No need to cast a summoning spell, this iconic Disney mom is back! After more than a decade, Maria Canals-Barrera is returning to her fan-favorite role as Theresa Russo in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. “It felt like we didn’t skip a beat,” she told D23 in an exclusive conversation about reprising her role in the continuation to Wizards of Waverly Place. “It felt like a wonderful opportunity to get to bring [Theresa Russo] back.”
To Canals-Barrera, the continuation captures everything that made the original series so magical. “A lot of talent and heart went into the show. There’s the same commitment to honoring the original show but creating something new that’s very satisfying.” She credits the show’s creative team with much of its success. David Henrie (Justin Russo) and Selena Gomez (Alex Russo) are back as a series regular and guest star, respectively, as well as executive producers. Canals-Barrera says that the creative team’s care for the show allowed them to “create something special.”
A key component of the Wizards of Waverly Place franchise has always been family. The Russo family mantra, “Russos always have each other’s backs,” lives on in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. “Unconditional love is so evident,” Canals-Barrera says about the newest generation of the Russo family, headed by Justin Russo and his wife Giada (Mimi Gianopulos). She is especially thrilled about her character, now a grandmother, sharing this love with the youngest members of the Russo family, Roman (Alkaio Thiele) and Milo (Max Matenko), in addition to Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown), a powerful young wizard who stays with the Russo family to train with Justin.
Playing a mother on-screen in Wizards of Waverly Place and being a mother off-screen, Canals-Barrera can relate to the importance of family. “I use a lot of myself,” she says of playing her character. “Being a good mother is the hardest thing in the world, and it is my goal to be the best mom I can be.” She draws parallels between her own journey of motherhood and the process which her character navigates. “With Teresa, having the limitation of being a mortal and having to deal with her kids having these magical powers was a great challenge,” she says. She expresses a deep fondness for the character of Giada Russo because she, like Theresa, is a mortal mom who deals with the struggles all moms face as well as the troubles that come from having wizards in the family. “I get to meet her where she’s at and love her unconditionally,” she says.
As a Cuban American, she also appreciates that Theresa Russo is “an American mom on an American show” while still celebrating her Latin heritage. “They didn’t put me in a box,” she says of her portrayal. This type of representation feels realistic to Canals-Barrera and audiences alike, as she learned from her daughter. “I remember my daughter saying, ‘Mom, friends at school really love that you’re like their mom.’ That kind of representation really did matter to a lot of young people, even if it’s unspoken.”
Canals-Barrera is as much a fan of the Wizards of Waverly Place franchise as she is a part of it. The continuation, she says, has something for new and old audiences alike, making it perfect for the whole family. “Hop on board! As an OG fan, it’s so satisfying,” she says. “You’re going to love it.”