealth of films such as To Live and Die in LA, The Last Temptation of Christ, Mississippi Burning, Wild at Heart, The English Patient, American Psycho, Antichrist, John Wick, The Florida Project, The Lighthouse, Nightmare Alley, The Northman, Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness, while he famously played supervillain Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy.

He has also had roles in numerous Wes Anderson films, including The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The French Dispatch and Asteroid City.

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Authors

Patrick Cremona, RadioTimes.com's senior film writer looking at the camera and smiling
Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.

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