Call it the “Who Shot J.R.?” television event for kids.
In the series finale of “Wizards of Waverly Place” (Friday at 8 p.m. on the Disney Channel), the Russo family faces a test to determine which of the three kids will be entitled to continue living as a wizard — because there can be only one.
Series star Selena Gomez knows the answer to the closely guarded secret, but she’s not telling.
“They didn’t even tell us who it was going to be until about two days before we shot it,” Gomez told the Herald from the Disney Channel building in Los Angeles. “I liked it that way. It kept the ‘competition’ fresh and real. I was actually very happy with how it ended. I feel like fans will be surprised. The result matches each of our characters.”
The Emmy-winning series follows the life of the Russo family — headed by parents Jerry (David DeLuise), a wizard who gave up his powers to marry, and mortal Theresa (Maria Canals-Barrera), who own and operate the Waverly Sub Station restaurant. Gomez, 19, plays the middle Russo child, Alex, alongside magically inclined brothers Justin (David Henrie) and Max (Jake T. Austin).
“I started the series when I was 14,” Gomez said. “I did four seasons, and each season was like a year in high school for me. I grew and changed and did different things. The cast has seen me at my worst and they’ve seen me at my best. I had a lot of different life experiences and we all grew up together.”
She found filming the series finale to be a poignant experience.
“(Producers) purposely set up the final shot and wanted to do the last scene of the show with just three characters — my brothers and myself,” Gomez said.
“That’s how they started the series — with the three of us,” she said. “We didn’t want to admit that it was the last scene, the last take. We were pretty mellow about it, but once it ended and they called a wrap — that was the hardest part. It was emotional.”
Gomez recently starred in the film “Ramona and Beezus” and spent some time focusing on her recording career — something she plans to continue. She also will be spending more time with her boyfriend, singer Justin Bieber (whom she declined to discuss).
As the sub shop’s lights go dark for the last time, “Wizards of Waverly Place” stands as the Disney Channel’s longest--running original series with 106 episodes, surpassing the previous record holder, “That’s So Raven.” Gomez believes she knows why the show was so successful.
“I think we just loved it,” she said. “We loved what we did, and all of us loved each other and were passionate about making it a good show. Obviously, it helps to be in such a great atmosphere, and we love our fans and we had a great time. If anything, it’s about our love for the show.”
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