Wizards of Waverly Placeputs the spotlight on the Russo family, a complex group of Wizards and mortals who have a unique relationship with magic compared to most other wizards and witches. The show first began airing on the Disney Channel in 2007, and it saw the main character, Alex Russo, played by Selen Gomez grow from a young and inexperienced witch into a powerful and knowledgeable hero who was able to win the right to keep her powers.
Within the world of magic set up in the show, children and teenagers are able to wield magic when they are young, but once they reach maturity, the family magic needs to be granted to just one child to make them a full witch or wizard. But, when it comes to the Russo’s their magic heritage gets complicated as Jerry initially had the family powers, but later passed them to his brother, Kelbo. This is then furthercomplicated with the introduction ofJustin’s family in the spin-off,Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, but its worth taking a closer look at the Russo family tree.
Ignatius Russo
Great-Grandfather of Hank Russo, Great-Great Grandfather of Jerry, Kelbo, and Megan Russo
Ignatius Russo is the oldest relative of the Russo familyreferenced inWizards of Waverly Place. The great and famous magical ancestor of the Russo kids, and the great-great-grandfather to Jerry Russo. He became famous due to his writing of the first ever joke book about giants. Very little is known about Ignatius otherwise, but the Russo magic clearly came down through his line of descendants.
Mentioned only
Hank Russo (Brendan Bradley)
Great Grandson of Ignatius Russo, Father of Jerry, Kelbo, and Megan Russo, Husband of Rose Russo
Hank Russo is an important part of the Russo family, despite only appearing in one episode. When the Russo kids, Justin, Alex and Max travel back in time to 1957 to warn their grandfather about a real estate investor who wants to buy his land which could have a serious impact on the future.Hank was the original owner of the sandwich shop, and at an undisclosed point in his life, he worked as a rodeo clown. However, whether he is still alive whenWizards of Waverly Placeis set is unclear.
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Rose Russo
Wife of Hank Russo, Mother of Jerry, Kelbo, and Megan Russo, Grandmother of Justin, Alex, and Max Russo
Rose Russo is never seen on the show, as the character is only ever mentioned. However, it is revealed that Rose Russo was also an active sorcerer who retained her family’s powers. Despite having two magical parents, her children, Jerry, Kelbo, and Megan needed to compete to win the right to carry on the family magic. Initially, Jerry won the competition, but he later passed his powers over to his brother Kelbo.
Magdalena (Belita Moreno)
Mother of Theresa Russo, Mother-in-Law of Jerry Russo, Grandmother of Justin, Alex, and Max Russo
Magdalena is the maternal grandmother of Justin, Alex and Max Russo. She appeared in oneepisode ofWizards of Waverly Placeto celebrate Alex’s Quinceañera, celebrating their latino heritage. She is also a mortal, andhas no idea about magic.
Jerry Russo (David DeLuise)
Husband of Theresa Russo, Father of Justin, Alex, and Max Russo, Grandfather of Roman and Milo Russo
Jerry Russo was a gifted wizardwho won the family competition to keep his powers. However, due to the fact that mortals were not allowed to keep their magic if they married a mortal, when he married Theresa Russo, he had to give up his powers, which he passed on to his brother, Kelbo. However, as the only Russo child to have kids, his children developed powers, and under Jerry’s careful training, they learned how to prepare for the competition themselves.
When he married Theresa Russo, he had to give up his powers…
Kelbo Russo (Jeff Garlin)
Son of Hank and Rose Russo, Brother of Jerry and Megan Russo, Uncle of Justin, Alex, and Max Russo
Kelbo may have been the least talented wizard in his family, but when Jerry had to give up his powers, he chose to pass them to his brother becauseKelbo was severely lacking any skills outside of magic. Kelbo uses his magic in fun and unserious ways, which makes him someone that his nephews and niece enjoy hanging out with.
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Megan Russo (Carrie Genzel)
Daughter of Hank and Rose Russo, Sister of Jerry and Kelbo Russo, Aunt of Justin, Alex, and Max Russo
Megan is estranged from herfamily inWizards of Waverly Placebecause she feels looked over. With many similarities to Alex, she tends to be lazy, sarcastic, and capable of holding intense grudges. When Jerry chose to transfer his powers to Kelbo instead of her,Megan cut ties with her family and magic. She moved to Paris and became a successful painter, and only appeared in one episode ofWizards of Waverly Place.
Theresa Russo (Maria Canals-Barrera)
Daughter of Magdalena, Wife of Jerry Russo, Mother of Justin, Alex, and Max Russo, Grandmother of Roman and Milo Russo
Theresa Russo is a proud latino womanwho fell madly in love with Jerry Russo, and was aware of the sacrifice he made to be with her. However, when her children started showing signs of magic, it was a stressful time for the mortal Theresa learning to cope with these unique challenges. Theresa also runs the sandwich shop which she and Jerry opened.
Justin Russo (David Henrie)
Son of Jerry and Theresa Russo, Brother of Alex and Max Russo, Husband to Giada Russo, and Father to Roman and Milo Russo
Justin Russo is the eldest son of Jerry and Theresa, and one of the most talented young wizards of modern times. His ability to comprehend, retain, and creatively design new spells makes him an extremely resourceful and well respected young wizard. Despite not winning the family competition,Justin was allowed to keep his powersdue to the fact that he was given the job of headmaster at WizTech, which he was later fired from, before starting a family with a mortal woman.
Alex Russo (Selena Gomez)
Daughter of Jerry and Theresa Russo, Sister of Justin and Max Russo, Aunt of Roman and Milo Russo
Alex Russo is the middle child in the Russo family, and incredibly rebellious. Upon discovering her magical talents, Alex chooses to use her magic for her own personal benefit often, and in order to avoid work and study. However, despite her apparent laziness, it allowsAlex to be creative with her use of magic, which contributes to her success as the winner of the family magic competition. Later in life, Alex becomes a part of the Wizard tribunal, showing how far her creativity takes her after school.
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Max Russo (Jake T. Austin)
Son of Jerry and Theresa Russo, Brother of Justin and Max Russo, Uncle of Roman and Milo Russo
Max Russo is the youngest child of Jerry and Theresa, and by far the goofiest kid. While Justin is eccentric and studious, and Alex is lazy and creative, Max appears to be more mischievous and playful. After losing his powers in the competition,Max inherits the sandwich shop, which he is able to grow to astronomic success, and becomes a billionaire. Max clearly has a gift for creativity, but it takes the right environment to get the best out of him.
While Justin is eccentric and studious, and Alex is lazy and creative, Max appears to be more mischievous and playful.
Giada Russo (Mimi Gianopulos)
Wife of Justin Russo, Mother of Roman and Milo Russo
Giada is a mortal who works as an investigative reporter for a popular news network. Despite marrying Justin, who has a lot of his history rooted in magic, Justin hid his magical side from Giada. However, when Alex shows up and drops off a promising young witch to get Justin’s help in training her,Giada quickly deduces that Justin is hiding things from her. She digs a little deeper, and ultimately discovers the truth, which she seems to be more than OK with. She is warm, inviting, and considerate to both her children and guests in her home, like Billie.
Roman Russo (Alkaio Thiele)
Son of Justin and Giada Russo, Brother of Milo Russo
Roman Russo has a lot in common with his father, Justin. Roman loves school, studying and pop quizzes. However, when he learns the truth about his father’s history with magic, and his new friend Billie’s powers, he is keen to see ways that magic can be used to pursue his agendas. However,Roman is keen to stay within the rules, and experiences intense stress at the thought of breaking rules.
Milo Russo (Max Matenko)
Son of Justin and Giada Russo, Brother of Roman Russo
Milo is similar to his uncle Max in many ways. He is goofy, and does not appear to feel embarrassed or stressed by anything. Instead, he lives in his own imagination, and prefers to do anything he deems fun. He is not a stickler for the rules like his brother, and so, he is keen to see how powers can make his life more fun and interesting in theWizards of Waverly Placespin-off,Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.
Wizards of Waverly Place
Cast
Released in 2007, Wizards of Waverly Place is a comedy fantasy series created by Todd J. Greenwald for the Disney Channel. The series follows a trio of teenage siblings living in a magical portion of New York City as they train to harness their family’s magical legacy while trying to blend in with everyday people.
