David Henrie’s onscreen reunion with Selena Gomez for the upcoming Wizards of Waverly Place revival will be just as special for fans to watch as it was for them to film.
“It was awesome. We didn’t want it to end. It was great,” Henrie, 34, exclusively told Us Weekly while chatting about his partnership with Learning Resources. “She’s so good. She has such a quick wit that’s only gotten stronger.”
Gomez, 31, is set to reprise her role as Alex Russo in the pilot for the new series Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, which will pick up with Henrie’s Justin Russo years after the original Disney Channel series took place.
Though Wizards of Waverly Place ended its four-season run in 2012, Henrie told Us sharing the screen with Gomez this time around felt like they “didn’t miss a day,” adding, “We have a couple scenes that I think will choke up the original fan of the original show, and they’re really touching, and they went really well. So, I’m excited for you to see it.”
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Another familiar face fans can expect to see pop up is David DeLuise as Alex and Justin’s father, Jerry Russo. “It was a joy,” Henrie said of filming with his TV dad again. “And we hope to have everyone back throughout the lifetime of the show, and if it’s up to me, as often as possible ‘cause they’re just such a wonderful addition.”
In addition to original cast cameos, fans will get to meet a new cast of characters, including Alkaio Thiele and Max Matenko as Justin’s sons, Mimi Gianopulos as Justin’s wife, Giada, and Janice LeAnn Brown as Billie, a young wizard who seeks out Justin (now a mortal) to help save the Wizard World.
“This new cast is really, really talented. My goal is [to] recreate the heart of the original show so anyone can watch it and go, ‘This is Wizards. This feels like the themes, the values, the world, the comedy. This is Wizards,’” he shared, noting that he’s also excited for younger audiences who “never saw Wizards” to tune in.
Justin’s role as a father in the new series mirrors Henrie’s own life, as he shares kids Pia, 5, James, 3, and Gemma, 23 months, with his wife, Maria Cahill. “[Justin] loves parenting. … He’s working at a school, and he loves working in a school,” Henrie teased. “It’s the same Justin, but there’s some backstory and some big questions you’re gonna ask immediately from the first episode.”
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Among those questions will be how Justin came to lose his powers, as the original series ended with Justin taking over the role of Headmaster at the magical school WizTech. “Giving up his powers may or may not have been against his will,” the actor told Us. “So, you’re gonna have to see the pilot when it comes out, the first episode and the first few, ‘cause there’s some stuff that’s teased out.”
When he’s not busy on set filming the Wizards revival, Henrie is busy being a “playfluencer” for his kids through his partnership with the children’s toy company Learning Resources, which creates educational toys to help kids learn a variety of developmental skills.
“The majority of our time is spent in play, so if you’re not intentional about it, you’re missing an opportunity to really influence them in the most positive way you possibly could, socially, emotionally,” he told Us. “It’s a wonderful teaching opportunity when they’re having fun to be able to, you know, ‘playfluence’ or influence them in the right ways.”
It’s through play that Henrie says his kids have begun to show off their own acting skills. “When we are playing, a lot of times, it will involve a loose story,” he explained. “There’s some good set of values and some foe, some monster that comes in. We bring a story into it ‘cause then it gives, kind of, direction and shape, and it’s an easy teaching opportunity for me, as well. So, in those stories, they are acting to a degree, and they’re good in their own ways.”
