Alex Russo
Encyclopedia
Alexandra Margarita "Alex" Russo is the main protagonist
of the Disney Channel
sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place
, portrayed by Selena Gomez
. As the middle child and only daughter, she is sly, outgoing, and sometimes rude to her family and friends. Alex usually underachieves when it comes to school and wizard training. She often gets into trouble because of her constant schemes (usually involving magic).
Alex is smart but not hardworking, much to the dismay of her older brother, Justin. Alex became a full wizard in Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie
but later makes a wish through the Stone of Dreams to turn back time which, in turn, made her a student again.
In 2008, despite the character being classified as a wizard in all official material, AOL
named her the twentieth greatest witch in television history. Selena Gomez, who portrays Alex, is one of the only two cast members to appear in every single episode of the series to date; the only other cast member to appear in all episodes that have aired so far is David Henrie
, who portrays Justin Russo
. The character has also appeared in The Suite Life on Deck
.
Alex can be very sneaky and tricky. Her best friend since childhood is Harper Finkle (Jennifer Stone
), who mostly tries to keep her out of trouble, and is also her voice of wisdom. Alex later says that Harper is like a sister to her.
Though Alex likes tormenting Justin, the two share a close bond that neither seem to have with any other character on the show. Alex often uses magic to solve her problems, which frequently ends up causing more problems than she began with. She hardly ever considers the consequences of magic and is often unprepared when the situation goes haywire, which requires the help of her more-sensible brother Justin when she finds she cannot fix them herself. Alex underachieves when it comes to high school, however, she excels greatly at Art. Art is her favorite school subject and is pretty much the only class she takes seriously, being the best in it, and even being the co-art teacher at one point.
Alex and Justin act as foils, as the two are near-polar opposite
s; Justin is responsible, selfless, hardworking, and fair in judgment, though easily insecure at Alex's great magical feats. Alex is lazy, carefree, sarcastic, stubborn, and biased when it comes to herself or others. She feels insecure when seeing Justin accomplish much with his hard work and responsibility. In the film, Alex says that Justin was everything she ever wanted to be while Justin responds, saying that he is jealous of how everything comes easy to her, especially magic, which is why he strives so hard to be perfect.
, loyalty
, and compassion
. Her actions and pranks are typically free of any malice. She deeply cares for Harper, going as far as to reveal her secret to her in "Harper Knows" out of guilt for lying. She also loves Justin dearly despite their constant antagonism
. Alex feels remorse and guilt for her actions and has apologized and taken responsibility for them. At times, she often goes out of her way to set things right whenever her disregard for the consequences directly affect her friends and/or family. Though these instances are rare, Alex does occasionally use magic with good intentions.
Alex has a strong sense of justice and hates "fake" people. In Season 3, Alex is rarely the source of magical problems, instead often being the one to solve them, though she is still always the first to blame when magic causes a situation to go haywire. Alex later begins dating Mason (Gregg Sulkin
), a werewolf she falls in love with. She quits the wizard competition and becomes mortal after deciding that there is no way she could win. However, this action puts her relationship with Mason against wizard law, since she is a mortal and he is not. Therefore, Alex decides not to give up the competition so that she and Mason can be together.
Alex is named Wizard of the Year for saving the wizard world from the angels of darkness. When a misunderstanding ensues between Mason and Alex, Mason crashes Alex's "Wizard of the Year" party, after which Alex decides that she and Mason "need a break." After Mason saves her from becoming trapped in the Bermuda Triangle
however, she realizes that they can't stay apart and the couple get back together.
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place
Wizards of Waverly Place
Wizards of Waverly Place is a Disney Channel Original Series that premiered on October 12, 2007. It won "Outstanding Children's Program" at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009...
, portrayed by Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez
Selena Marie Gomez is an American actress and singer best known for portraying Alex Russo in the Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel television series Wizards of Waverly Place...
. As the middle child and only daughter, she is sly, outgoing, and sometimes rude to her family and friends. Alex usually underachieves when it comes to school and wizard training. She often gets into trouble because of her constant schemes (usually involving magic).
Alex is smart but not hardworking, much to the dismay of her older brother, Justin. Alex became a full wizard in Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie
Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie
Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie is a 2009 American made-for-television comedy-drama fantasy film based on the Disney Channel Original Series Wizards of Waverly Place. Filmed primarily in San Juan, Puerto Rico in February and March 2009, the Disney Channel Original Movie premiered on August 28,...
but later makes a wish through the Stone of Dreams to turn back time which, in turn, made her a student again.
In 2008, despite the character being classified as a wizard in all official material, AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
named her the twentieth greatest witch in television history. Selena Gomez, who portrays Alex, is one of the only two cast members to appear in every single episode of the series to date; the only other cast member to appear in all episodes that have aired so far is David Henrie
David Henrie
David Clayton Henrie is an American actor, television writer, and producer. He is noted for playing Ted Mosby's future son on How I Met Your Mother, Justin Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place and Larry on That's So Raven...
, who portrays Justin Russo
Justin Russo (Wizards of Waverly Place)
Justin Vincenzo Pepe Russo is a fictional character on the Disney Channel sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place, portrayed by David Henrie. He is typically the erudite and mature older brother who gets straight "A"s...
. The character has also appeared in The Suite Life on Deck
The Suite Life on Deck
The Suite Life on Deck is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...
.
Personality
Alex is a clever, sly and confident girl, the middle and the only female child of the Russos, which makes her the apple of her father's eye. She often argues and insults her older brother, Justin, though it is later revealed that she does so because she admires him and wishes to be like him. It is later revealed that the reason that she acts mean is simply because she wants to be liked and actually fears being hated.Alex can be very sneaky and tricky. Her best friend since childhood is Harper Finkle (Jennifer Stone
Jennifer Stone
Jennifer Lindsay Stone is an American actress best known for playing Harper Finkle on the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place and Harriet Welsh in the Disney Channel film Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars.-Life:...
), who mostly tries to keep her out of trouble, and is also her voice of wisdom. Alex later says that Harper is like a sister to her.
Though Alex likes tormenting Justin, the two share a close bond that neither seem to have with any other character on the show. Alex often uses magic to solve her problems, which frequently ends up causing more problems than she began with. She hardly ever considers the consequences of magic and is often unprepared when the situation goes haywire, which requires the help of her more-sensible brother Justin when she finds she cannot fix them herself. Alex underachieves when it comes to high school, however, she excels greatly at Art. Art is her favorite school subject and is pretty much the only class she takes seriously, being the best in it, and even being the co-art teacher at one point.
Alex and Justin act as foils, as the two are near-polar opposite
Polar Opposite
-Personnel:* Shimon Moore – lead vocals, lead guitar* Emma Anzai – bass, backing vocals* Mark Goodwin – drums...
s; Justin is responsible, selfless, hardworking, and fair in judgment, though easily insecure at Alex's great magical feats. Alex is lazy, carefree, sarcastic, stubborn, and biased when it comes to herself or others. She feels insecure when seeing Justin accomplish much with his hard work and responsibility. In the film, Alex says that Justin was everything she ever wanted to be while Justin responds, saying that he is jealous of how everything comes easy to her, especially magic, which is why he strives so hard to be perfect.
Positive qualities
Despite her flaws, Alex is far from heartless and has numerous instances of generosityGenerosity
Generosity is the habit of giving freely without expecting anything in return. It can involve offering time, assets or talents to aid someone in need...
, loyalty
Loyalty
Loyalty is faithfulness or a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause There are many aspects to...
, and compassion
Compassion
Compassion is a virtue — one in which the emotional capacities of empathy and sympathy are regarded as a part of love itself, and a cornerstone of greater social interconnection and humanism — foundational to the highest principles in philosophy, society, and personhood.There is an aspect of...
. Her actions and pranks are typically free of any malice. She deeply cares for Harper, going as far as to reveal her secret to her in "Harper Knows" out of guilt for lying. She also loves Justin dearly despite their constant antagonism
Antagonism
Antagonism is hostility that results in active resistance, opposition, or contentiousness.Additionally, it may refer to:*Antagonism , where the involvement of multiple agents reduces their overall effect...
. Alex feels remorse and guilt for her actions and has apologized and taken responsibility for them. At times, she often goes out of her way to set things right whenever her disregard for the consequences directly affect her friends and/or family. Though these instances are rare, Alex does occasionally use magic with good intentions.
Alex has a strong sense of justice and hates "fake" people. In Season 3, Alex is rarely the source of magical problems, instead often being the one to solve them, though she is still always the first to blame when magic causes a situation to go haywire. Alex later begins dating Mason (Gregg Sulkin
Gregg Sulkin
Gregg Sulkin is an English actor. He made his film debut in the 2006 British release Sixty Six, and subsequently became known for appearing in the Disney comedy series As the Bell Rings and Wizards of Waverly Place. In 2010, he starred in the television movie Avalon High.-Life and career:Sulkin...
), a werewolf she falls in love with. She quits the wizard competition and becomes mortal after deciding that there is no way she could win. However, this action puts her relationship with Mason against wizard law, since she is a mortal and he is not. Therefore, Alex decides not to give up the competition so that she and Mason can be together.
Alex is named Wizard of the Year for saving the wizard world from the angels of darkness. When a misunderstanding ensues between Mason and Alex, Mason crashes Alex's "Wizard of the Year" party, after which Alex decides that she and Mason "need a break." After Mason saves her from becoming trapped in the Bermuda Triangle
Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and surface vessels allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances....
however, she realizes that they can't stay apart and the couple get back together.
Alex's love interests
- Brad Sherwood (Shane LyonsShane LyonsShane Edward Lyons is an American actor and chef, best known as a regular performer on the hit Nickelodeon show All That. Shane was featured in one episode of Wizards of Waverly Place in 2008. He also played Kenny Bookwell in the first season of That's So Raven...
, season 1) – seen in "Potion Commotion"; Alex tries to get Brad to like her with a love potion, but she accidentally drinks both halves of the potion and falls in love with herself. - Riley (Brian Kubach, season 1) – long term; first seen in "I Almost Drowned in a Chocolate Fountain", where he and Alex went on a so-called 'date'. Alex got Riley to believe that she was his good luck charm in baseball, and charmed the ball so his team would win each time. They break up in "Alex's Spring Fling".
- Manny (Matt SmithMatt SmithMatt Smith may refer to:*Matt Smith , American actor/producer whose screen name is Z.D. Smith*Matt Smith , English actor, known for playing the Eleventh Doctor in the British television series Doctor Who...
, season 1) – A male mannequin that Alex used magic on to bring it to life, and briefly dated to make Riley jealous. - Dean Moriarty (Daniel SamonasDaniel Samonas-Background:Born in Toronto, Ontario, Samonas moved to Coral Springs, Florida with his family when he was 11. There he did print modeling and became involved in theater. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.-Career:...
, season 2) – long term; first seen in "Smarty Pants", last seen in "Journey To The Center Of Mason". They start dating but Dean later moves away to OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. He returns in "Wizards vs. Vampires: Dream Date" (Alex was using magic to control his dreams to go on dates with him). They broke up because Dean wasn't acting as romantic as he was in the dreams Alex was controlling. When they broke up, he seemed alright with it; but when Alex went into another dream and let Dean control it, he says he only covered up the fact that he was hurt. Dean returns in the episode, "Journey To The Center Of Mason" to try to get back together with Alex but she says she is in love with Mason and Dean leaves. - Ronald Longcape, Jr. (Chad DuellChad DuellChad Duell is an American actor. He is best known for playing Michael Corinthos III on the American soap opera General Hospital. He took over the role from Drew Garrett on April 20, 2010....
, season 2) – seen in "Saving WizTech". Alex liked Ronald when they met, but she was still in a relationship with Dean. Ronald then shape-shifted into Dean (he froze the real Dean inside gelatinGelatinGelatin is a translucent, colorless, brittle , flavorless solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Substances containing gelatin or functioning in a similar...
). Ronald used her as part of his evil plan to take over WizTech, but his plan was foiled by Alex's love for Dean. - Mason Greybeck (Gregg SulkinGregg SulkinGregg Sulkin is an English actor. He made his film debut in the 2006 British release Sixty Six, and subsequently became known for appearing in the Disney comedy series As the Bell Rings and Wizards of Waverly Place. In 2010, he starred in the television movie Avalon High.-Life and career:Sulkin...
, season 3 - middle of season 4) – long term; first mentioned in season 2 episode " Future Harper" and first seen in "Alex Charms a Boy". In "Future Harper", Harper from the future asked Alex if Mason has already broken up with her, but Alex had not met him yet. Mason turns out to be a transfer student from EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. After it is revealed that he is a werewolf, Mason gives Alex a magical necklace that glows when the wearer is in love with whomever put it on them. After helping Justin rescue Juliet, it is revealed that Mason had known Juliet for 300 years and back then, they had dated. Harper later says that Mason is Alex's longest relationship. Alex and Mason break up after Mason causes havoc at Alex's "Wizard of the Year" ceremony. He becomes her neighbor when she and Harper move into a haunted apartment. When he saves her, he and Alex get back together. - Chase Riprock (Nick Roux, season 4) – An undefeated beast-tamer who flirts with Alex. In "Wizard of the Year" Chase comes to congratulate Alex on her achievement. At the Wizard of the Year ceremony, Chase and Alex sit together. When Mason shows up, he and Chase begin to fight, due to which Alex and Mason break up in the first place.