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David Henrie Reveals What It Was Like Reuniting With Selena Gomez for ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ Reboot
For David Henrie, reuniting with his Wizards of Waverly Place costar Selena Gomez for the highly anticipated sequel Wizards Beyond Waverly Place was everything he’d hoped for and more. “It was magic,” the 35-year-old actor exclusively tells Life & Style, who’s reprising his role as brainy wizard Justin Russo in the upcoming Disney series. (Selena, 32, is back for the pilot as his rebellious younger sibling, Alex; she’s also serving as an exec producer.) “We’re older, but at the same time, it felt like not a moment had passed.”
While all of the former cast members have stayed in touch since the beloved show went off the air after four seasons in 2012, David says he and Selena share a special bond: “She was always like my little sister.” Here, the dad of three (he and his wife of seven years, former Miss Delaware Maria Cahill, are parents to Pia, 5, James, 3, and Gemma, 2) talks to Life & Style’s Katie Bruno about returning to Disney, dodging the child-star curse and fatherhood.
How’s the reboot going?
It’s going well! Selena and I were back on camera for the first episode, which was an absolute blast. It was like getting back on a bike you know very well.
Tell us about the show.
Justin’s very much following in his father’s footsteps. He’s given up magic, and he has a normal family now — but was it against his will? Or not? You have to watch to find out. There are a lot of mysteries that will slowly get unraveled.
Who else is coming back?
[David DeLuise] was on set yesterday. Dad was in the house! We did a very funny scene together. We want everyone to come back.
You’ve stayed in touch?
I wouldn’t say we saw each other every day, but we kept in touch. We’d have dinners every so often. I was probably closest with Selena.
What about other Disney stars?
We all knew each other — we’d see each other around. I just bumped into Dylan Sprouse the other day, and we were totally like, “Dude, good to see you!” We caught up for a minute. We’re all still pretty friendly.
How did you avoid the child-star curse?
It’s very simple: I had really good parents. I wasn’t a breadwinner for the family, and I wasn’t beaten up for not doing well on auditions. I do still have my issues — nothing traumatic — but you’re under a lot of stress and pressure, and that’s not normal for young people. But I was very fortunate.
Would you let your kids become actors?
My daughter came on set the other day for the first time, and she saw all the glitz and glamour. I was like, “Oh boy. We gotta watch this one.” She’s very energetic and has a great personality, so she could totally do it. I’d let her do something I’m producing where I control the environment, but I’d hold off on putting her in the grind with all the auditions and multiple things a week.
What has fatherhood been like?
Wonderful. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Being a dad is the most meaningful thing in my life. It gives shape and direction and meaning and a whole new level of energy to my life.
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