The 2000s were a time for Disney Channel Original Movies and TV series. Yet for a star of the Disney Channel’s Golden Age, his appearance on Wizards of Waverly Place it didn’t launch him to stardom like it did some of his co-stars, but rather caused him to “stumble and fall” in the world of adult entertainment.
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Wizards of Waverly Place began in 2007. After a series of successes with artists such as Hannah Montana, lizzie mcguireY Zach and Cody’s Suite Life, The Walt Disney Company’s next show brought Selena Gomez into the spotlight in her lead role as Alex Russo, a magician who lives on Waverly Place in New York City with his magician brothers, Justin (David Henrie) and Max. (Jake T. Austin). The Disney Channel show was hugely popular and has the most watched Disney Channel finale on record.
As for Selena Gomez, the star went on to dominate the charts in the music industry while also having a successful acting career, currently appearing on Hulu’s Only murders in the building with Steve Martin and Martin Short. She is also an executive producer of the mystery comedy series.
But looking at the rest of Wizards of Waverly Place cast, one actor stands out for having stepped into a whole new arena. Entertainment for adults.
Playing Zeke Beakerman, Dan Benson was a recurring actor on the Disney Channel show, but it wasn’t all positive behind the scenes. Benson often received nude images of women and responded with his own. These explicit images would find their way online, without his consent.
Speaking on his TikTok, the actor said (via the LA Times):
“That was quite a traumatic experience. And for years I tried to get rid of them, get them off the Internet, because obviously I didn’t want them there.”
Benson talked about how the leaked images almost caused him to lose his job and then Wizards of Waverly Placeacting roles began to dry up.
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However, the Disney Channel star made the decision to take back the narrative and lean, or stumble and fall, as he describes it, into adult entertainment.
“Instead of letting these people sell my privacy…I decided to say ‘Fuck you, I’m going to sell it myself.’ It changed my life for the better.”
Benson now sells explicit photography and images on OnlyFans to her subscribers and, despite having done so for a while, has recently exploded online as more people discover this new career.
For those who want to see Dan Benson before his switch to adult entertainment, then Wizards of Waverly Place, Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (2009), and Wizards of Waverly Place: Alex vs. Alex (2013), are available to stream on The Walt Disney Company’s streaming service, Disney+.
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