Wizards of Waverly Place is among the pantheon of the best Disney Channel shows ever released.
The sitcom quickly gained a huge fanbase for its relatability, humor and fantasy elements. Even though Alex Russo, played by Selena Gomez, was the protagonist, a fan-favorite character was her goofy younger brother, Max Russo. The character, played by actor Jake T. Austin always brought a heap of humor to his scenes. However, it’s been quite a while since we’ve heard much from him. Now that a Wizards of Waverly Place reboot is underway, will Jake T. Austin’s Max be a part of the upcoming series?
Jake T. Austin before Wizards of Waverly Place
Before he landed the role of Max Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place, Jake T. Austin already had some experience in the industry. He voiced the character of Diego Marquez for three seasons of Nickelodeon’s Go, Diego, Go!, from 2005 to 2009. This led to him becoming a sought-after child voice actor. Some of his other voice acting roles early on included roles in The Ant Bully, and Everyone’s Hero. His first live role was in 2009’s The Perfect Game, where he took on the role of Ángel Macias, the first baseball pitcher to throw a perfect game. However, before breaking through as Max on Wizards of Waverly Place, most knew Austin for his role in the heartwarming movie Hotel for Dogs, alongside Emma Roberts.
Where is Jake T. Austin now?
After Wizards of Waverly Place ended, Austin’s next major project was The Fosters. The drama series aired on ABC Family, and he had a major starring role for the first two seasons. However, he announced his departure in the second season finale, much to the surprise of fans. While the rumor was that he was done playing teen roles, Austin refuted this claim. He shared on Twitter that his role in the third season was going to be greatly reduced, leading to his exit.
Following The Fosters, Jake T. Austin was cast in a few movies, including: New Years Eve (2011) and Adverse (2018). He also competed on the 23rd season of Dancing With The Stars. More importantly, he didn’t quit voice acting. His most notable roles have been starring as Fernando in Rio (2011) and Rio 2 (2014), and as Alex in The Emoji Movie (2017). He also voiced Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle) for the DC animated movie Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016), and in a few episodes of Justice League Action (2017).
Austin has also shown a lot of support for various charitable organizations and endeavors, such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and the Starlight’s Children Foundation.
Controversies
Things haven’t always been smooth sailing for Jake T. Austin. In 2013 when he was 18 years old, he was pulled over by police for driving at night without headlights. After failing a field sobriety test, he was subsequently charged with DUI. This arrest made headlines when, a month later, he was arrested again, this time for a hit and run involving three other cars.
Austin has been candid about the effects that being a young actor had on his psyche, and how he started tending towards some bad habits. Once, he had to ask fellow child actor and friend Nat Wolff, to pee in a cup for him to help him pass a drug test.
Thankfully, he seems to have cleaned up his act since then and is now interested in exploring more mature rules. He has also expressed interest in dipping his toes in other aspects of filmmaking, such as directing and producing.
Will Jake T. Austin return for the Wizards of Waverly Place reboot?
The reboot show of Wizards of Waverly Place was announced in January, 2024. David Henrie confirmed the return of the acclaimed show, and even hinted at a 2024 release date. “The Russo’s [sic] are excited to become a part of your family, once again, but we’ve grown 😊 2024, the year magic comes back!” he captioned a post on Instagram.
It was initially unclear whether Austin would be a part of the series, especially since his name was left out of much of the buzz. Nonetheless, he soon confirmed his involvement. On his Instagram, he shared a picture of his on-air siblings and parents, with the message: “Wow! Am looking forward to getting together with my wizard family.” The reboot will center around Henrie’s character, Justin, with Selena Gomez making a guest appearance as Alex in the pilot. It is unclear how big of a role Austin will have in the show.