This year, Alkaio Thiele took over the starring role of Peter Parker / Spidey in Series 3 of Marvel’s animated show Spidey and His Amazing Friends for Disney, and for his first main voiceover role, he plays Janner Igiby (Wingfeather) in The Wingfeather Saga across both series. It has been announced that Alkaio will play Roman Russo in the upcoming sequel to Wizards of Waverly Place – Wizards Beyond Waverly Place – working alongside original cast member David Henrie as his on-screen father Justin, and this role will be Alkaio’s first TV series regular character. Alkaio will also be a cast member of a highly-anticipated show for Cartoon Network, and his previous screen roles have included Young AJ in the festival award-winning film I’ll Be There, Reggie in A Christmas Mystery, and he had his TV debut as Max Jr. in Call Me Kat (Series 3) with Cheyenne Jackson. Most recently on stage, Alkaio played Sam in Love Actually Live! at The Wallis in California, having previously played The Artful Dodger in Oliver! and Michael Hobbs in Elf the Musical. Answering our questions, Alkaio told us about taking over the role of Peter Parker / Spidey in Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends, what it was like finding out he’d be playing Roman Russo in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place and playing Sam in Love Actually Live!.

You have recently taken over the starring role of Peter Parker / Spidey in Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends for Disney, how does it feel to be part of the Spider-Man franchise and working on a Marvel animated series?

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. My little brother also loves Spidey so it was awesome to get to be a part of a show that was already watched at home. To actually get to be Spider-Man is such a privilege and the team makes the sessions so fun.

How is it getting into character as Peter Parker / Spidey and how did you prepare for the role?

I always pre-read a script before any session to get a sense of how to make the writing come alive. It took me a couple of sessions to find the superhero voice that they were looking for, but now I just click into Spidey mode and the team and I have an easy rhythm. With Spidey, I try to go the whole session without having to do a second take on any line. Haven’t gotten it quite yet, but I’ve gotten close!

Is there anything you are enjoying most about recording for Spidey and His Amazing Friends and how is it hearing your voice with the animations?

It’s still a little weird to hear my voice outside of my own head and on someone else’s body, and even though the show is meant for a younger audience, I get really excited to watch every new episode. I really like being surprised by the difference between how I pictured the episode looking and the final version.

Across both series of The Wingfeather Saga, you have voiced one of the main characters – Janner Igiby (Wingfeather), can you tell us about your time working on the show so far?

I would consider Janner my first main voiceover role so I had a lot to learn really fast. I’m really grateful to the whole team for making me feel so welcome and comfortable. They always took the time to make sure I understood what was expected of me and seeing the end product shows that they knew what they were doing. I feel like I just came along for a really fun ride and they steered me in the right direction.

How would you describe Janner and what is he like to voice?

Janner’s character is a lot like me so I was able to use more of my natural voice. He’s a nervous older brother who generally likes to follow the rules. He’s hesitant to take risks and he wishes he had his little brother’s confidence. Through the series, he starts to find his courage and it was fun to explore that development through my own voice.

It has been announced that you will be playing Roman Russo in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place (the upcoming sequel to Wizards of Waverly Place), how did you feel finding out you’d booked the role for your first TV series regular character and how is filming going so far?

When my agents gave me the news, I was in shock. It took a while for me to really process the information I was given, then I screamed, ran around the house, and flopped all over my bed. 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. All the people associated with the production are fantastic and the crew is so warm, friendly, inviting, and extremely patient. Even though we work hard in rehearsals and on filming days, we’re always laughing and having a ton of fun.

What was it like meeting the rest of the cast for the first time, which includes original cast member David Henrie as your on-screen father, and what are you looking forward to for the release of the series?

I was really nervous to meet everyone, but I didn’t need to be. From the first time we went out to dinner it felt like a reunion, and I think you’ll see that when you watch the pilot. It didn’t feel like a group that had just met; we were a family that had been waiting to meet each other. 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.

How was it playing Young AJ in the festival award-winning film I’ll Be There?

It was my first opportunity to play a more serious role and it challenged me emotionally. The scenes required me and my film siblings to get close really quickly. We’re still good friends. A year after filming, we all met up at an arcade before the film’s premiere at the Austin Film Festival, and it was like we had never been apart. I think the closeness of our whole cast comes across in the movie.

In 2022’s A Christmas Mystery, you played Reggie, what are some of your favourite memories from working on a Christmas film?

I love The Office, so getting to meet and work (and play) with Oscar Nuñez was unreal. He was so funny and spent the whole shoot making us laugh off camera. It kept me from being nervous and let me just enjoy the process. Drew Powell also brought his guitar to set and we’d sing and harmonise together when we had downtime.

What do you remember most from making your TV debut in an episode of Call Me Kat – Series 3 as Max Jr.?

I was really excited to meet Cheyenne Jackson because I loved his character in Descendants and was super impressed by his musical theatre credits. It was my first TV appearance and he took the time to guide me through the process. We had so much fun together and he still sends me messages of congratulations and encouragement. I’ve had some pretty cool TV dads!

On stage, you most recently performed as Sam in Love Actually Live! at The Wallis in California, how did you find the experience performing in the production?

For The Record puts on such creative productions and it brought together an incredible group of artists. Sharing a stage with established recording artists showed me a new level of professionalism. They pushed me vocally and I learned so much from getting to sing with them every night.

You have also been in the cast of Oliver! as The Artful Dodger and Elf the Musical as Michael Hobbs, can you tell us about these?

Dodger was such a pleasure to play. I love experimenting with accents and while my English accent was pretty good already, my dialect coach, Rob Hahn, helped me fine-tune the Cockney. The choreography was also super fun (and exhausting!). Elf was my first regional theatre credit and I learned so much about how to be prepared so that I don’t freeze when the nerves kick in. I got to sing and dance with exceptional performers and learn from people who have been where I want to go: Broadway.

Where does your love of acting and voiceover come from and how did you get started in the industry?

I started listening to Jim Dale narrate Harry Potter when I was five and still fall asleep to his voice most nights. I also listened to the entire Disney Song and Story collection on repeat and can still recite many of the stories verbatim. When I listened to stories as a younger kid, I would mouth the words as though I was performing them. Sometimes I copied them exactly, and sometimes I did my own take. My dad would also read books to me every night before bed and he brought books alive with his energy and different voices. I guess it makes sense that my initial bookings were all voiceover! Even though I didn’t have official training, I always enjoyed being dramatic and would go to extreme lengths for a laugh. It wasn’t until my first local musical theatre production that I wanted to take my experience to a new level.

Do you have any favourite films, TV and theatre shows to watch and how do you like to spend your free time?

I love watching sitcoms with my parents (and finally understanding their inside jokes!). We finished Friends and are making our way through The Office, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Schitt’s Creek, Young Sheldon, Ted Lasso, and New Girl. My favourite musicals are Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen. If an activity is outside, I am probably interested: biking, swimming, travelling, climbing, theme parks. I’m also a proud nerd. I’m all-in on books, comics, board games, magic tricks, retro video games, crosswords, and escape rooms.

Apart from Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, are there any further projects you have coming up that you can share and what are you hoping the next year brings for your career?

I do have a highly-anticipated show coming out on Cartoon Network, but that’s as much as I can share right now. I’m excited for everyone to get to see it because it’s a comedy that’s targeted more at my age group. My friends think Spidey is really cool, but the show isn’t quite for them. This one will be!

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