Star Telegram - Wiz kids sound off on growing up Disney
Interview with Jennifer Stone and David Henrie
GRAPEVINE -- During a break from filming Wizards of Waverly Place, the Disney Channel show about a family of teenage wizards and their parents, series regular Jennifer Stone came back home to Arlington and played an elf at Santa Land in Lincoln Square.
As Jennifer's mom, Christy Stone, tells it, a little girl looked at Jennifer and said she looked like that girl who plays noncomformist Harper on Wizards of Waverly Place. Jennifer said yes, that's her -- and from then on couldn't convince the girl that she stars on the show.
But Stone, who turns 15 next month, is getting recognized more these days -- these things happen when you get cast in Disney Channel shows, which attract ardent, vocal and Internet-savvy teen and tween fans. Stone had other gigs before Wizards, which also features Dallas' Selena Gomez as Alex, arguably the most well-meaning but mischievous of the three wizardly Russo kids. (Stone plays Alex's best friend.) But Disney Channel has a way of boosting careers.
Stone and co-star David Henrie, 18, who plays Alex's brother (and Harper's crush object) Justin, recently came through North Texas for a stop at Grapevine's kid-friendly Great Wolf Lodge. (Henrie also has a recurring gig as one of the bored teens who listens to the looong title story on CBS' How I Met Your Mother.) The two young actors sat down for a quick interview about the show, and what it means to be a Disney Channel star.
What's the weirdest thing you've had to do for the show?
Henrie: She dumped an Icee on my head. That was pretty sticky.
Stone: [Laughs] I was a little nervous, because I didn't want to dump too much.
Henrie: Oh, gosh, and the tension on that scene was like, "We have one take here. Don't miss his head, Jennifer!"
Stone: For me, I have a ton of costumes. I open the script every week, and I'm like, "OK, what are they going to put me in now?" I've had cupcakes on my head, I've had birds on my hats, I've had all sorts of lip glosses hanging from my skirts; it's been nutso what my character wears.
How has the writers strike affected you?
Stone: It's sort of delaying us getting back to season two. It's sort of up in the air right now.
Henrie: There's a lot of free time. I've been doing a little writing myself -- not officially! It gives you a little more time to be creative on your own.
Stone: I draw a lot, and I've gotten back to that. I can actually spend the whole day on a piece now.
Henrie: Since the writers strike happened, there's been more auditions than I've ever had in my whole life. Because everyone's pushing their movies to get made right now.
How has your life changed since the show premiered in October?
Henrie: Well, with Disney, you're going to get recognized more by teenagers, as opposed to another network show. ... I walked into the water park [at Great Wolf Lodge] and this little kid, he was like 10 years old, his name was Luke. He came up to me and said, "Hey, I saw you on that show," and we get to talking, and we ended up spending like four hours at the park on the slides.
Does Disney prepare you all for what might happen later in life? You know, Lindsay and Britney came up from Disney.
Henrie: Minus those people who have made poor decisions, Disney really grooms you to be prepared for network TV or movies. You already have experience under your belt in how to handle yourself in public, you're experienced on set, in crunch time you're already more experienced than other people.
What's the Disney Channel world like? Do you meet other stars, like Miley Cyrus?
Henrie: It's just like anywhere else. If you're going to be friends with someone, you're going to be friends with someone. We all know each other, but I've only hung out with [people] from our show. I haven't gotten to know enough of the other Disney kids to get their numbers or hang out.
Stone: But it's sort of how you make friends, anyway. You have similar interests, you go places and you have opportunities to meet people.
It's hard enough to be a teenager. How hard is it to be a teenager and have some level of fame?
Henrie: If you make it hard on yourself, you make it hard on yourself. If you make a decision that you're going to have fun, you'll talk to people when they come up to you and enjoy it. It is weird when -- I came in here yesterday, and, like, two packs of cheerleaders came downstairs and I was mobbed. [Stone laughs.] But in that situation, you've just gotta take control: "I'll take a picture with everyone, line up, let's not get crazy."
Stone: When it comes to friendships, you just have to know who your true friends are, because I know some people get a little weird when big things happen. It's a good way to tell who's there for you and not for what you do.
Henrie: Oh, yeah. Girls that never gave me the time of day in high school ...
Stone: ... and guys who do the same thing.
Wizards of Waverly Place
7:35 tonight
Disney Channel
Robert Philpot, 817-390-7872
January 20th 2008