‘Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’ Star Mimi Gianopulos Admits It Was “Intimidating” Joining The Reboot: “You Want The Original Fans To Be Happy”

When David Henrie announced that Wizards of Waverly Place would beryllium getting a reboot series, fans instantly wondered who would beryllium playing his woman — and, much importantly, whether Justin Russo (Henrie) and his vampire woman Juliet Van Heusen (Bridget Mendler) were endgame. Well, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place confirms that nan teen lovers did not make it to matrimony and that, instead, Justin follows a akin way arsenic his begetter successful marrying a mortal female pinch awesome manner named Giada, who is played by nan fabulous Mimi Gianopulos.

As conscionable a normal gal from Staten Island, Giada originates nan bid wholly unaware that she’s joined to a wizard. But arsenic nan episodes spell connected and she yet learns nan truth, she quickly proves that she has what it takes to subordinate nan slate of nan iconic Disney moms who came earlier her. Unlike immoderate of them, this fashion-forward mom is 1 who “puts connected lipstick to spell get nan mail,” Gianopulos told DECIDER.

“It’s truthful fun. It’s for illustration a large crippled of dress-up. I genuinely emotion everything,” she added.

It’s not mislaid connected Gianopulos that Wizards of Waverly Place holds specified an important spot successful Disney Channel history, which is why she knew it would beryllium “intimidating” to subordinate nan reboot. But nan character — who watched nan original bid erstwhile it was airing — promised that Wizards Beyond Waverly Place has “something for everyone.”

“Being portion of thing that is truthful beloved, it’s intimidating because you want nan original fans to beryllium happy,” she said. “But I deliberation what they’re going to return from it is that it has each nan bosom and joke of nan original show and past a small other typical caller magic, too.”

We caught up pinch Gianopulos complete Zoom, wherever she dished connected moving pinch Henrie, David DeLuise’s cameo, and nan Halloween episode. Check retired nan afloat question and reply below.

DECIDER: This show is truthful exciting. Did you watch nan original Wizards of Waverly Place when it was airing? And what does it mean to you to beryllium connected nan reboot?

MIMI GIANOPULOS: I did watch. I person 2 small sisters who were obsessed pinch nan show. It was really bully because it was thing that we could each watch together. Some of nan different kids TV astatine nan time, I was like, “No, no.” And they’d beryllium like, “Okay, let’s watch Wizards.” I’d beryllium ike, “Yes! Wizards!” So I loved it. It’s nostalgic for maine successful 2 ways. I emotion nan original show, and it’s really breathtaking to beryllium connected this continuation, but besides because it’s memories pinch my siblings.

It’s really an honor. It’s truthful exciting. Being portion of thing that is truthful beloved, it’s intimidating because you want nan original fans to beryllium happy. But I deliberation what they’re going to return from it is that it has each nan bosom and joke of nan original show and past a small other typical caller magic, too. So there’s decidedly thing for everyone. 

Photo: Disney

I deliberation your characteristic is truthful overmuch nosy and her manner is wholly giving Teresa Russo. Did you return immoderate inspiration from Maria’s characteristic and incorporated it into Giada? 

You cognize what’s funny? I didn’t really person an image of what Giada was going to look like. And past erstwhile I was cast, I sewage to talk to each nan producers and nan writers and Cameron Dale, who’s our astonishing wardrobe designer, and they were like, “This is simply a female who wears a head-to-toe look.” I was like, “I emotion it. Let’s do it.” It’s very funny that it is successful Teresa’s, benignant of, aforesaid style. But yeah, it was thing that they felt powerfully about. The much I came to cognize and understand nan character, nan much I was like, “Yeah, this woman puts connected lipstick to spell get nan mail.” She was serious. It’s truthful fun. It’s for illustration a large crippled of dress-up. I genuinely emotion everything. 

You get to activity really intimately pinch David, arsenic you play his wife. What was nan champion portion of moving pinch him? 

David’s wonderful. He’s conscionable wonderful. He’s a awesome human. He is truthful kind. He is truthful beautiful pinch nan kids. He’s conscionable a really, really awesome person. And that is truthful awesome to commencement there, but past connected apical of that, he’s besides hilarious and so, truthful bully arsenic Justin. So we conscionable person nan champion time. I consciousness really lucky. He and Selena were some really intentional astir wanting nan group to beryllium 1 that is filled pinch joyousness and laughter and fun. There are 4 kids successful our main cast. They wanted them to consciousness supported and besides for illustration kids. He’s a dad. He’s very intentional astir that. It’s conscionable a awesome environment. And that really does travel from David and Selena. 

Is location thing astir David aliases Selena you learned from moving pinch them that group mightiness not know/might beryllium amazed to hear?

You know, it’s funny. They person specified a rhythm. It’s for illustration they vanished nan past bid past week. They really do consciousness for illustration siblings. And it was truthful adjuvant for us. When you’re connected a show for illustration this, you’re an instant family. It’s like, “Hi, everybody meet everybody. Now you’re related.” They came to nan show pinch truthful overmuch history together, truthful galore memories, truthful galore stories. That first infinitesimal erstwhile – they released a point wherever you watch them stepping connected to nan group for nan first time, they said they felt home, and you could show they’re truthful astatine location pinch 1 different that it made it easier for each of america to find our groove and our spot successful nan family and nan dynamic. It’s really cool. Their narration is awesome. 

Photo: Disney

The Disney Channel Halloween episodes were specified a large portion of my puerility truthful I was truthful excited that nan 3rd section of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place had a Halloween theme. How excited were you to subordinate that legacy? Did you person immoderate favourite Disney Halloween episodes increasing up?

I was a Lizzie McGuire woman done and through, truthful those were ever a fave. You know, it’s funny, we really changeable that section retired of order, a small sooner than we would person conscionable because of nan measurement nan dates worked out. It was 1 of our first fewer episodes, and it’s specified a dynamite episode. They each are, but I really, really emotion our Halloween episode. It was a really awesome bonding acquisition because we were still beautiful caller moving pinch each other. It’s a very funny storyline, astatine slightest for my character. I mean, for each of them, but I particularly loved mine. She’s convinced, because she utilized to prank houses connected Halloween, that she’s going to beryllium pranked. And truthful she prepares. She’s a prankster prepper. She’s like, “Nobody is going to toilet insubstantial our house.” Her measurement of dealing pinch that is to, of course, deterioration a camo jumpsuit and sneaker precocious heels and get binoculars to spy connected nan neighbors. So it was a really nosy section to do. I deliberation fans are really going to for illustration it. 

There are a batch of cameos that person been teased from Selena to David to Maria to Jake and now Greg. Who were you astir excited to collab pinch and why? Is location anyone from nan OG show that you would for illustration to activity pinch connected nan reboot that hasn’t already been a portion of it?

Well, cameos are secret, truthful I can’t stock excessively overmuch astir that. But truthful acold we’ve had David travel back, David DeLuise, who plays Jerry. It was truthful typical for maine to see, particularly because Justin’s nan dada of nan show now truthful having Jerry Russo travel backmost and seeing nan 3 generations, that move betwixt Jerry and Justin and now Roman, was really special. Really typical and really cool. 

Photo: Disney

What are you astir excited for nan fans to spot successful this reboot?

My nails. No, I’m kidding [laughs]. I americium astir excited for fans to spot that nan writers person done specified a bully occupation of honoring nan bosom and nan joke and nan and nan psyche of nan original show, and past bringing it to a caller audience, adding caller magic. We person really cool caller typical effects. It keeps each nan values of nan original bid of relationship and teamwork and family. But it’s bringing it to a caller audience, and successful a measurement that nan aged 1 I deliberation will really like. So I can’t hold for fans to travel backmost to Waverly Place. Well, now we’re successful Staten Island, but, you know.

This question and reply has been edited for magnitude and clarity.

The first 2 episodes of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place will premiere connected Tuesday, Oct. 29 astatine 8:00 p.m. E.T. connected Disney Channel. The first 9 episodes will statesman streaming connected Disney+ and Disney Channel On Demand nan adjacent day.