Milo Manheim is the youngest celebrity competing in season 27 of “Dancing with the Stars.” He’s 17, so I wonder if he just missed the cutoff for “Dancing with the Stars: Juniors.” He starred in the 2018 Disney Channel movie “Zombies,” and he’s the son of Emmy-winning actress Camryn Manheim (“The Practice”). But can he dance? Before he enters the ballroom on September 24, let’s weigh the pros and cons.
PROS
Manheim is musically inclined, appearing in a stage production titled “Generation Me” at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2017. He also has experience playing guitar, drums and piano. So the musicality of dancing may come more naturally to him than it does to other celebs.
The young actor is also athletically inclined: he enjoys volleyball, football and soccer. So he should be able to keep up with the grueling “DWTS” training regimen.
His pro partner is Witney Carson, who is 24 so there’s no awkwardly large age difference between them that might affect their ability to connect with each other on the dance floor. Carson has also had success with former child stars, winning the Mirror Ball with Alfonso Ribeiro in season 19 and reaching the finals with Frankie Muniz in season 25.
CONS
Besides “Zombies,” Manheim doesn’t have many acting credits yet, so he may not have an established fan base he can rely on to vote for him. And the fans he does have may skew a lot younger than likely “DWTS” viewers. The same problems may have led to the downfall of fellow Disney Channel star Jake T. Austin, who was the first celeb eliminated in season 23.
The youngest male winner in “DWTS” history was Jordan Fisher, who was 23 when he prevailed a year ago in season 25. A few teenage girls have won the Mirror Ball Trophy over the years (Shawn Johnson, Bindi Irwin and Laurie Hernandez), but no teenage boys have. Will he have the maturity and stage presence to lead his pro partner confidently across the dance floor?
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