Actor Spotlights are features examining the careers and impacts of talented performers working in film and television. The latest looks at Alkaio Thiele who stars as “Roman Russo” in Wizards of Waverly Place sequel series, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.
Be sure to check out our earlier Actor Spotlight features. They cover stars like Jensen Ackles, Jack Quaid, Titus Welliver and more.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place (2024 – present)
In arguably his most high-profile role to date, Thiele is a series regular on the new Wizards of Waverly Place sequel series.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place follows returning character Justin Russo (David Henrie) training a powerful young wizard.
The OG Wizards followed three siblings growing up in New York City. Unknown to most, the trio were secretly wizards trained by their father, who was a former wizard.
The sequel picks up with Justin Russo (David Henrie), now a married father with two sons – one of whom is Roman, played by Thiele.
Some fun trivia: Having celebrated his 14th birthday this year, Thiele was born in 2010 – midway through the original Wizards. The parent show premiered on Disney Channel in October 2007.
In an interview with TresA Magazine, Thiele discussed working on Wizards Beyond Waverly Place and acting with his on-screen father, David Henrie.
He revealed: “When I decided to pursue acting two years ago, my dream was to be a series regular on a sitcom with other kids.
“Getting that call telling me that my dream came true still feels like it’s made up. Filming has been incredible so far and I look forward to going to the studio every week.”
The actor added: “David is determined to make sure we have as good an experience as he and Selena (Gomez) had on the original show and you can tell that from how he treats everyone, including his “kids”.
“After watching the original show, I was excited to include parts of Justin Russo in my development of Roman.
“It has been so fun to see those characteristics reflected back at me in my scenes with David.”
The Wingfeather Saga (2022- present)
Thiele voices the character “Janner Igiby (Wingfeather)” in The Wingfeather Saga.
The show, which premiered in December 2022 is adapted from a series of four children’s fantasy novels by Andrew Peterson, a singer-songwriter.
As of May 2024, two seasons have aired to date – with a third having a projected late 2025 release date.
Joining Thiele in the voice cast are the likes of Jodi Benson (Ariel in The Little Mermaid), Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond Hume in LOST), Kevin McNally (Gibbs in Pirates of the Caribbean) and Billy Boyd (Pippin in Lord of the Rings), among others.
I’ll Be There (2023)
Thiele appeared in the drama film I’ll Be There, which premiered at Austin Film Festival.
A synopsis reads: “A blended family is thrown together unexpectedly against the surreal backdrop of their childhood hero’s death.”
Also starring in the film were Jasmine Batchelor, Dorien Wilson and Victoria Kelleher, among others.
A Christmas Mystery (2022)
The young actor appeared in festive fare A Christmas Mystery, a made-for-TV movie which aired on HBO Max.
A synopsis for the film reads: “A strip of Santa’s jingle bells brings a century of peace and prosperity to a small town in Oregon, but they go missing just days before Christmas.
“A group of intrepid kids try to find the real thief, locate the bells and restore the Christmas magic after a friend’s dad is falsely accused.”
Thiele took on the role of “Reggie”, while actor John Ducey co-wrote the screenplay.
Ducey himself is no stranger to Disney – having played the Jonas Brothers on-screen dad in Jonas.
Spidey and His Amazing Friends (2024)
In addition, Thiele also lends his voice to iconic hero Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Disney Jr’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends.
This iteration follows much younger versions of Marvel characters including Peter, Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy.
Thiele took over the role of Peter from Benjamin Valic beginning in the third season.
The cast features Jakari Fraser as Miles and, as of season three, Audrey Bennett as the voice of Gwen.
Other beloved Marvel characters including Iron Man, Aunt May, Ant-Man, Wasp and Thing also make appearances.
In the aforementioned TresA Magazine interview, Thiele discusses his experience voicing the iconic superhero.
He shared: “It is an actual dream come true to play the role of a hero! Spider-Man is such a popular character. Plus, he’s relatable and funny.”
Thiele added: “To actually get to be Spider-Man is such a privilege and the team makes the sessions so fun.”
Follow writer Conor O’Brien on Twitter/X
A lifelong TV and Film buff, Conor founded Courageous Nerd in 2019. He has conducted hundreds of interviews for the site, as well as written comprehensive feature articles on a variety of topics. You can find him on X: @conorrcn.
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