“Kids… Only Know Me as Alex!”: Selena Gomez Reflects On Disney Days And “Wizards Of Waverly Place”

Selena Gomez has always cherished her time as Alex Russo, the witty and mischievous teen wizard on Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place. During an interview for The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast on November 25, Selena, now 32, opened up about how that iconic role shaped her early career and continues to leave a magical mark on her life.

Selena revealed that she didn’t mind being confused with Alex Russo by fans. “I mean, I’ve had kids come up to me, and they only know me as Alex. You know? And they’ll have full conversations like, ‘Where’s your wand?’” she shared with a smile. 

“I think that’s probably a moment I’ll never forget where I recognized we had this influence to make people and kids feel good,” she stated.

Filming the series in front of a live audience was especially memorable for Selena. “We would do our tapings for Wizards in front of a live audience every Friday night. And that was the biggest high I could ever get. It was the coolest feeling to make a kid laugh uncontrollably because it’s pure,” she said, reminiscing about the four seasons of magic-filled episodes between 2007 and 2012.

Selena recently revisited the world of Wizards for a spin-off series, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, where she reprised her role as Alex Russo and stepped behind the scenes as an executive producer. She teamed up with her former co-star David Henrie, who played her on-screen brother, Justin Russo.

“It was a dream come true. [She] and I have kept in such good contact and remain good friends,” David shared with PEOPLE earlier this year. 

Speaking about the spin-off, Selena said she was thrilled to see how the characters had grown. “I personally think we kind of picked up where we left off,” she explained, “and it shows a very established Justin and also a very established Alex and you’re still curious about what they’re going through, but it kind of felt like a rhythm we got back into.”

At the premiere event for the new series in October, Selena reflected on how the show helped her connect with her audience.