Janice LeAnn Brown dishes on her character Billie at the 'Wizards Beyond Waverly Place' premiere and tells THR the advice she received from Selena Gomez and David Henrie. Plus, she gets emotional recalling the moment she found out she landed the lead role on the show.
00:00You play Billy on the show, so talk to me about your role.
00:04Billy is a very rascally, mischievous, and fun character.
00:08I think she also has a lot of heartfelt feelings to her.
00:12I think a lot of kids who may not have a family or may have a broken family can really relate to her in a way.
00:19Especially since she's never had family and she's kind of stepping into the Russos who are super big on family values.
00:26So I feel like it really shows that dynamic of a person who doesn't know family and then going into people who are so big on having each other's backs.
00:34I feel like for her it is very confusing to her.
00:38Like, wow, people actually care for me.
00:40And I feel like I kind of relate to her on that level a bit because I was actually adopted by my grandparents.
00:45So they are like my found family.
00:47And it's crazy because I feel like the Russos are Billy's found family.
00:50So I relate to her a lot.
00:52I love that so much.
00:53What advice have Selena and David given you as far as now being the lead of a Disney Channel show?
01:00Miss Selena Gomez is super big on staying true to myself.
01:04She always tells me, like, it does not matter what other people may say about me.
01:08What matters is the fact that I stay true to myself.
01:11And when I look inside the mirror, try to say more positive things about myself rather than negative.
01:15And then with Mr. David Henry, I feel like he just kind of makes everything so safe on set.
01:21The culture that he makes on set is so positive and so safe and fun.
01:26There's never a dull moment with either one of them, actually.
01:29And one thing that he always tells all of us is that, you know, there's a little kid out there, you know, all around the world maybe that could be having a really bad day.
01:39And what matters is the fact that you are a part of something that maybe that little kid could really need a laugh.
01:44And then they could just turn on the show, smile, laugh, cry, you know.
01:49So definitely they taught me a lot and they keep, they continue to teach me something every single day.
01:56That's amazing.
01:57Raven Simone and Daniel Fishel, also two former Disney stars who directed episodes this season.
02:03What was it like working with them?
02:04It was truly an honor, especially seeing both of them.
02:08Also, I remember when my cousin would watch Boy Meets World and then I would see Topanga, I'm like, her hair.
02:15And seeing her in real life, her hair is still banging.
02:19I'm like, whoa.
02:20Like on set when she was directing, she would be like that or like pulling her hair up.
02:23I'm like, what a queen.
02:25And she's, especially Miss Danielle, she's like super like classy.
02:29But she's so fun and so sweet.
02:31She's also really short.
02:33And she was just like the best person to work with.
02:36And also speaking of which, even Miss Raven Simone, she was so fun and so funny.
02:42It was so funny.
02:43Like maybe if like one of us messed up, she would say this in a joking manner.
02:46She'd be like, ah!
02:48Over again.
02:48Like she'd just like break out in like a scream or something and be like, it's okay.
02:52Just start over.
02:52You got this.
02:53And she was just really sweet.
02:55And I feel like she definitely had a lot of wisdom in her.
02:59Especially, you know, since she's been in the industry for so long, she just had so much to teach us.
03:04What was your reaction when you found out that you got this part?
03:07Honestly, at the time, I was going through a really bad place of self-doubt.
03:12So, when I got the role, it felt very, I felt like my prayers were kind of answered in a way.
03:18Like the timing was just insane.
03:20Because I remember, even before I auditioned, I remember having the conversation with my mom.
03:24Like, I think I want to quit.
03:25I don't think I'm going to go anywhere.
03:26And, you know, the fact, I'm about to start, I like my makeup.
03:29Hold on.
03:30Okay.
03:31I, um.
03:32That's when it happens.
03:33It's when you least expect it.
03:34And that moment you're like, oh, maybe I'm going to give up.
03:36And then you get a sign.
03:38Like, I, my mom was like screaming and everything.
03:41And when I went back upstairs today, I wanted to be a big kid, not show her that I was crying.
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