Jennifer Stone (born February 12, 1993 ) is an American nurse and former actress. As a child actor, she became known for playing Harper Finkle on the Disney Channel sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–2012). She also had roles in the comedy films Secondhand Lions (2003) and Mean Girls 2 (2011). After appearing in the Slash-produced film Nothing Left to Fear (2013), Stone took a hiatus from acting to pursue education. She briefly returned as an adult, receiving critical praise for co-writing and starring in the independent film The In-Between (2019). She left acting in 2019 after graduating from nursing school.

Early life and education

Stone was born on February 12, 1993, in Tarrant County, Texas. She earned an Associate of Science in Nursing from Glendale Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Azusa Pacific University. She studied nursing so that she could get a better understanding of her type 1 diabetes diagnosis, leaving acting in 2013.

Career

Stone was first cast as Martha in Secondhand Lions, for which she received a Young Artist Award nomination. She recalls having recognized Michael Caine from Miss Congeniality only while on the set of Secondhand Lions. Stone also received a Young Artist Award nomination for her guest appearance on House, and guest appeared on Line of Fire and Without a Trace. In 2007, she joined the main cast of Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place as Harper. Stone notes Gilda Radner as one of her biggest influences. In 2009, she had a voice role in the Disney Channel Original Movie Dadnapped. She also lent her voice to Phineas and Ferb as the voice of Amanda, Candace's daughter in the future in two episodes. In 2010, she played Harriet in the film Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars, based on the book of the same title by Louise Fitzhugh, which she later admitted she had not read before starring in the film. She later starred in the film Nothing Left to Fear and the television film High School Possession. Stone is a registered nurse. In January 2018, she was interviewed on the Diabetes Connections podcast about her diabetes diagnosis, and how it has affected her life and career. In July 2019, Stone testified before the Senate for the JDRF, describing her experience with diabetes. Stone finished nursing school in December 2019, as news of the COVID-19 pandemic broke, and she mentioned in several interviews that she would be "joining the front lines" in the fight against the disease. As of 2021, Stone made regular Instagram updates about her work in the hospital. As of August 2022, she was working in the emergency room at a hospital in Burbank, California. Also in 2022, she appeared as a spokesperson for Medtronic's insulin pen product.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations