‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’: Salem Was Played By 3 Real Cats
Sabrina the Teenage Witch blew up the television scene in the late 1990s. ABC first debuted the popular series in the fall of 1996, and shortly after, the show was getting renewed for additional and consecutive seasons.
However, some of Sabrina’s fans might be surprised to learn that the character’s roots and origin stemmed from the comic book Archie’s Madhouse #22. The comic book was the inspiration behind a Showtime film, which eventually led to the creation of ABC’s TV show that so many people fell in love with.
Take a look back at Sabrina the Teenage Witch and all the cats who played the iconic role of Salem.
A look back the cast and characters of ABC’s ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’
Melissa Joan Hart is the actress that so many people associate with Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Audiences and viewers eagerly watched as Hart’s character haphazardly yet comically navigated the territory that came with being a witch in high school. Caroline Rhea was cast as Aunt Hilda and Beth Broderick played her co-partner, Aunt Zelda. More recently, audiences might have recognized Broderick from HBO’s mini-series Sharp Objects.
Soleil Moon Frye, Martin Mull, and Jenna Leigh Green were just a few more of the talented individuals who were cast in Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Over the course of the series’ seven seasons, the show had some legendary and unforgettable guest stars, Ru Paul, Britney Spears, and Paula Abdul are some of the most memorable celebrities to crash the magical set. However, when it comes to Sabrina the Teenage Witch, no character or star would ever quite compare to Salem.
Salem’s role on ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’
When season one of Sabrina the Teenage Witch kicked off watchers were immediately introduced to Salem. However, they quickly realize he is no ordinary cat.
The cat who has been living with Sabrina’s Aunt Zelda and Aunt Hilda is actually a 500-year-old witch who was sentenced to spend 100 years living as a cat. As a result, Salem had quite the personality in addition to having the ability to talk. Throughout the seasons Salem would appear in the episodes as good friend of Sabrina. He would often help the young witch how to best understand and use her magical powers.
However, some fans of Sabrina the Teenage Witch might be surprised to learn that a total of three different cats played Salem.
On ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’ Salem was actually played by 3 real cats
Second to Hart, Salem was the character to appear in the most episodes of the series. The sassy yet wise furry friend became a staple of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but, surprisingly enough, there were multiple cats to have taken on the important and entertaining responsibility. Mental Floss has recapped the details behind the legendary character.
Elvis and Witch were the first two black cats to take on the role of Salem. Unfortunately, when both of the cats passed away, they were forced to look for a third cat to carry the torch. That is when Warlock came into the picture.
In addition, production also had puppet versions of the cat that would take three people to execute successfully. The credit for the voice of Salem goes all to Nick Bakay, who also occasionally wrote an episode or two for the series. Fans and viewers of Sabrina the Teenage Witch will always remember Salem’s characters fondly.
