EXCLUSIVE: Susanne Bier on the Practical Magic 2 cast: “Dianne and Stockard, it was the biggest honor ever”
The return of Practical Magic brings back some of the franchise’s most beloved characters while introducing a new generation of Owens women. For director Susanne Bier, bringing together returning stars and new talent was one of the most rewarding aspects of making Practical Magic 2.
Speaking about Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, who return as the iconic Aunts, Bier described the experience as an enormous privilege. “Dianne and Stockard, it was the biggest honour ever. They are beautiful human beings and they are beautiful in the movie. I almost can’t see them without those gorgeous costumes. And there is a kindness to both of them. A kindness and a sharpness. It’s like they’re incredibly kind, but they also have an edge, and that mixture is wonderful. There’s something incredibly dignified, but also very poetic about both of them.”
The sequel also expands the Owens legacy through Kylie and Antonia, played by Maisie and Joey. Bier was looking for performers who could bring strength, confidence and individuality to the next generation. “When we were talking about Kylie and Antonia, it was like, who are two real badass young women that can fill those shoes? Maisie and Joey had that in different ways.”
She adds, “They both have a strong feminine side to them, but you also have a sense that you do not want to cross them. They will do what it takes, both of them. They have very fierce will and a confident sense of self. I think we were very much looking for that. They’re very different and they are gorgeous and interesting and surprising. I don’t really know where to stop with either of them! The two of them were great together.”
Bier also found a distinctive dynamic in the film’s male characters. Lee Pace, who plays Professor Ian Wright, brings what she describes as a rare combination of confidence, humour and sex appeal. “Lee has that balance—which is quite rare in a way in a man—of being quite comfortable in his own skin and being very, very handsome… and maybe not really caring that much about it.”
She continues, “There’s a kind of generosity in Lee Pace where you think he’s quite comfortable being the love interest, being Professor Ian Wright. He does play what could be thought of as a traditionally female part in a way—he’s the lead’s love interest. And he does that with quite a lot of humor and quite a lot of sexiness. And he’s enjoying it. And I think that that’s why it works so wonderfully well—because he’s actually having a lot of fun with it.”
Xolo Maridueña’s Gideon, meanwhile, was cast for his ability to balance charm with emotional openness. “With Xolo, it was that balance again of having a guy who is sexy, cute, but also kind and also, in some way, more audacious than Kylie is.”
Bier explains, “He’s not scared of telling her he loves her, and he’s not scared of any of that. But because of this ingrained thing that she can’t even articulate—that I’m not really allowed to love anybody—she is so much more reserved. And he’s quite free with that. We wanted somebody who could play that without losing his integrity. And Xolo did that beautifully.”
With its returning icons and younger generation, Bier sees the ensemble as an important part of carrying the Practical Magic legacy forward.
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