Alex Russo was and remains one of the most iconic characters on Disney Channel. Played by Selena Gomez onWizards of Waverly Place, many fans have theorized that the character might have been part of the LGBTQ+ community. Keep reading for everything the showrunner said on Alex’s sexuality.
Who Did Selena Gomez Play in ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’?
ICYMI, Wizards of Waverly Place was a Disney show that ran for four seasons from 2007 to 2012. Following the Russos, a magical family of wizards in New York City, the three Russo kids must compete for the title of family wizard. Selena played the oldest sister and middle child Alex Russo, a snarky yet hilarious character which fans immediately fell in love with.
“I adored being on that show so much,” Selena said on EW‘s “Awardist” podcast on her Disney Channel days. “I felt like I did learn a lot. We actually had great writers — we had two writers that were on Friends — and we had an incredible director that we used for most of our seasons. We got really lucky. I still look back at that and laugh at certain things just because I thought it was so fun, and we tried.”
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Mitchell Haddad/Disney Channel/Kobal/Shutterstock (5883401t)
David Henrie, David Deluise, Maria Canals Barrera, Selena Gomez, Jake T. Austin
The Wizards Of Waverly Place – 2007
Disney Channel
USA
TV Portrait
Tv Classics Mitchell Haddad/Disney Channel/Kobal/Shutterstock
What the Writers, Showrunner Said on Alex Russo’s Sexuality
During a March 2023 episode of the “Wizards of Waverly Pod” podcast, showrunner Peter Murrieta discussed Alex’s sexuality.
“I wished we could have played more with what was quite obvious to a lot of us; the relationship between Stevie and Alex,” Peter revealed on the podcast hosted by Waverly Place alums Jennifer Stone and David DeLuise. “But we weren’t able to in that time. It was pretty clear to all of us what that relationship was. That would have been fun.”
Stevie Nichols was a character played by Hayley Kiyoko, who guest starred in season three of the series. Stevie immediately forms a bond with Alex after meeting in detention.
“We got as close as we could,” Peter said on their possible queer romance. “It was pretty much right there.”
Since the showrunner’s reveal, fans have expressed their delight on social media. “Alex Russo being confirmed as canonically bisexual feels so right,” said one user on Twitter. “Alex Russo bisexual icon confirmed,” another fan wrote.
Even though Wizards wasn’t able to delve more into Alex and Stevie’s relationship at the time, Peter acknowledged that Disney Channel has gradually gotten more progressive over the years.
“Disney Channel has had [queer] characters,” he noted. “They did it. At that time, it wasn’t a thing.”
Love J-14? Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for fun, exclusive videos with your favorite stars.
