After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania and Fordham University Law School, Ross took a job in the talent department at Nickelodeon. Those early experiences -- especially with the young actors he cast in such live-action Nickelodeon series as "Hey Dude" and "Clarissa Explains It All" -- would shape his later work at Disney.
The norm for casting was to evaluate talent solely on the child's audition. "I broke some rules, like meeting the parents, because to me it mattered," Ross said. "If you understand who the families are, you understand what they need and they want. Then you're more apt to get it right and be able to support them."
Indeed, Disney Channel hosts what it calls a "family dinner" at the launch of every new series. The parents laud Ross and Disney Channel Entertainment President Gary Marsh for cultivating an environment where they feel comfortable enough to call or e-mail with questions or concerns.
"From Day 1 they take a hands-on approach in bringing you into the family," said Dianna De La Garza, the former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader whose daughter, Lovato, stars in the new Disney Channel series "Sonny With a Chance," now its highest-rated series.
The 47-year-old Ross and his partner of more than 20 years, Adam Sanderson, live in the Hollywood Hills and have no children of their own. However, he maintains a close relationship with the 14- and 10-year-old daughters of his former roommate and best friend from Fordham Law, who serve as an informal focus group. He described Alexis and Dominique Teixeira as "truth meters."
Dominique Teixeira recently screened "Princess Protection Program," a new Disney Channel movie starring Gomez and Lovato that premieres Friday, at her birthday party. "My friends were like, 'Oh my God, that was one of the best movies I've ever seen,' " she said.
'A global force'
There were no marquee stars like Cyrus or the Jonases when Disney/ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney persuaded Ross to join her at Disney Channel. "He was one of my first, and most important, hires when I got to Disney Channel," said Sweeney, who had worked with him at Nickelodeon and later while launching FX Networks. "I knew he'd be critical to our ability to transform the channel into a global force."
Disney Channel's principal rival, Nickelodeon, had emphasized animation in the mid-'90s to compete with the Cartoon Network. Ross responded by creating live-action programs that featured teen protagonists who reflected the audience the network hoped to capture.
