Cracking it in Hollywood
TEENAGE acting prodigy Ethan Cole Abrahamse, stage name Ethan Cole, is living his dream.
From Durban, and now based in Los Angeles, California, the 15-yearold is set to make his theatrical debut in the thriller Sunnyfield Kids, releasing this year.
Cole started his career in entertainment at the age of 8, performing in various roles as a singer, model and dancer.
His debut acting role came in a short film, The Innovation of Loneliness, in 2017.
Not long after being cast for and shooting his debut film, Sunnyfield Kids, Cole moved to Los Angeles to better his efforts at stardom. The film is set for release in March.
The movie is a thriller about a group of kids who attend an acting camp and while there discover an urban legend.
“I absolutely loved it. It’s (acting) where I belong. After doing this since
I was 8 years old, it’s something I’m passionate about. The move to LA has been challenging but well worth it,” said Cole.
He recently signed with the Pantheon Agency in Hollywood. The group represents actors including Bill Duke (Menace II Society, Get Rich or Die Trying, Sister Act 2, Predator), American rapper Shawntae Harris, better known by her stage name Da Brat, Ivonne Coll (Netflix’s Jane the Virgin), and American R&B singer, songwriter and actor Marques Houston (best known from the R&B group Immature and his role as Roger Evans in the television comedy Sister, Sister).
Born and raised in Durban, Cole attended Amanzimtoti Primary School.
He and his family moved to Los Angeles in February 2019.
Scott Abrahamse, Cole’s father, said: “We made the move so Ethan could pursue his career after receiving multiple agency callbacks from Las Vegas, Florida and New York. We are United States permanent residents.”
He said Cole had been acting and singing from a young age.
“He decided to enter a competition when he was 9 years old and won it. It is something he is good at and continues to improve and be successful here in Hollywood,” said Abrahamse.
Cole said Disney had always been the dream.
“But the ultimate goal is to be a successful actor and lift that Oscar. It feels amazing to be moving so quickly as showbiz here in Hollywood can be exceptionally challenging and overwhelming. Juggling between school and my career has been challenging. However, I completed one year of homeschooling and now I am in high school, which I enjoy. I find a way to balance it all by being humble and grateful for the opportunities I have.”
Cole is working on a few projects that he cannot disclose, as well as putting together a 12-track album and working with a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee.