Ethan Maher, an 11-year-old Ashburn boy, is part of the company of actors starring in a new drama premiering on NBC next Tuesday, March 19 at 10 p.m. It’s called “The Village” and early buzz is that the heartfelt drama is this year’s “This is Us,” another tremendously popular television drama.
The show revolves around the residents of a single apartment building in New York City, their personal victories and tragedies, and how they come to support each other and rely on each other. Ethan plays an 8-year-old boy named Sami, an Iranian-American child whose mother is facing possible deportation.
Maher has acted in a number of television shows in recent years, as well as lending his voice to characters on animated programs. When “The Village” popped up, Ethan’s father said they were immediately intrigued. “It seemed like a really interesting show, a really interesting opportunity,” said Reuben Maher. “We evaluated it and he thought this was a project he wanted to get involved in.”
It’s possible you recognize the name Maher. Ethan’s 15 year-old sister, Kaitlyn, was the youngest finalist ever on “America’s Got Talent” when she was just four years old. She also performed at the National Christmas Tree Lighting at the invitation of President and Laura Bush, as well as at the National Cherry Blossom Festival at the invitation of First Lady Michele Obama.
Ethan got the part in “The Village” roughly a year ago and shot episodes during 2018, include scenes in NYC as recently as this past December. He’s homeschooled here in Ashburn and attends school on set as well.
Here’s the latest NBC trailer for “The Village” — which includes a couple of brief glimpses of Ethan among the show’s ensemble. Good luck not getting a little choked up at this.
(Image at top of story: via IMDB)