Ethan Herisse
Ethan Herisse | |
|---|---|
Ethan Herisse at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival | |
| Born | Ethan Henry Herisse September 24, 2000 |
| Alma mater | University of California, Irvine |
| Occupation | Actor |
Ethan Herisse (born September 24, 2000)[1] is a Haitian-American actor. He is best known for his role as young Yusef Salaam on the Netflix original series When They See Us (2019) and as Elwood in the Academy Award nominated film Nickel Boys (2024).
Early life and education
Herisse was born in Miami, Florida to Haitian parents and spent his early childhood in Randolph, Massachusetts.[2][3]
Herisse had aspirations to be a basketball player until he accompanied his younger sister to an acting class and soon began performing. After his parents asked him if he wanted to pursue acting seriously at age 11, the family moved to Los Angeles, California.[4]
In 2024, Herisse received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from University of California, Irvine.[5]
Career
Herisse spent his middle and high school years in Burbank going to auditions between classes, acting in guest roles on shows like The Mindy Project, About a Boy, and Key & Peele.[5]
At 17, Herisse was cast in his breakthrough role as Yusef Salaam, a real-life member of the Central Park Five, in Ava DuVernay’s Netflix miniseries, When They See Us.[4] He was nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special at the 51st NAACP Image Awards in 2020.[6]
Herisse landed the lead role of Elwood in RaMell Ross' Nickel Boys (2024), an adaptation of Colson Whitehead's novel.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Miss Virginia | Jerome | |
| 2024 | The American Society of Magical Negroes | Dashawn | |
| 2024 | Nickel Boys | Elwood |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–2013 | Go On | Nate | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | The Mindy Project | Jean Jean | Episode: My Cool Christian Boyfriend |
| 2014 | About a Boy | Jordan | Episode: About a Vasectomy |
| 2014 | Key & Peele | Student #1 | Episode: Sex Addict Wendell |
| 2019 | When They See Us | Yusef Salaam (Teen) | Lead role, 4 episodes |
| 2022 | Chicago Med | Emmanuel Sanon | Episode: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished... in Chicago |
References
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ^ "Ethan Herisse Actor Interview". Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ AnOther (2025-04-21). "Nickel Boys Star Ethan Herisse Is Ready to Step Into the Spotlight". AnOther. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ^ a b "Empire Spotlight: Nickel Boys' Ethan Herisse Is Searching For Truth". Empire. 2025-01-03. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ^ a b Rankin, Seija (2024-12-18). "Ethan Herisse's 'Nickel Boys' Dreams Have Already Come True". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-02-17.
- ^ "Nominees Announced for 51st NAACP Image Awards | NAACP". naacp.org. 2020-01-09. Retrieved 2026-02-18.