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.
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00:00You play Billy on the show, so talk to me about your role.
00:03Um, Billy 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 or, you know, a lot of kids who may not have a family
00:16or 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
00:23the 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
00:30and 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, like,
00:38wow, people actually care for me.
00:40And I feel like I kind of relate to her on that level a bit
00:43because I was actually adopted by my grandparents, so 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.
00:54What 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
01:14rather than negative.
01:16And 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.
01:30And one thing that he always tells all of us is that, you know,
01:33there's a little kid out there, you know, all around the world maybe
01:36that could be having a really bad day.
01:38And what matters is the fact that you are a part of something
01:41that maybe that little kid could really need a laugh
01:44and then they could just turn on the show, smile, laugh, cry, you know.
01:50So definitely they taught me a lot and they continue to teach me something every single day.
01:56That's amazing.
01:58Raven-Symoné and Daniel Fishel, also two former Disney stars
02:01who directed episodes this season.
02:03What was it like working with them?
02:05It was truly an honor, especially seeing both of them.
02:08Also, I remember when my cousin would watch Boy Meets World
02:13and I would see Topanga.
02:15I'm like, her hair!
02:17And seeing her in real life, her hair is still banging.
02:19I'm like, whoa.
02:20On set when she's directing, she'd be like that or pulling her hair up.
02:23I'm like, what a queen.
02:25And she's, especially Miss Danielle, she's super classy.
02:29But she's so fun and so sweet.
02:31She's also really short.
02:33And she was just the best person to work with.
02:36And also, speaking of which, even Miss Raven-Symoné.
02:39She was so fun and so funny.
02:42It was so funny.
02:44Maybe if one of us messed up, she would say this in a joking manner.
02:48Over again.
02:49She'd just break out in a scream or something.
02:51And be like, it's okay, just start over.
02:53You got this.
02:54And she was just really sweet.
02:56And I feel like she definitely had a lot of wisdom in her.
02:59Especially since she's been in the industry for so long.
03:02She just had so much to teach us.
03:04What was your reaction when you found out that you got this part?
03:08Honestly, at the time, I was going through a really bad place of self-doubt.
03:12So when I got the role, it felt very...
03:16I felt like my prayers were answered in a way.
03:18The timing was just insane.
03:20Even before I auditioned, I remember having the conversation with my mom.
03:24I think I want to quit.
03:25I don't think I'm going to go anywhere.
03:27I'm about to start.
03:28I like my makeup.
03:29Hold on.
03:32That's when it happens.
03:33It's when you least expect it.
03:34In that moment, you're like, maybe I'm going to give up.
03:36And then you get a sign.
03:38My mom was screaming and everything.
03:41I went back upstairs because I wanted to be a big kid.
03:45Not show her that I was crying.
03:46But I started bawling like a baby.
03:48I was just so happy and so grateful.