Dan Benson played the role of Zeke Beakerman on the fun children’s show Wizards of Waverly Place back in the early 2010s. However, after the sitcom was canceled in 2012, his career went in a completely different direction after he made an OnlyFans account. In fact, the adult entertainer believes his porn career is why he hasn’t been asked to return for the reboot of the Disney Channel series.
Just when you thought a Wizards of Waverly Place reunion needed to happen, you got your wish in the form of an upcoming reboot of the magical Disney series. David Henrie’s Justin will take the reins as a series regular, as he chooses to live a normal life with his wife and kids while being a mentor to a young wizard. Selena Gomez will also bring back Alex as a guest star. With Justin being the main character of the new Disney show, does that mean Dan Benson will come back as Justin’s best friend Zeke? The former Disney star spoke to TMZ about why he’s “very sad” he wasn’t asked to return but understands why.
That’s all on me. I totally get it. I made choices that made it. So, it’s like I put the chance of bringing back the character I play away when I decided to go along this path of being an adult content creator and I get it.
The former teen star continued to say that his feelings on the reboot were a mixed bag. He loved the premise of the family-friendly revival, but he was disappointed he wouldn’t be a part of it because of the choices he made after the series finale.
Dan Benson explained in a viral TikTok that he “tripped and fell” into the porn industry during his time on Wizards of Waverly Place getting messages from women he found attractive. After sending them nude photos and videos of himself, these women would post what he sent them on various websites. While that period of his life was “traumatic” for Benson and he failed to take down the nude media of himself, he found control in creating an OnlyFans page and posting his own nude content.
The Zoey 101 alum continued to share why he felt his porn career ruined his chances of being in the Wizards of Waverly Place reboot, saying:
I think that I put them in a situation where they don’t have a choice. They can’t reasonably bring back my character without bringing back all of the weight that my personal license, my personal choices have. [...] It’s crazy to be an adult content creator and crazier to do it so publicly and to be a former child actor from a Disney Channel show.
Benson joked around that during the first executive meeting discussing the pitch of the revival, he wondered if the creators decided against bringing him back once they Googled him. Even though the Rick and Morty actor “accidentally” fell into OnlyFans, his porn star career helped him become comfortable with his sexuality, and he found it “flattering” to be a “gay awakening” to people who reached out to him.
Benson was also glad to be in a position where he wasn’t making any money doing something that made him “uncomfortable.” It looks like he was able to tread down his own path that he could be proud of.
The former Wizards of Waverly Place actor may not have been asked to come back for the revival, however, he did say he would have turned down the offer anyway because he's moved on from his Disney days.
You can watch his performance as Zeke Beakerman in Wizards of Waverly Place with a Disney+ subscription. You can also check in with our 2024 TV schedule to stay up to date on the reboot and its eventual release.
