EXCLUSIVEJennifer Stone Spills If Her Character Will Make an Appearance on 'Wizards of Waverly Place' Revival: 'I'm So Excited'
April 25 2024, Published 6:02 p.m. ET
As soon as news broke that a Wizards of Waverly Place revival is being worked on for Disney Channel, fans are curious who will show up. Selena Gomez, who played Alex Russo, confirmed she will be making an appearance alongside David Henrie, who played Justin Russo, but Jennifer Stone, who played Harper Finkle, isn't sure if she will be on the series just yet.
"It really focuses on David Henrie's character and his kids and the next generation of wizards. I'm excited to see what they are going to do with it. It's basically the next generation of wizards — and it's for the next generation of Disney Channel lovers," the actress, 31, who has partnered with Medtronic Diabetes to help others living with type 1 diabetes learn more about advanced technologies that can help make life with diabetes easier, exclusively tells OK!. "I'm so excited to see what they are going to do it with. If it makes sense for Harper to come down, then we'll see!"
The revival will focus on David Henrie's character and family.
"But if it doesn't make sense, then that's OK. I want to make sure it's right! I love Harper so much, and I'm so passionate about that character. She means a lot to a lot of people," she continues. "That is so sacred to me. If I do come back, I want it to be right. I don't want to just do it. I want it to be the right return story — and if it's not, I'd rather just leave it."
Stone appeared in Wizards of Waverly Place from 2007 to 2012, and the show is still prevalent in her life, as she hosts the podcast "Wizards of Waverly Pod" with her co-host David DeLuise, who played Jerry Russo.
"It still blows my mind," she says of the impact the show had on others. "I was a theater kid from Texas. I never expected anyone to see my work. I loved acting and that's all I wanted to do. I never really had a concept that people would watch what I was doing or it would stay with people this long. I'm still so surprised that people love it as much as they do. I'm honored. It's mind-blowing to me that there's still an audience and hunger for that story."
Jennifer Stone hosts a podcast about the Disney Channel show.
"I've had people be like, 'I named my daughter Harper after you.' It totally breaks my brain! It's something I thought people would eventually forget about. Our last episode was in 2012 — that was 12 years ago, but people still have a fervor and fondness for it. It's probably healthier to not have a concept of it because then you start to believe it and buy into it. It just messes with your ego," she says of the series' popularity. "I'm just going to feel blessed and grateful for the opportunity."
On the podcast, Stone and DeLuise discussed how it will be great for a whole new generation of kids to be introduced to the Russo family going forward. "When I was a kid, I worked with most of these people we're bringing on as guests, and now I can relate to them as an adult. I get to hear these stories as an adult now, and it's beautiful," she notes. "It's been kind of a full circle experience."
Jennifer Stone is outspoken about her diagnosis.
Additionally, Gomez's own health journey — the actress was diagnosed with lupus in 2013 — inspired Stone to discuss how she lives with her type 1 diabetes.
"It really just brought home a lot of things she was struggling with that you can't fully understand until you go through it yourself," she explains. "I remember when I was first diagnosed, I felt alone and felt like nobody understood because I didn't know anybody that was a type 1 diabetes. I hadn't been introduced to the type 1 community yet, which is an amazing, beautiful group of people that are so giving. For me, talking openly about type 1 is so important so people don't feel alone — and so they don't feel like they are the only one. I also want them to see this as not a hindrance."
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Stone, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2013, had to adjust her life when she learned she had the illness. "I was thrown for a loop because I had some type 1 symptoms and some type 2 symptoms. It took me about four years to find an endocrinologist and a plan that really fit into my lifestyle," she shares. "That's where Medtronic comes in because I had tried pumps, but the technology wasn't working for me. My doctor talked to me about the Medtronic InPen — it just hooks up to your phone with an app! It gives you insulin dosing recommendations that is personalized to each individual. It helps take the mental math out of diabetes, which was my biggest selling point because I hate math so much! It used to drive me nuts."
"It's crazy to see where I was at 20 years old, having no clue what was going on or how best to treat type 1 diabetes. You also have to find what works best for you. For me, that's the Medtronic InPen," she adds.
Jennifer Stone uses the Medtronic InPen.
Though Stone, who currently works as a registered nurse in Los Angeles, while continuing to prioritize her acting career, wants others to know that having type 1 diabetes doesn't hold her back. "It's easy to go, 'I have this now, I can't do all these things I want to do.' I just don't believe that is true," she declares. "That's why it is so important to talk openly about the disease and be honest about what works and what doesn't. We all have good and bad days. You're capable of doing anything you want to do."
These days, Stone "feels a lot more balanced" when it comes to taking care of herself. "It's hitting as much as you can and then forgiving yourself when life just happens," she shares of making sure she gets enough rest, exercises and eats healthy. "You can only do so much and do the best you can! I'm a lot more understanding with myself and a lot more well-rounded in my day-to-day life."
Since Stone is constantly helping people in her job, she hopes to show others they can do anything they put their mind to. "My patients will be like, 'You just brought a sense of peace,' or 'You made me feel really comfortable and really safe.' I work in the ER — it's a very unsettling environment and most people are having a really bad day when they're there. They are scared and not sure what is going on, and that's a terrible place to be in. The best thing I can do is reassure them — that's the biggest gift I can give. It's so rewarding to hear that I'm able to offer a sense of peace or calm. That means a lot to me. I'm amazed I'm in a position where I might be able to offer someone that."
Jennifer Stone was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2013.
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"As diabetes these days, we're so lucky with the tools we have. I am going to Medtronic events and seeing what other diabetics use. I know how impactful the Medtronic InPen has been in my life. I feel like we're more liberated than we've ever been," she adds. "I want us to continue to move forward. It's important we continue to make living with chronic conditions like type 1 or type 2 diabetes more seamless — and we're pretty darn close."
