Max Matenko plays regular character Milo Russo in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place on Disney Channel/Disney+, working with David Henrie as his on-screen father Justin Russo and Selena Gomez as his aunt Alex, who both reprise their roles from the original Wizards of Waverly Place, and Alkaio Thiele as brother Roman, Janice LeAnn Brown as Billie, Taylor Cora as Winter and Mimi Gianopulos as mother Giada. Series 1 of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place began airing last year, and a second series has been announced, which Max is currently filming. For Max’s first regular role, he plays Simon in the Apple TV+ series Platonic, with Series 2 releasing this summer, and he works with his on-screen family – Rose Byrne and Luke Macfarlane as his parents Sylvia and Charlie, and Sophie Leonard and Sophia Kopera as his sisters Frances and Maeve. With both Wizards Beyond Waverly Place and Platonic having Los Angeles premieres, Max reunited with his fellow cast members for the screenings in 2024 and 2023 respectively. Further work for Max has included episodes of General Hospital as Leo Falconeri, and he had a guest role in This Is Us as Charlie. Speaking with Max, he answered our questions about his regular role of Milo Russo in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, working with his on-screen family including David Henrie (who reprises his role of Justin Russo from the original Wizards of Waverly Place) and playing Simon in the Apple TV+ series Platonic.

How has it been seeing the fan response to Wizards Beyond Waverly Place on Disney Channel/Disney+ and hearing the news that it has been renewed for Series 2?

It has been an incredible experience seeing the positive response to Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. We worked so hard on it and we really wanted to make the fans happy and also carry on the legacy from the original. Knowing that people loved it is such an amazing feeling. We were all hoping for a Season 2, and we really missed each other. When I got the news we were renewed for a Season 2, I was so happy, I was jumping up and down.

You play the regular role of Milo Russo, can you tell us about your character?

My character Milo Russo is a very fun, sporty, and creative kid, who is a little mischievous at times. Okay, maybe a little mischievous a lot of the time, haha. His creativity and curiosity get him into trouble sometimes but he usually finds a way to charm his way out of getting into too much trouble. He also really loves his family and has serious moments that show he is really there for them.

What is Milo like to play and how did you prepare for taking on the role?

Milo is a lot of fun to play, he is very sports-oriented, and so am I, so I can relate to him a lot. I love when he gets into trouble, and his sense of humour is the best. To prepare, I tried to imagine what it would actually be like to be him, and I also watched the whole series of the original Wizards of Waverly Place and tried to factor in some of my father Justin and my uncle Max into my character.

How is it filming with the rest of the cast, which includes your on-screen father David Henrie reprising his role of Justin Russo from Wizards of Waverly Place and what do you enjoy most about being part of the show?

It is so much fun filming with the rest of the cast. Everyone is so nice and supportive of each other. We all get along really well, and we felt like an instant family from the start. David Henrie is the nicest guy, and he is so funny and so much fun to be around. He has taught me so much, and he always tells us to be true to ourselves.

What I enjoy the most about being part of the show is that I learn something new every single day. The way the writers change things with the script and make it funnier or more interesting and the way we actors are able to adapt to that on the fly is challenging and also fun. I love it when we have live audiences, that is the best.

Did you have any favourite episodes to film in Series 1 and how was it watching the completed series for the first time?

My favourite episodes from Season 1 were the Halloween episode (Episode 4) because I got to dress up as a submarine sandwich and also eat a lot of candy, haha. Also, Ain’t Gnome Party Like a Wizard Party (Episode 10), where Milo transforms into a gnome, was great. Raven-Symoné directed it and that was also really cool. But I have to say my most favourite episode was the season finale because I found out I was a wizard.

Watching the completed series for the first time was such a good feeling, seeing it all come together with all the special effects and all of the stories finally airing was such an amazing experience.

How did you feel finding out you’d booked the role of Milo and what do you remember from your first day working on Wizards Beyond Waverly Place?

When I found out I booked the role of Milo, I was shocked and I just started jumping up and down and screaming and laughing, I was so happy. It felt like a dream and I couldn’t believe it.

The first day working on WBWP I remember I was nervous but almost right away Selena (Gomez) and David gave a talk to everyone and made us feel so comfortable and excited about what we were going to be doing and the whole crew was so friendly and nice. I remember thinking the sets were so cool too.

For your first regular role, you play Simon in Apple TV+ series Platonic, how do you find the experience filming this project?

Playing Simon on Platonic is a really cool experience. Before that, I had done a recurring role on General Hospital, but I was a lot younger. I had also done some commercials and a guest star in This Is Us, but I had never had as many episodes as I did on Platonic, so I was excited about getting to really know a character.

Simon is funny because he’s a bit quirky and also smart, so he’s a lot of fun to play. I love working with the directors Nicholas and Francesa Stoller, they are so funny and they always come up with ways to make the scenes even funnier, so we do a lot of improv while we’re filming. Rose Byrne and Luke Macfarlane play my parents and they are hilarious. Seth Rogen is… well, Seth Rogen. The funniest guy ever. I also love working with Sophie Leonard and Sophia Kopera, who play my siblings, they are so fun and they are great actors. We just finished filming Season 2 a few months ago and it was amazing getting to be with the same cast and most of the same crew.

With Series 2 releasing this summer on Apple TV+, can you tell us about Platonic and what can viewers expect from the upcoming series (without giving spoilers)?

I’m really not allowed to say much about Platonic Season 2, but I will say that I think it’s going to be even funnier than Season 1. I feel like we were all so happy to be back and we got back into our characters as if we never left.

How would you describe Simon and what is it like getting into character?

Simon is very quirky and has a dark and sarcastic side and a deadpan kind of delivery, so he’s funny without meaning to be. He is also smart and it’s hard to put something past him. Getting into character was fun, I would read the lines over and imagine being in his situation and a lot of what he does and says is relatable for me because I also have a sarcastic sense of humour.

What was it like meeting and filming with your on-screen family – Rose Byrne and Luke Macfarlane (as your parents Sylvia and Charlie) and Sophie Leonard and Sophia Kopera (as your sisters Frances and Maeve)?

Meeting and filming with my on-screen family for Platonic was similar to Wizards in that everyone was so friendly and supportive. We felt like we bonded right from the start. Sophie Leonard and Sophia Kopera play my older and younger sister and we all got along so well, we would play together when we weren’t on set, and also our families got together for ice cream and dinner when we weren’t filming. Rose Byrne and Luke Macfarlane are funny and sweet and I felt really comfortable with them. I am a Canadian citizen, as well as a US citizen, because my mom was born in Toronto, and Luke is also a Canadian citizen, so we bonded over that. Seth Rogen is also a Canadian citizen, so we have that in common as well.

Do you have any stand-out moments from being on set of Platonic that you can share?

There were a lot of fun moments from being on set of Platonic, and one of the things I love is that Nicholas Stoller, the director, does a lot of improv with us, so he’ll give us some ideas, or let us just make stuff up on the fly, and it’s great to be able to do a sort of improv with the other cast members while we’re filming. Also, Seth Rogen’s laugh is hilarious. It makes everyone laugh along with him, and he has a great sense of humour in real life. A really sweet thing that happened after Season 1 is that Rose Byrne sent me a stuffed animal lizard, similar to Gandalf in the show.

How different did you find filming Series 1 during the COVID restrictions in 2022, and what was it like reuniting with the cast to film Series 2 last year?

Filming the second season of Platonic was a lot different because we didn’t have the same COVID restrictions. During the first season, we had to get tested for COVID before every film day. Me and my family were very careful to try to avoid getting sick, we wore masks everywhere etc., because we didn’t want to take a chance and let the production down. So, it was a lot more stressful. Also, we didn’t feel as comfortable going into each other’s dressing rooms, the school room, etc. It felt a lot more carefree and relaxed on the second season. We were so happy to be together again and me, Sophie and Sophia were hanging out all the time.

What was it like attending both of your shows’ Los Angeles premieres – Platonic at Regal LA Live in 2023, and Wizards Beyond Waverly Place at the El Capitan Theatre in 2024 – with your fellow cast members?

When I attended the premiere of Platonic in 2023, it was my first red carpet experience and it was very exciting. I was a bit nervous, but my older sister, Ruby, is also an actor, and I had attended some of her red carpet premieres in the past, such as Timmy Failure, and I watched her give the interviews and have her picture taken, so I knew what to expect. It was a lot of fun, and so was the Wizards premiere in October 2024. They closed off Hollywood Boulevard near the theatre, and there were tons of fans watching from the street, and so many photographers and people were there, it was just so exciting. I was so happy because I had my family with me, and especially my grandfather who came in from Toronto. My agent Jillana Devine-Knickel and my manager Wendi Green were also there with me for both events, and it meant so much to have them there, they are amazing. Both were amazing nights, and I kept thinking I wished the time would slow down, like if you could press pause and just stay in that experience for a bit longer.

Early in your acting career, you filmed for episodes of General Hospital as Leo Falconeri and had a guest role in This Is Us as Charlie, what do you remember from working on these shows?

My role of Charlie on This Is Us was my very first acting role. I was only four when I filmed it and I have a memory of being surrounded by a lot of people, who were the crew, and everybody laughing and clapping because they thought it was funny. Mandy Moore was in my first scene, and she was really nice. I remember they were happy because they said I followed the directions well, and the director Ken Olin made a funny comment, he said, “If Max doesn’t win an Emmy, this show isn’t worth anything”, and he was joking obviously, and it made everyone laugh.

My role as Leo Falconeri on General Hospital was fun too. I was about five or six, I think, when I was on it, and I remember everyone being really nice to me and that the director spoke through a microphone high up where I couldn’t see him. The sets were amazing. I remember feeling really proud of myself because I had what I thought were a lot of lines to remember for each episode and I was able to do it. I also remember that they filmed things really quickly, so it was different than other shows. It was great playing Leo, but it wasn’t for very long because they aged the character pretty quickly, which is common on soap operas.

How did you get into acting and was it always something you wanted to do?

My sister Ruby is also an actress and she is six years older than I am and I think it was because of her that I first became interested in acting. I remember watching her go to auditions and also being on set a lot and thinking how much fun it seemed. She and I would also make up stories and act things out a lot. We would laugh a lot and have so much fun, and I loved becoming different characters in different situations and seeing how it felt to get up in front of people and make them feel different things and laugh. I would love it if one day Ruby and I can act in something together.

Do you have any favourite films and TV shows to watch?

My favourite films are Hotel Transylvania and The Incredibles. I also love all the Marvel movies. When I was younger, I loved the Cars movies and also Toy Story. My favourite TV shows are The Simpsons, Cobra Kai, Modern Family, American Housewife, and The Wonder Years. I am also sort of a sports fanatic and I love to watch baseball, football, tennis, etc.

What do you enjoy doing away from acting?

Aside from acting, I really love baseball. I have been playing in Little League since I was six years old and I am now in the Majors division. I pitch and also play first base, and I am a switch hitter. I remember when I was really little, my grandfather would play catch with me and tell me to keep my eyes on the ball and I still think of that every time I play. My favourite team is the Toronto Blue Jays, because my family is originally from Toronto, but I love watching all of the teams play and keeping up with what’s going on with all of the divisions. Aside from acting, I would love to play baseball professionally or be a sports announcer or commentator someday. I also love playing tennis, and I play in matches with USTA and UTR. Recently, I also started loving to go bowling and am also learning to play golf. Oh, and I love playing ping-pong too. We have a ping-pong table at the Wizards studio and I play with the cast and crew a lot.

What are you looking forward to for getting back to set to film Series 2 of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place as Milo Russo, and do you have any further projects coming up that you can share?

We’ve started filming Season 2 of WBWP and I’m loving working with everyone again. Working with Alkaio Thiele, Janice LeAnn Brown, Taylor Cora, David Henrie, Mimi Gianopulos, and Selena Gomez is a dream come true. They all feel like family to me, and they are all amazing actors. Being on set together is so much fun and we have a lot of inside jokes and routines that I’m excited for, like eating lunch together in one of our dressing rooms, and playing ping-pong. I’m excited to see what kinds of wizard powers I will have and how Milo will handle being a wizard.

WBWP will be taking up all my time for the next little while, so I’m not working on anything else right now. But aside from that, I finished filming Season 2 of Platonic and that will be airing soon.

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