Take a look at five overlooked performances and milestones across Milo Manheim's stage, screen, and producing career that highlight his range.
Milo Manheim stepped into mainstream visibility when he landed the lead role of Zed in Disney's Zombies, but his broader body of work reveals a performer with serious theatrical foundations. Raised in Venice, California by his mother, Emmy-winning actress Camryn Manheim, he spent his youth developing comic timing, vocal endurance, and stage movement long before he ever booked a television franchise. That training allowed him to bounce between high-energy studio productions and grounded character studies without losing his footing.
Young Hollywood has published 7 stories about Milo Manheim since 2018, charting his evolution from teenage musical lead to multidimensional screen presence. While mainstream audiences instantly recognize the green hair and stadium-sized pop-rock choruses, several of his most compelling efforts exist slightly outside that neon-lit spotlight. Watch our full sit-down with Milo Manheim below.
Wally Clark in School Spirits
Paramount+'s supernatural mystery series School Spirits gave Manheim the opportunity to step away from bright choreography and sink his teeth into a nuanced television ensemble. Playing Wally Clark, a high school football star who died on the field in the 1980s and remains trapped in his high school as a ghost, required a careful balance of golden retriever energy and genuine emotional weight.
Instead of playing a standard varsity jock caricature, Manheim brought sincere vulnerability to the role. Wally's optimism works as a coping mechanism for decades of unresolved grief, and Manheim navigates that subtle heartbreak with understated charisma. The role proved that his screen presence translates effortlessly into narrative drama.
Joseph in Journey to Bethlehem
Taking on a central figure in a full-scale live-action holiday musical is no easy feat, but Manheim anchored Journey to Bethlehem with focused dedication. The project paired traditional historical staging with contemporary pop-infused musical theater arrangements, demanding clean vocal power and steady screen discipline from its leads.
Manheim delivered some of the strongest vocal tracks of his career on the soundtrack, handling challenging ballads with genuine sincerity. His performance provided the emotional bedrock for the film, showing casting directors that his musical theater toolkit extends far beyond tween-focused franchises.
The Dancing with the Stars Season 27 Finals Run
When the cast of Dancing with the Stars Season 27 was announced, Manheim was just seventeen years old, balancing high school responsibilities with a grueling national ballroom competition. Over the course of the season, he attacked complex routines across contemporary, paso doble, and Charleston styles, eventually finishing as the runner-up.
Live competitive ballroom dancing leaves zero room for editing tricks or second takes. Manheim's weekly consistency put his physical agility and discipline on full display in front of millions of live viewers, cementing his reputation as an elite physical performer who handles live pressure with ease.
Stepping Up as Executive Producer on Zombies 4
Transitioning from franchise lead to executive producer marks a pivotal career step, and Manheim made that move official on Zombies 4. Rather than simply showing up to perform his musical numbers on location, he took an active role behind the camera, contributing to the development and day-to-day execution of the production.
Taking ownership of a massive Disney property at a young age requires business savvy, leadership on set, and a deep understanding of crew logistics. By expanding his creative responsibilities, Manheim signaled that his long-term ambitions include steering the ship from the producer's chair.
Live Stage and Musical Theater Foundations
Long before cameras followed his every move, Manheim cut his teeth in community theater and live stage productions across Los Angeles. That stage pedigree informs the precision of his screen work, from his vocal projection to his awareness of physical blocking and spatial rhythm.
Stage actors possess a distinct work ethic built on repetition and real-time connection with an audience. Manheim brings that exact discipline to his film and television sets, treating elaborate camera tracks with the same sharp spatial awareness required under stage prosceniums.
By balancing studio tentpoles with serialized drama, producing duties, and vocal-heavy projects, Milo Manheim continues carving out a distinct lane. His steady stream of unexpected choices proves that his creative ceiling remains entirely unreached.
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