Honestly, it is almost impossible to imagine Labyrinth without that spiky, blonde mullet and those famously tight leggings. But here is the thing: David Bowie almost didn't happen. In 1983, Jim Henson was sitting on a concept for a new fantasy film that was a bit lighter than the moody The Dark Crystal. At first, he actually thought the Goblin King should be another puppet.
Luckily, he changed his mind. He wanted a superstar. A household name who could bring a massive, charismatic "pop star" energy to the role and flip the movie’s musical style on its head.
Before Bowie officially signed on, the shortlist was a literal "who’s who" of 80s icons. Michael Jackson was in the running. Prince was considered. Even Sting and Mick Jagger were on the table. Can you imagine Sting as Jareth? It would have been a totally different movie. Probably much more serious. Henson eventually met Bowie in New York during the "Serious Moonlight" tour in June 1984. He showed him Brian Froud’s concept art and a tape of The Dark Crystal. Bowie was hooked. He loved the "magic and the mystery" of it all.
Why David Bowie as the Goblin King Still Works 40 Years Later
The movie actually bombed when it first hit theaters in 1986. Hard. It was a massive disappointment for Henson, and sadly, it was the last feature film he ever directed. But then something weird happened. Home video and cable TV turned David Bowie as the Goblin King into a permanent fixture of pop culture.
Why does he still stand out?
It’s the "mercurial" quality he brought. Jareth isn't just a villain. He is sort of a bratty, spoiled kid who happens to have the powers of a god. Bowie played him with this weird mix of menace and "I’d rather be at a club in Soho" energy. Brian Froud, the conceptual designer, intentionally modeled the look on a mix of Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, medieval knights, and—interestingly—ballet dancers.
That ballet influence is why the pants are so... prominent. It wasn't just a random costume choice; it was meant to give him that lean, physical presence.
The "Magic" Wasn't Actually His Hands
One of the coolest details that people always get wrong is the contact juggling. You know those scenes where Jareth is effortlessly spinning crystal balls over his knuckles?
That wasn't Bowie.
It was a juggler named Michael Moschen. Because they didn't have CGI to do the work, Moschen had to literally crouch behind Bowie, stick his arms through the sleeves of the cloak, and perform the tricks blind. He couldn't see what he was doing. He was basically operating by feel while Bowie stood still and acted. If you watch those scenes again, you'll notice the hands look slightly "off" in terms of positioning compared to Bowie's shoulders. Now you know why.
Recording "Magic Dance" With a Very Stubborn Baby
We all know the song. "You remind me of the babe."
During the recording of "Magic Dance," David Bowie actually tried to get a real baby to make the gurgling and cooing noises for the track. It didn't work. The baby in the studio wouldn't cooperate. Most people would have just used a generic sound effect from a library, but Bowie just decided to do the baby gurgles himself.
Every coo and "goo-goo" in that song is a legendary rock star into a microphone.
The Reality of Life on a Puppet-Heavy Set
Working with puppets is a nightmare for most actors. It is slow. It is technical. Things break constantly. Brian Henson (Jim’s son, who played Hoggle) recently talked about how patient Bowie was during the shoot.
"[Bowie] had the same thing that my dad had… just sort of cracking up in the middle of a shot."
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He was a total workaholic, so for him, filming Labyrinth felt like a vacation. He’d finish his scenes in two or three takes, which is incredible when you’re acting opposite a hunk of animatronic plastic like Hoggle. He even used to go to the local bar after filming to have a pint with the crew. He was just a "Cockney boy" underneath the glitter and the wig.
A Legacy of "Sexual Awakening" and Cult Status
There is a lot of talk about how Jareth represented Sarah’s transition from childhood into adulthood. The film is packed with symbols of that shift—the masquerade ball, the fruit, the way Jareth is both terrifying and strangely attractive to a teenager.
Bowie leaned into that.
He used a black riding crop. He wore leather. He had that "dangerous anti-hero" vibe that made an entire generation of kids feel... things. While academics sometimes ignore Labyrinth when talking about Bowie’s "serious" work like Ziggy Stardust or Station to Station, it remains the way millions of people first discovered him. He wasn't just a singer; he was the King of the Goblins.
The film even influenced the gaming world. The Labyrinth computer game was a massive stepping stone for LucasArts, leading directly to the tech used in The Secret of Monkey Island.
What You Can Do Now
If you haven't seen the "Inside the Labyrinth" documentary, find it. It shows the sheer scale of the practical effects. Seeing the "Hedge Maze" or the "Shaft of Hands" being operated by dozens of puppeteers makes you appreciate Bowie's performance even more. He wasn't acting against a green screen; he was standing in a literal, physical world of monsters.
You can also check out the 40th-anniversary theatrical re-releases that often pop up in January. Seeing the crystal ball scene on a big screen really highlights the practical magic of Michael Moschen’s juggling.
Finally, listen to the soundtrack again, but specifically the song "Within You." It’s actually one of Bowie’s most complex vocal performances from that era, tucked away in a movie about puppets.
- Watch: "Inside the Labyrinth" (1986 Documentary)
- Listen: "Within You" (The most underrated track on the score)
- Notice: The way Bowie's eyes (due to his anisocoria) add to the supernatural look of Jareth without any makeup.
The character of Jareth was essentially a "greatest hits" of Bowie’s personas—the alien, the aristocrat, and the rock star—all wrapped into one.