January 19, 2024
Watch: With News of Reboot, 'Wizards of Waverly Place' Star Dan Benson has Second Thoughts About OnlyFans Career
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
It wasn't long ago that Dan Benson found "empowerment" from his new career as an OnlyFans star. Now that the popular Disney Channel show he starred in is getting a reboot, he's second-guessing, Metro reported.
Taking to TikTok, the straight actor lamented that 12 years after ending its five-season run, the show is returning, and bringing a number of OG cast members back with it – all a mere year-and-a-half after he launched his porn career. "Are you kidding me?" Benson said. "Oh boy, what have I done?" the actor added. "Dan becomes a porn star, let's reboot 'Wizards' again. You guys suck."
The series followed the adventures of Alex (Selena Gomez) and her brothers Justin (David Henrie) and Max (Jake T. Austin), three young people with magical powers learning how to use them. Benson had a recurring role as Zeke, David's best friend, appearing in 32 out of 106 episodes.
Henrie and Gomez are credited as executive producers on the revival, which will follow the adult Justin, who is the headmaster of a special school for young wizards. Henrie will star in the role once more, with others from the original cast also joining the fun.
But not Benson, who fretted about the status of his character. "They just act like he doesn't exist?" Benson asked in the TikTok video. "Do they recast him? Oh my god, is there gonna be someone else playing... No!!"
But the gnashing of teeth was a put-on: "I'm just kidding," Benson said. He can afford to josh about it; Benson has been doing well for himself with his new gig. It's quite a turnaround from the days when, after being catfished and seeing an explicit photo of himself make the rounds online, he was unable to get jobs.
It was then that the reluctant porn sensation decided to lean into his inadvertent role and post explicit content on the site. With his bright smile, good looks, slim and sculpted physique, and sense of humor, Benson was soon making a good living.
He's in good shape, too, emotionally, Benson said in a TikTok clip last summer.
"I don't feel bad about myself," the actor told his followers. In fact, he continued, "I feel kind of like a badass a little bit," adding that although sometimes people ask him to do things on the platform that he'd be uncomfortable doing, he's found that he's the one in control of what he offers.
"I've kind of just been in a position to be, like, 'No. You're gonna get what you're gonna get. You're gonna get what I'm comfortable with sharing with the world,' which now is quite a bit."
"So anyway, I'm feeling good," the actor summarized. "I'm excited about the future, and I don't really feel bad about my decisions at all."
Watch Benson's comedic take on the "Wizards of Waverly Place" reboot news in the embedded tweet below.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.