Wizards of Waverly Place Cast: Where Are They Now?

Selena Gomez as Alex Russo

Selena Gomez may have first gotten a taste of the entertainment industry as a child actor on Barney & Friends — also starring Demi Lovato! — but Gomez scored her breakout role on Wizards of Waverly Place, where she played protagonist Alex Russo, a teen who just happens to have magical abilities.

While on the show Gomez made a successful transition into music, releasing six albums (three with her group Selena Gomez & The Scene and three solo albums) and having 17 top 40 U.S. hits, including "Lose You to Love Me," which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She has been nominated for two Grammy Awards.

Since the end of Wizards of Waverly Place, Gomez has also continued acting in films, including Spring Breakers (2012) and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016), as well as performing the voice of Mavis Dracula in the Hotel Transylvania animated film series. She later returned to television starring in the critically-acclaimed Hulu series Only Murders in the Building, for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award as a producer and also a Golden Globe for best actress in a television series – musical or comedy. Behind the scenes, Gomez was one of the executive producers for the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why and an HBO Max cooking show, Selena + Chef (which she also hosted).

Gomez has been public about numerous health issues that she has experienced while in the spotlight. In September 2017, Gomez revealed that she had a kidney transplant — from her best friend — due to complications from lupus, which she was diagnosed with after the conclusion of Wizards of Waverly Place. She later shared that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

While talking to PEOPLE at the October 2024 premiere of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, Gomez said it was the "best feeling in the whole world" to be able to bring the show back to TV.

"This is what gave me everything that I have today, and I'll never forget that this is where I started," she said.

David Henrie as Justin Russo

David Henrie played the eldest sibling, Justin Russo, on the hit Disney Channel show.

While Wizards of Waverly Place continues to be Henrie's most notable gig, the actor is also known for starring as one of Ted Mosby's kids on How I Met Your Mother. He has also appeared in the films Walt Before Mickey (2015) and Reagan (2023). In 2020, he made his feature film directorial debut with This Is the Year, which was produced by Gomez.

Henrie wed his longtime girlfriend — and former Miss Delaware — Maria Cahill in 2017. They have three children.

Jake T. Austin as Max Russo

Jake T. Austin played the youngest Russo sibling, Max, who starts the show off as a wizard-in-training before having to relinquish his magical abilities in the series finale. He is awarded ownership of his family's sandwich shop as consolation, however, which he is very happy about.

Following the end of Wizards of Waverly Place, Austin signed on to star in The Fosters, a drama series, from 2013 to 2015. He also has had success with voiceover roles in films like Rio (2011), Rio 2 (2014), The Emoji Movie (2017) and the TV series Justice League Action. In 2016, Austin competed on season 23 of Dancing with the Stars but was eliminated in the first round.

Jennifer Stone as Harper Finkle

Jennifer Stone played Alex's best friend, Harper Finkle, who finds out about the family's magical secret after a few seasons.

Following the finale of Wizards of Waverly Place, Stone headed to Nickelodeon, where she snagged a role in the scary series Deadtime Stories. She starred in and co-wrote the 2019 independent film The In-Between.

Stone took time away for acting to become a registered nurse and worked in California during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2023, Stone began revisited her best-known role with former costar David DeLuise with the podcast Wizards of Waverly Pod.

Maria Canals-Barrera as Theresa Russo

Maria Canals-Barrera served as the family's matriarch — mother to Alex, Justin and Max — Theresa Russo. She also was the sole mortal in the Russo household, possessing no magical powers.

Canals-Barrera has continued working in the entertainment industry following the Wizards of Waverly Place series finale. In addition to voice-over work (including on the Disney+ series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder), the actress also had a main role on Cristela and scored guest spots on shows like Last Man Standing, The Big Bang Theory and Fuller House.

She has two kids — Bridget and Madeleine — with her husband, actor David Barrera.

David DeLuise as Jerry Russo

David DeLuise played Jerry Russo, father to his and Theresa's three kids. He serves as the trio's instructor when it comes to wizard training.

While DeLuise is best known for his turn in Wizards of Waverly Place and 3rd Rock from the Sun, the actor has landed a slew of impressive guest spots since the show's end. He has appeared on The Mentalist, Grey's Anatomy, Hawaii Five-0, NCIS, Shameless and This Is Us, among other series.

He has two kids — Riley and Dylan — with his ex-wife Brigitte.

In 2023, DeLuise launched the podcast Wizards of Waverly Pod with former costar Stone.