The return of the cult favorite Practical Magic not only brings Sandra Bullock back to the big screen, but it also has everyone talking about margaritas again. Of course, the assumption is that no real tequila was used in the making of these beverages. But I just learned one hot fact about Practical Magic’s infamous cocktails that I did not actually realize.
And it has my mind reeling. Joey King and Maisie Williams spoke with Entertainment Tonight about the bewitching sequel, and of course, the topic turned to margaritas. But King’s answer to “Were people really drinking margaritas?” has me surprised:
Well, it’s illegal, I guess to have alcoholic beverages on set. But we were drinking margaritas definitely off set. That’s for sure.
This was news to me. While I knew drinking wasn’t encouraged on sets, I’ve heard many stories of actors bringing alcohol to set, including the original Practical Magic. Legend has it that Nicole Kidman brought real tequila to set during the midnight margarita scene. It was the last scene shot for the movie, and director Griffin Dunne seems to confirm this, “Yes, I definitely joined in on the tequila. I was quite shit-faced by the time we finished shooting, as was everyone.” So is it really illegal to have alcohol on set?
And while I couldn’t find an actual policy or rule on SAG AFTRA’s website, it does seem to be strictly prohibited out of safety or performance concerns. And according to Backstage, actors are “discouraged from drinking real alcohol on set since doing so could inhibit their performance.” However, for a scene like midnight margaritas, maybe it helped sell it. Too bad King and Williams weren’t on the original set. Though this doesn’t mean they haven’t had their share of margaritas after Practical Magic 2 hit the 2026 movie schedule. Check out what they had to say about the perks of the press tour:
- Maisie Williams: Also during this press run, people keep bringing us margaritas.
- Joey King: People keep handing us margs – real margs!
- Maisie Williams: It’s like truth juice.
At least they’re still getting to enjoy the margaritas since they’re not welcome on set. However, this hasn’t stopped actors from sharing stories about being drunk while filming. Even George Clooney recalls showing up drunk to film with Michelle Pfeiffer on One Fine Day. And it certainly hasn’t prevented casts from partying in between filming (Just ask Wet Hot American Summer castmates Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler.) But the reported policy is considered a way to protect actors.
There have been allegations of alcohol being used to harm stars, such as Leah McSweeney who claims she was pressured to drink on the RHONY set and it caused her to relapse. As well as pressure them, such as Renee Zellweger’s claims that she was pressured to drink wine before filming a nude scene. So it’s probably best to leave real alcohol off the set.
While we aren’t seeing real alcoholic drinks that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a little movie magic when watching iconic drinking scenes like midnight margaritas. And I’m always down to learn hot facts, especially about my favorite movies.
