By Cassandra Pinkney
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place star Janice LeAnn Brown says that fans are in for some magical delights as the first season of the series winds down, with its finale airing this Friday, February 28. “Your jaw may drop,” she tells D23. “[Fans] can expect fun, adventure, learning. They can expect some wholesome moments and to just relax and forget about every problem in the world and just watch some magic.”
In the continuation of Wizards of Waverly Place, Brown plays a young wizard named Billie, who she describes as a “rascally little fashionista.” The first season follows Justin Russo (David Henrie) as he leaves his mortal life behind to train Billie and protect the future of the Wizard World, all while dealing with the sticky situations Billie and his children Roman (Alkaio Thiele) and Milo (Max Matenko) find themselves in.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is Brown’s first time playing a TV series regular. She loved Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (2009) growing up and tells D23 she feels “so honored” to be taking on such an important role in this new series. Her excitement was just one part of the “emotional roller coaster” she was on when she learned she was the series lead. “I put a lot of pressure on myself,” she admits. Her on-screen family, including Wizards of Waverly Place actors David Henrie and Selena Gomez (Alex Russo), helped put things in perspective. “Having such an amazing support system calmed me down and I started trusting myself more. They made it so much fun,” she says. “It was such a blast.”
Brown is no stranger to a Disney production. Before she picked up her wand, Brown appeared in other Disney shows, including Bunk’d (2015-2024) and Just Roll with It (2019-2021). “A Disney set is probably one of the most fun sets to be on,” she says. “There’s always laughter and it’s a very wholesome place to be.”
Brown says her experience on Wizards Beyond Waverly Place taught her a lot about herself and she hopes that her character can grow just as much. “I want her to stop using magic for everything, and really listen and take things in,” she says. “I hope that she can enjoy the mortal world just a little bit, rather than causing chaos everywhere.” Brown also thinks a good place for Billie to start would be to “maybe listen to Justin just once!”
The love that the Russo family has for each other in the original Wizards of Waverly Place makes the new show special and, according to Brown, is felt just as much behind the scenes as it is on-screen. She relates to the way Billie finds her way into the Russo family and hopes that her performance can teach viewers, who also relate to her character, that “love exists and that they don’t have to give up on family.”
In fact, Brown says watching the series together could be an excellent tradition for families, especially for viewers of the original Wizards of Waverly Place who now have younger siblings or children of their own. “It’s a great way to spend time with your family. There are jokes for adults. Jokes for kids. Jokes for teenagers. It’s literally for everyone,” she says.
11 all-new episodes of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, including the Season 1 finale, premiere February 28 on Disney+.