S27: Milo Manheim: Can Zombies Samba?

[OnceSane]

Milo Manheim is an up-and-coming American actor born and raised in Los Angeles. At the age of seven, he began his acting career in a local after-school program in Culver City, and he soon went on to perform in 15 musicals with Liza Monjauze Productions. These musicals include Rent, Footloose, Tommy, A Chorus Line, Gypsy and Spring Awakening. He was discovered when casting director Amber Horn saw his performance as Roger in the musical, Rent. This was a pivotal point in his budding career as she brought him in to audition for a new Disney Channel musical, Zombies. After eight call backs, Manheim got the coveted role of Zed. Zombies premiered on February 26, 2018. He is set to appear in season three of ABC's American Housewife. 

Milo Manheim is partnered with Pro Witney Carson.

[AuntieDiane6]

I didn't realize Milo is the son of actress Camryn Manheim of The Practice and her sperm donor pal.  She also played Psychic Sue on a very funny episode of Will & Grace.  

I'm surprised that an actress would have her kid in the business at such a young age. He has a lot of TV credits for a young guy.  

[tessaforever]

Honestly, I always found Camryn Manheim a little annoying on The Practice. But, she seems to have raised a really great kid - and very likable given his showbiz childhood. 

It's funny how many actors say they hope their kids do not go into the business! But maybe he wanted to, and she figured she could guide him because of her own showbiz experience. 

[BoffoDaWonderSheep]

FYI: Milo's Disney movie "Zombies" airs tomorrow night (Thursday, Oct. 18th) at 6:15 P.M. and repeats 8:30 P.M. (EST) on the Disney Channel (Amurica, not Canada). I had never seen the kid before DWTS, so it might be fun to see him act.

[madpsych78]

So I just realized something. If Milo wins (which is very plausible IMO), he would break a DWTS record by becoming the new youngest male winner at age 17 (Jordan Fisher currently holds that title at age 23). 

[calipiano81]

I think the biggest obstacle for Milo to possibly win is his lack of pre-existing fanbase. I think he has gained a lot of fans and is one of the most talked-about contestants this season, but will it be enough to overcome Demarcus' huge football (particularly Dallas Cowboys) fanbase, Evanna's Potterheads, or Juan Pablo's Fuller House fans?

[howmanywords]

I think he can pull it off because he's doing a great job making fans out of DWTS fans. I never heard of him and I'm rooting for him. I agree DeMarcus' fans will be tough, but the Fuller House fanbase didn't help Candace and Jodi, and Evanna has already been in jeopardy twice so I'm not convinced the Potterheads are voting that much.

[realdancemom]

I agree that he is gaining DWTS fans.  Since I'm older, I did not know him before the show.  I'm rooting for him to win too.

[luvthepros]

Count me in as a Milo fan. I rooting for him and hope he wins it all.

[truthaboutluv]

On 10/17/2018 at 6:46 PM, calipiano81 said:

but will it be enough to overcome Demarcus' huge football (particularly Dallas Cowboys) fanbase, Evanna's Potterheads, or Juan Pablo's Fuller House fans?

Well I guess we know the answer to that now regarding Demarcus and Evanna (who has been in jeopardy multiple times). And I know he keeps scoring high but I can't shake the feeling that Juan Pablo isn't get a large amount of viewer votes and could be a surprise boot.

 

On 10/2/2018 at 9:18 PM, AuntieDiane6 said:

I didn't realize Milo is the son of actress Camryn Manheim of The Practice and her sperm donor pal.

I literally just did a Wikipedia search about her to confirm if she conceived Milo via IVF. I just recently remembered the storyline they had on The Practice, where her character had gotten pregnant via IVF. I remembered that she was pregnant in real life when they wrote the storyline but couldn't remember if they were staying true to her life with the IVF aspect or if that was just for drama sake.

But I noticed Milo said he's an only child in some interview and that he only ever talks about his mom and I had a feeling that that's probably exactly what it was. Good for her. She wanted a baby and did what she had to and like someone said above, she's clearly raised a really good kid. And they seem to have a great bond. 

Edited November 6, 2018 by truthaboutluv

[spanana]

My fave thing about Milo that I've seen in interviews is that when interviewers try to ask him how he feels about a score to get him to talk about the judges, he never takes the bait.  The week of his quickstep, where I believe Len gave him an 8, one of the interviewers asked he and Witney how they felt about the score.  Witney said she knows the number wasn't the best time they had done it, but thought the 8 was low and 9's would have been fair.  Milo legitimately started arguing with Witney (nicely) how he understood Len's score and Len was right and blah blah blah and here's why.  Now I know it's a lot easier to be gracious about scores when you almost always get good ones, but it was such a refreshing change from someone like Bobby who is always convinced there is a vendetta against him.

There was also a cute interview where they showed him a clip of himself talking on his first red carpet at some premiere that his Mom had taken him to when he was little and then he started tearing up talking about his mom.   They seem to have a very good relationship and it's fun to watch her stories getting ready for the show each work.

Edited November 6, 2018 by spanana

[boyznkatz]

His mom still looks the same as she did on the Practice. She looks great.

Milo at 17 is far more mature than Bobby will ever be.

[calipiano81]

I know that this season has been frustrating for obvious reasons, but I still think it hasn't been a bust because we had a high number of good dancers, one of them being Milo. He's been a real exciting surprise for me and, it seems, to a lot of other people as well (which has made it nice not having to defend my favorite so ardently this season LOL).

[calipiano81]

I think that audience expectations play a big part in how a contestant is received on DWTS...

Does anyone think that if Milo were a little older, say in his twenties, expectations (both dance-wise and personality-wise) would be different for him and he might not be doing as well in the competition?

[suebee12]

Just now, calipiano81 said:

Does anyone think that if Milo were a little older, say in his twenties, expectations (both dance-wise and personality-wise) would be different for him and he might not be doing as well in the competition?

I don't know because he appears older and more mature than 17 years old to me! He can be silly and fun but he also seems full of determination and drive. He appears to put his all into his dancing. I loved last week when he said he had to relearn everything Witney had taught him for the contemporary dance...and then went back into a dance with "rules" this week. His mom has raised a really nice young man and I  hope we see lots of good things from him in the future!

[ljenkins782]

3 hours ago, calipiano81 said:

I think that audience expectations play a big part in how a contestant is received on DWTS...

Does anyone think that if Milo were a little older, say in his twenties, expectations (both dance-wise and personality-wise) would be different for him and he might not be doing as well in the competition?

Not for me. I can't stand precocious kids and expected to find Milo obnoxious, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoy his personality as well as his dancing. His partnership with Witney is one of my favorites of the season and he's obviously working hard.

Quote

She also played Psychic Sue on a very funny episode of Will & Grace.  

She played a very funny role as a matchmaker on How I Met Your Mother (the general gist was fairly similar to Psychic Sue, she definitely has a "type" as far as roles). I like how she's always in the audience cheering him on, it's sweet. 

[spanana]

17 hours ago, suebee12 said:

I don't know because he appears older and more mature than 17 years old to me! He can be silly and fun but he also seems full of determination and drive. He appears to put his all into his dancing. I loved last week when he said he had to relearn everything Witney had taught him for the contemporary dance...and then went back into a dance with "rules" this week. His mom has raised a really nice young man and I  hope we see lots of good things from him in the future!

This.  Milo is obviously young and enthusiastic, but I don't find otherwise he comes off super young.  There hasn't been endless stressing about his age and other than him mentioning school a handful of times, it hasn't come up much.  So I don't necessarily think Milo would be received all that differently if he were 17 versus his early 20's.  It's not like he's only dancing well and performing well for a 17 year old and we've seen plenty of young stars on this show who were great dancers, so it's not like the bar is super low.  If anything Disney kids are usually good performers. 

I also find people care less about a minor's age when it's a male as opposed to a female.  Double standards and all that, but there tends to be much more hand wringing and pearl clutching over underage girls dancing with grown men than vice versa.  Outside of seeing a few people outraged over Milo's friendship with Alexis, despite the fact that she's only 21, nobody seems to care otherwise.

[Bridget]

Camryn Mannheim did one hell of a job raising her son. I have no doubt that the Milo we see now will be the same Milo we see for the rest of his life. Even though he’s still “psychologically” not an adult, nor is he legally one as well, his approach to life has already developed and is solidified.

I realize Milo had a life that was much more different when he was growing up than the lives my students have, but active parenting doesn’t cost anything. 

I teach high school, but have also taught middle school. As early as grade 7 or 8, many people’s personalities are beginning to form, either in a fortunate way or in a horrible way. I’ve had 9th graders that were much more mature than 11th graders - and they stayed as mature and dedicated to learning during their entire four years of HS. What you saw was what you got, no matter their grade level or age.

I keep in touch with several former students who are now in college and they really are the same exact people they were when I was their teacher, even as 8th graders. The only difference is that they can drive and are taller now! Some of my former students came from a single parent home, some had siblings who were massive screw ups and some were the first in their family to graduate high school. They all had one thing in common: a parent who knew it was their job to raise the best possible person they could. 

Bottom line: it starts at home. Also, it starts as early as possible (2 year olds know they’re manipulating mom & dad), so consistency is the key and it’s got to be implemented as early as possible. It’s the parent(s) who truly influence their kid(s).

I know which kids call the shots at home and which ones have chores to do. I can tell whose parents know about and use the electronic portal to monitor grades & assignments. Sadly, the parents who don’t know (or might not even care) their kid has been failing all year long, despite multiple comments on progress reports/report cards, letters sent home and voice messages usually don’t take the time to communicate with teachers. It’s their kid who suffers. 

The students who aren’t running rampant at home also tend to have better attitudes and are much more open to learning and correcting their mistakes without their egos suffering. They don’t expect a trophy simply for showing up. They stay humble, have goals, work hard and always say “thank you.” 

[calipiano81]

Is there anyone still Team Milo/Witney for the WIN (not just final 2)?

I've rooted for so many female celebs over the years, only to be repeatedly disappointed when they lost out to a charming male.

This season, it was the charming male (Milo) who surprised me and quickly became my favorite. I thought, finally I might be safe for once! But of course, the demographic chooses this season to rally behind the female contender for the win.

On top of that, this is the first season where we won't have a night of full voting after the freestyles, which I think Milo/Witney could have excelled. Now, you know the judges will just score them all 30 (except Bobby's maybe), meaning the winner was already decided last night.

Edited November 14, 2018 by calipiano81

[spanana]

I'd be fine with either an Evanna or Milo win, so I don't care that much.  At one point I thought Milo winning was a lock, but between Bobby's idiotic fanbase and Evanna peaking at the right time, I'm not sure.  I don't think Alexis has a real shot.  Also Milo was good on Monday, but didn't have a stellar night. I think it hurt somewhat that he had an AT shortly performed after JP's AT, so while it was good, it obviously wasn't to the level of JP's...not that most would be.

It's also a bit harder to predict for what you also said re: not having a full night of voting after the freestyles.  A short online voting window might actually benefit Evanna and Milo over someone like Bobby since I expect many of the fans of the former two may be younger and on top of online voting.  Without a full voting window, the voting situation becomes very different and harder to predict. 

I've also seen a lot of people that are fans of both Evanna and Milo start backing Evanna harder in recent weeks.  Partly her arc this season, but also just because Evanna has always seemed way more in danger of elimination so people were trying to save her and get her to the finals.

I do expect a decent upbeat freestyle from Milo though and I think that is what he is good at...something upbeat with youthful exuberance and charm, which IMO could stand out from the other freestyles. I think Evanna is doing something contemporary like and I have no idea on the other two.  I'm hoping Witney delivers the goods for the freestyle.

ETA: Throwing in the pro aspect, it's hard too.  Witney I think is probably well liked by the general public, but she is the only pro in the finale who already has a trophy.  Plus Keo had a really poignant moment on Monday too where he teared up about being in the finals, so that may stick with people. 

Edited November 14, 2018 by spanana

[fpbl83]

I don't think Evanna has the votes to surpass Milo, considering she's been in jeopardy twice while Milo has never been. Witney also has a much bigger fanbase than Keo. I think Emma also had a bigger fanbase when she won than Keo does, because she made the finals with Bill in her first season, followed by 7-8 week runs with Waltrip and Hayes. This is Keo's first finals.

[Nessie]

16 hours ago, calipiano81 said:

Is there anyone still Team Milo/Witney for the WIN (not just final 2)?

I am!  Milo's been my pick since week 3 or 4 (whenever he did that awesome Charleston), and I'm sticking with him.  I won't be mad if Evanna wins, but I'm rooting for Milo.

1 hour ago, spanana said:

I've also seen a lot of people that are fans of both Evanna and Milo start backing Evanna harder in recent weeks.  Partly her arc this season, but also just because Evanna has always seemed way more in danger of elimination so people were trying to save her and get her to the finals.

It's the opposite for me.  I've been splitting my votes between the two, because I wanted to help get Evanna into the finals.  Mission accomplished.  But I want Milo to win, so Monday night all my votes went to him.

[spanana]

16 minutes ago, Nessie said:

I am!  Milo's been my pick since week 3 or 4 (whenever he did that awesome Charleston), and I'm sticking with him.  I won't be mad if Evanna wins, but I'm rooting for Milo.

It's the opposite for me.  I've been splitting my votes between the two, because I wanted to help get Evanna into the finals.  Mission accomplished.  But I want Milo to win, so Monday night all my votes went to him.

Well yes, I think voting strategies change when you get to the finals.  But I guess my point was I see a number of people online who have loyalty split between Evanna and Milo so I'm not sure how their votes are going to go.

[truthaboutluv]

I don't care enough to try and break down all the factors so I'm just going to stick with the same gut feeling that told me Juan Pablo was going to be a shock boot because he was not getting the viewer votes. And that gut feeling tells me Milo's going to win unless Witney totally drops the ball on the freestyle and the others wow. 

[realdancemom]

54 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

I don't care enough to try and break down all the factors so I'm just going to stick with the same gut feeling that told me Juan Pablo was going to be a shock boot because he was not getting the viewer votes. And that gut feeling tells me Milo's going to win unless Witney totally drops the ball on the freestyle and the others wow. 

I split my votes between Milo and Evanna but I only had six votes.  I do think that Milo and Witney are going to win.  I don't think Evanna has the votes.  I was rooting for Milo since he did his Charleston.

ETA - I hope that by me and others splitting votes between Milo and Evanna, it doesn't cause Bobby to win since he has a lot of fans.

Edited November 14, 2018 by realdancemom

[boyznkatz]

I would be fine with Milo winning, although Evanna winning would be a nice surprise.

I think it will be Milo, though. 

[A.Ham]

For me, this season has been strange. Normally I pick one or two people I want to win very early on and generally stick to it. This season was tough to choose who to vote for, since I really liked so many of the contestants, but could have really done without some of the others. Unfortunately, spreading votes only ensures that none of the ones you like move forward, so I was rotating my votes. I did stop caring about Alexis once the abhorrent showmance emerged. 

I want both Milo and Evanna to win, can we make that happen? No? Ok, fine, I will be very happy if either of them wins.

The other two? Meh. 

Edited November 14, 2018 by A.Ham

[calipiano81]

I don't remember ever feeling "I would also be fine if so-and-so won," even if I do enjoy other couples. Whenever I have a favorite, I get so invested that it's all-or-nothing for me. Unfortunately, I keep getting a lot of nothing from this show. With all the Evanna love I am seeing everywhere online, I am expecting to get nothing again this season, which is depressing as heck for me since it started out so promising for Milo. Also, in past seasons, after the final full period of voting, the results would be confirmed the next day. This time, we have to stew in it for a week. That's why I restarted discussion in this thread...to hopefully find some other Milo supporters to ride it out with.

 

2 hours ago, spanana said:

I do expect a decent upbeat freestyle from Milo though and I think that is what he is good at...something upbeat with youthful exuberance and charm, which IMO could stand out from the other freestyles. I think Evanna is doing something contemporary like and I have no idea on the other two.  I'm hoping Witney delivers the goods for the freestyle.

I think that the freestyles, whether good or bad for any of the couples, are not going to have any bearing at all on the winner this season. Much like the Athletes mini-season. The winner was decided by this past Monday night's voting.

 

3 hours ago, spanana said:

Also Milo was good on Monday, but didn't have a stellar night. I think it hurt somewhat that he had an AT shortly performed after JP's AT, so while it was good, it obviously wasn't to the level of JP's...not that most would be.

Did anyone other than Juan Pablo really have a stellar (outstanding or memorable) night, though? With his perfect 60 and elimination, it was Juan Pablo Night at DWTS. And I think Milo was definitely hurt by performing his AT on the same night as Juan Pablo's...I watched Milo's AT online first before any of the other dances and I loved it and thought it was very strong.

[spanana]

9 minutes ago, calipiano81 said:

I don't remember ever feeling "I would also be fine if so-and-so won," even if I do enjoy other couples. Whenever I have a favorite, I get so invested that it's all-or-nothing for me. Unfortunately, I keep getting a lot of nothing from this show. With all the Evanna love I am seeing everywhere online, I am expecting to get nothing again this season, which is depressing as heck for me since it started out so promising for Milo. Also, in past seasons, after the final full period of voting, the results would be confirmed the next day. This time, we have to stew in it for a week. That's why I restarted discussion in this thread...to hopefully find some other Milo supporters to ride it out with.

Did anyone other than Juan Pablo really have a stellar (outstanding or memorable) night, though? With his perfect 60 and elimination, it was Juan Pablo Night at DWTS. And I think Milo was definitely hurt by performing his AT on the same night as Juan Pablo's...I watched Milo's AT online first before any of the other dances and I loved it and thought it was very strong.

I'm often like that too, but it depends on the season.  I just haven't felt that strongly about anybody to be so over the top invested in a long time.  I also try not to be when I can because sometimes it's to the point of being unhealthy on my part.  When I become obsessed, not you...lol.  You should have seen me during the Zendaya/Kellie Pickler season.  For the former, not the latter.  I've definitely been obsessed since that, but that may be my worst.

Also I don't think it's necessarily that Alexis and Evanna did so much better than Milo did on Monday night, but if you were to listen to the judges and go by what they say, it would certainly seem that way and I think some viewers just take the judges and scores at face value.  I think Evanna may have had a stronger night IMO, but probably not Alexis. 

I do just think there is something to be said on this show about story arcs and peaking at the right time.  I'm not saying Evanna will win, but I do think in terms of her story arc she is peaking at the right time and has had all of her strongest dances down the homestretch of the season.  With Milo, he hasn't quite had the same arc.  For the most part he's been consistently good but I'd argue his best dancers were earlier in the season.  I think the arc with Alexis is mostly manufactured as she seems pretty much the same to me as when she started.  The only development is the showmance.

[A.Ham]

Calipiano81, If it makes you feel any better, I did throw all my 12 votes to Milo. No sense in diluting the very few votes we do have.

[calipiano81]

40 minutes ago, A.Ham said:

Calipiano81, If it makes you feel any better, I did throw all my 12 votes to Milo. No sense in diluting the very few votes we do have.

:)

And I appreciate everyone's responses.

Edited November 14, 2018 by calipiano81

[BrainyBlonde]

All 18 votes of my votes went to Milo this week. He's been my favorite since Week One and I've enjoyed all of his dances. It made me mad the judges decided to get nitpicky and lowball him this week. I love his partnership with Witney, who's really come alive creatively with him this season, and I love Milo's wonderful attitude and maturity. He's such a talented young man who I hope will go far with his career! Having said all that, I will be happy to see Evanna win as well, but Milo better at least get second place!

[spanana]

I probably will throw either Milo or Evanna some votes after the freestyles depending on what they do.  My gut is I will probably throw them to Milo since he captured me first, but I do want to see the freestyles first.  I definitely plan to vote, even if its largely just in an attempt to keep Bobby from winning.  Sometimes when I vote in the finale it's because I strongly want somebody to win.  Sometimes it's more to keep someone from winning.

Edited November 15, 2018 by spanana