Jennifer Stone is setting the record straight after her long-awaited return to the Wizards franchise sparked speculation that she had retired from acting. The actress, best known for playing Harper Finkle in Wizards of Waverly Place, recently reprised her fan-favorite role in Season 3 of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place alongside Gregg Sulkin, who returned as Mason Greyback. While many assumed Stone had left Hollywood for good after years away from the screen, she says that was never the case.

Stone’s last acting credit before her latest appearance came in 2019, the same year she graduated from nursing school. She explained that her original plan had always been to balance both careers, but the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed those plans. Instead of returning to auditions, she found herself working in hospitals during one of the most challenging periods in recent history, putting her acting career on hold while serving as a registered nurse.

“The cosmic comedy of it all is that returning to acting was always the plan,” Stone told TV Insider. She recalled graduating from nursing school in December 2019 with every intention of jumping back into acting, only for the entertainment industry—and the world—to come to a standstill a few months later. After working throughout the pandemic, Stone said she also needed time to process the emotional toll of those experiences before feeling ready to pursue her first passion again.

The actress also addressed the common assumption that taking on a nursing career meant she had abandoned acting altogether. She laughed off the misconception, explaining that people often viewed her decision as choosing a “normal job” over Hollywood, when in reality she always intended to do both. Drawing a parallel to her beloved character Harper Finkle, Stone noted that people can successfully balance multiple passions rather than being defined by just one career.

Now that she’s back in the Wizards universe, Stone is open to exploring even more stories featuring Harper. She revealed that she would happily return for a future spinoff, mentioning that there had once been discussions about a series centered on Harper and Selena Gomez’s Alex Russo sharing an apartment. Although that project never came to life, Stone believes revisiting those characters now feels like honoring the spinoff that almost happened.

Looking back on filming, Stone admitted she was surprised by how naturally everything fell into place despite more than a decade away from the role. She and Sulkin quickly slipped back into their familiar comedic rhythm, making the experience feel both nostalgic and effortless. With Wizards Beyond Waverly Place continuing to expand the beloved Disney franchise, Stone’s return may not be the last time fans see Harper Finkle on screen.

Source: https://www.tvinsider.com/