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The Disney Channel original series Wizards of Waverly Place was created by Todd J. Greenwald. The show first aired on October 12, 2007 and ended on January 6, 2012.
The series centers on the fictional characters of the Russo family, which includes Alex (Selena Gomez), her older brother Justin (David Henrie), and their younger brother Max (Jake T. Austin). The three Russo siblings are wizards in training and live with their Italian-American father, Jerry (David DeLuise), a former wizard, and their Mexican-American mother, Theresa (Maria Canals Barrera), who is a mortal.
The siblings have to keep their magical powers secret while living in the mortal world. When they complete their wizard training, the three siblings have to compete in the wizard competition to decide who will become the next family wizard and keep their powers. [1]
Character | Portrayed by | Cronology | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season 1 | Season 2 | The Movie | Season 3 | Season 4 | Alex vs. Alex | Wizards Beyond | |||
Main characters | |||||||||
Alex Russo | Selena Gomez | Main | Guest | ||||||
Justin Russo | David Henrie | Main | Mentioned | Main [2] | |||||
Max Russo | Jake T. Austin | Main | Guest | ||||||
Harper Finkle | Jennifer Stone | Main | |||||||
Theresa Russo | Maria Canals Barrera | Main | Guest | ||||||
Jerry Russo | David DeLuise | Main | Guest | ||||||
Archie | Steve Valentine | Main | |||||||
Javier | Xavier Torres | Main | |||||||
Giselle | Jennifer Alden | Main | |||||||
Mason Greyback | Gregg Sulkin | Mentioned | Recurring | Main | |||||
Dominic | Beau Mirchoff | Main | |||||||
Billie | Janice LeAnn Brown | Main | |||||||
Roman Russo | Alkaio Thiele | Main | |||||||
Giada Russo | Mimi Gianopulos | Main | |||||||
Milo Russo | Max Matenko | Main | |||||||
Winter | Taylor Cora | Main | |||||||
Recurring characters | |||||||||
Zeke Beakerman | Dan Benson | Recurring | Recurring | ||||||
Mr. Herschel Laritate | Bill Chott | Recurring | Recurring | ||||||
Professor Crumbs | Ian Abercrombie | Recurring | Recurring | Mentioned | |||||
Hugh Normous | Josh Sussman | Recurring | Recurring | ||||||
Juliet van Heusen | Bridgit Mendler | Recurring | Recurring | Mentioned | |||||
Stevie Nichols | Hayley Kiyoko | Recurring | |||||||
The Mummy | John Eric Bentley | Recurring | |||||||
Gorog, Angel of Darkness | John Rubinstein | Recurring | Mentioned | ||||||
Max "Maxine" Russo (female version of Max) | Bailee Madison | Recurring | |||||||
Rosie | Leven Rambin | Recurring | |||||||
Kelbo Russo | Jeff Garlin | Recurring | Recurring | ||||||
Gigi Hollingsworth | Skyler Samuels | Recurring | |||||||
The Wannabes | Kelsey Sanders Heather Trzyna | Recurring | |||||||
Monotone Woman | Amanda Tepe | Recurring | Guest | ||||||
Frankie / Joey | Paulie Litt | Recurring | Guest | ||||||
Riley | Brian Kubach | Recurring | |||||||
Dean Moriarty | Daniel Samonas | Recurring | Guest | ||||||
Conscience | Moises Arias | Recurring | |||||||
Alucard van Heusen | JD Cullum | Recurring | |||||||
Cindy van Heusen | Anne Ramsay | Recurring | |||||||
Chancellor Rudy Tootietootie | Andy Kindler | Recurring | |||||||
Talia Robinson | McKaley Miller | Recurring | |||||||
Felix | Frank Pacheco | Recurring | |||||||
Minor characters | |||||||||
T.J. Taylor | Daryl Sabara | Guest | |||||||
Officer Lamp | Michael A. Shepperd | Guest | |||||||
Officer Goblin | Brian Scolaro | Guest | |||||||
Miranda Hampson | Lucy Hale | Recurring | |||||||
Mr. Stuffleby | Fred Willard | Guest | Guest | ||||||
Carmela | Natalia Nogulich | Supporting | |||||||
Francesca | Antonella Lentini | Supporting |
Alexandra Margarita Russo (Selena Gomez) is the only female of the three Russo siblings and the middle child. She is sly, rebellious, outgoing, and usually underachieves when it comes to school. She often gets into trouble because of her constant schemes (usually involving magic). [3] Alex and Justin Russo are the only characters to appear in every episode of the series and the shows focus tends to be on her and her journey being/becoming a wizard
Justin Vincenzo Pepé Russo (David Henrie) is Alex's and Max's older brother and the oldest of the three Russo siblings. He is very smart and is often considered a "nerd" because he is in numerous clubs and has learned over 5000 spells. He continues his wizard studies in a Monster Hunting course. For his knowledge of wizardry, he takes after his father, Jerry, who originally won the Wizard Family Competition against Kelbo and Megan.
Max Russo (Jake T. Austin) is the youngest of the three Russo siblings. Although Max is an underachiever in the beginning, he advances more during the series. During season four, Alex and Justin accidentally turn Max into a little girl who is then given the name "Maxine" (Bailee Madison). Maxine remains as such for five episodes starting from "Three Maxes and a Little Lady" and ending with "Back to Max" when the spell is reversed.
Harper Finkle (Jennifer Stone) is best friends with Alex Russo. She used to have a crush on her brother, Justin Russo, but eventually falls in love with Justin's best friend, Zeke Beakerman. Harper is a typical teenager: self-expressive but a little insecure at times. Unlike Alex, she is a hardworking student and a fairly positive person. During season 2, Harper finds out about the Russo family's wizard powers.
Theresa Russo (Maria Canals Barrera) is the mother of Alex, Justin and Max Russo and co-owner of the Waverly Sub Station, with her husband Jerry. Theresa is the slightly more serious one of the couple. Theresa is Mexican American (as a Latina, Canals Barrera has Spanish ancestry through her Cuban parents). [4]
Jerry Russo (David DeLuise) is the father of Alex, Justin and Max Russo and co-owner of the Waverly Sub Station with his wife Theresa. He is also a former wizard who chose to give up his powers to marry his wife Theresa, a mortal, due to a rule forbidding wizards to marry mortals. Jerry is Italian American (DeLuise also has Italian ancestry). [5]
Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown) is a wizard-in-training who comes to live with him and his family in the sequel series.
Roman Russo (Alkaio Thiele) is a wizard and Justin's and Giada's son, and Max's and Alex's nephew, whom the latter dotes over.
Giada Russo (Mimi Gianopulos) is Roman's mother and Justin's human wife, whom he chose to give up his powers to marry.
The following is a list of recurring characters in the Disney Channel sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place.
Characters only appear in Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie .
Characters only appear in The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex .
David Dominick DeLuise is an American actor and television director. He has had roles in numerous films and television shows. He is best known for playing Coop on Megas XLR and Jerry Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place.
David Clayton Henrie is an American actor, writer, and director. He is noted for playing Ted Mosby's future son Luke on How I Met Your Mother and Justin Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place, as well as starring in the films Little Boy and Walt Before Mickey.
Wizards of Waverly Place is an American fantasy teen sitcom created by Todd J. Greenwald that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between October 2007 and January 2012. The series centers on Alex Russo, a teenage wizard living on Waverly Place in the Greenwich Village section of New York City, who undertakes training alongside her siblings, Justin and Max, who are also equipped with magical abilities. The siblings are trained knowing that one day they will compete to win sole custody of their family's powers. Episodes focus on Alex's challenges in keeping her secret powers hidden while she deals with the social and personal issues of her youth. She frequently uses magic in her everyday life, sometimes irresponsibly, and develops her supernatural abilities over the course of the series. The main themes depicted include family, friendship, and adolescence; the series also contains fantasy elements.
Bailee Madison Riley is an American actress and singer. Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Madison began acting at just two weeks of age, appearing mostly in television commercials for the first few years. Her film debut, as May Belle Aarons in the fantasy drama Bridge to Terabithia (2007), brought her early praise. She gained wider acclaim for starring in the war drama film Brothers (2009), for which she was nominated for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer. Madison went on to star in a number of horror and thriller films, beginning with Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010), gaining a reputation as a scream queen. She had commercial success with starring roles in the comedies Just Go with It (2011) and Parental Guidance (2012), though the critical reception of these films was mostly negative.
Jake Toranzo Austin Szymanski, known professionally as Jake T. Austin, is an American actor. Beginning his career as a child actor at the age of seven, Austin is best known for his role as Max Russo on the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place, and as the voice of Diego on the Nickelodeon animated series Go, Diego, Go!. Austin was also the original actor who portrayed Jesus Foster on the ABC Family family/teen drama series The Fosters. His feature film credits include co-starring roles in Hotel for Dogs, New Year's Eve, Rio and The Emoji Movie.
Jennifer Stone is an American actress and nurse. She is known for playing Harper Finkle on the Disney Channel Original series Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–2012) and in the Disney Channel Original Movie Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (2009). She has also played roles in various television films, including a voice role in Dadnapped (2009), the main character in Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars (2010) and Abby Hanover in Mean Girls 2 (2011). Stone received critical praise for her work on the independent film The In-Between (2019), which she co-wrote and starred in.
Alexandra Margarita "Alex" Russo is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Disney Channel sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place, portrayed by Selena Gomez. In 2008, AOL named her the twentieth greatest witch in television history. Selena Gomez, who plays Alex, is one of the only two cast members to appear in every single episode of the series; the only other cast member to do so is David Henrie, who plays Justin Russo. The character has also appeared in The Suite Life on Deck episode, "Double Crossed".
The Suite Life on Deck is an American teen sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008, to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. The series follows twin brothers Zack and Cody Martin and hotel heiress London Tipton in a new setting, the SS Tipton, where they study-abroad at Seven Seas High School and meet Bailey Pickett while Mr. Moseby manages the ship. The ship travels around the world to nations such as Italy, France, Greece, India, Sweden and the United Kingdom where the characters experience different cultures, adventures, and situations.
Maria Canals-Barrera (née Canals) is an American actress. She is known for starring as Theresa Russo in the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–2012), Connie Torres in Camp Rock (2008) and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010), and Daniela in the ABC comedy series Cristela (2014–2015).
Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie is a 2009 American made-for-television comedy-drama fantasy film based on the Disney Channel Original Series Wizards of Waverly Place. It was directed by Lev L. Spiro and filmed primarily in San Juan, Puerto Rico in February and March 2009. The full cast of the series starred in the film, although Jennifer Stone only had a small role at the beginning of the film. The film focuses on Alex Russo having to reverse a wish she made that her parents never met after being grounded during a trip to the Caribbean.
"Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana" is a trilogy of crossover episodes between three Disney Channel original sitcoms which premiered in the United States on July 17, 2009. The crossover spanned across episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place, The Suite Life on Deck, and Hannah Montana. In the crossover, Max, Justin and Alex Russo join regulars from The Suite Life on Deck aboard the SS Tipton, and Cody Martin attempts to retrieve tickets for a Hannah Montana concert in Hawaii, while Miley Stewart, en route to the concert on the SS Tipton, loses her mother's lucky anklet – triggering a streak of bad luck. This TV Movie is the sequel to That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana.
Wizards of Waverly Place is a video game developed by Black Lantern Studios and published by Disney Interactive Studios for the Nintendo DS. The video game is based on the Disney Channel Original Series Wizards of Waverly Place. It was released in August 2009 in America and Europe and in Australia on September 21.
The first season of Wizards of Waverly Place aired on Disney Channel from October 12, 2007 to August 31, 2008. The season introduces the Russo children, Alex, Justin, and Max Russo as they compete to become the leading wizard in their family. Maria Canals Barrera and David DeLuise star as their parents and Jennifer Stone co-stars as Alex's best friend, Harper Finkle.
The second season of Wizards of Waverly Place aired on Disney Channel from September 12, 2008 to August 21, 2009. The season deals with the Russo children, Alex, Justin and Max Russo continuing to compete to become the leading wizard in their family. Also starring in the series are Maria Canals Barrera and David DeLuise as their parents, Theresa and Jerry, and Jennifer Stone as Alex's best friend, Harper Finkle.
The third season of Wizards of Waverly Place aired on Disney Channel from October 9, 2009, to October 15, 2010. The Russo children, Alex, Justin, and Max Russo continue to compete to become the leading wizard in their family and meet many friends and adversaries along the way. Maria Canals Barrera and David DeLuise co-star as their parents and Jennifer Stone co-stars as Alex's best friend, Harper Finkle. This is the first season of the series to be broadcast in high-definition. This is also the final season to play the original version of the series theme song.
The fourth and final season of Wizards of Waverly Place aired on Disney Channel from November 12, 2010 to January 6, 2012. The Russo children, Alex, Justin, and Max Russo continue to compete to become the leading wizard in their magical family and begin to make difficult decisions about their futures. Maria Canals Barrera and David DeLuise co-star as their parents and Jennifer Stone co-stars as Alex's best friend, Harper Finkle. This is the second season of the series to be broadcast in high-definition.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is an upcoming American comedy television series serving as a spin-off and sequel to Wizards of Waverly Place. It is set to premiere in 2024 on Disney Channel and Disney+. The series will see David Henrie reprise his role as Justin Russo. Mimi Gianopulos, Alkaio Thiele, Max Matenko, and Janice LeAnn Brown also star along with Taylor Cora. Selena Gomez will also guest star as her Wizards of Waverly Place character, Alex Russo in the pilot episode. A pilot episode filmed in February 2024 was written by Jed Elinoff & Scott Thomas and directed by Andy Fickman. Henrie, Elinoff, Thomas, and Fickman executive produce the series alongside Gary Marsh.
Wizards of Waverly Place: Spellbound is a video game published by Disney Interactive Studios for the Nintendo DS, and released on November 16, 2010. The game is based on the popular Disney Channel show, Wizards of Waverly Place. It is a follow-up to the first game of the same title, developed by Black Lantern Studios, which was released in 2009.
The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex is a 2013 American television special based on the Disney Channel Original Series Wizards of Waverly Place. It was directed by Victor Gonzalez and filmed primarily in Disney Studios in October and November 2012. The full cast of the series starred in the special, with the exception of David Henrie as Justin Russo, although the character was mentioned frequently. The film focuses on the Russo family, Harper, and Mason visiting Italy for a family reunion. The special premiered on March 15, 2013 on the Disney Channel in the United States, and attracted 5.9 million viewers.