Photo: Tibrina Hobson/Getty, Adam Rose/Disney Channel via Getty
Wizard of Waverly Placewas almost an entirely different show.
“[Disney] had me come out and audition for Alex, then at the last minute they handed me the Harper slides,” Stone, 29, said. “They were like, ‘No, I think you’d be a good fit for this.'”
Added Stone, “And then I fought for it to be a series regular.”
Selena Gomez (left) and Jennifer Stone onWizards of Waverly Place.Bruce Birmelin/ Disney Channel via Getty
Stone said she was completely ready to be Alex, having “done the homework,” prepared the lines and dressed as the character. And at the last minute, she had to perform a cold read for Harper.
But Stone doesn’t regret taking on the role of Harper, adding that it was a “much better fit” for her.
“Looking back, I could have done it, but watching it back now, Selena and my dynamic, what we established with each other – I think we created something really beautiful,” she said.
Eric McCandless/Disney Channel via Getty
DeLuise, 51, for his part, wasn’t in the cast of the original pilot, which started asThe Amazing O’Malleys. In the first rendition of the show, the Russo’s iconic subway shop was not selling their famous sandwiches but was a magic shop, andJake T. Austin— who played Alex’s goofy younger brother Max — was not in the cast either. Alex was also supposed to be twins with Justin (David Henrie), who ultimately became her older brother.
“Selena and David were twins, which I was like ‘That’s not going to work,'” Stone said. “They were huge changes, and the show was totally different.”
Craig Sjodin/Disney Channel/Getty
Though Stone found success as a series regular for the entirety ofWizards, she stepped away from acting after the show ended in 2012, with the exception of a few projects. She came back to the limelight in an unexpected way in 2020 when she revealed she graduated from nursing school the previous December and was officially a registered nurse.
At the time, Stone announced onInstagramthat she was ready to take her place alongside her fellow frontline workers during the peak of the COVID pandemic.
“I just hope to live up to all of the amazing healthcare providers on the front lines now as I get ready to join them,” she captioned the April 2020 post.
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New episodes ofWizards of Waverly Podwill hit podcast streaming services on Mondays.
source: people.com
