A 10-year-old Fil-Am is performing across the US for Les Miserables national tour
Photos from milomaharlika/Instagram
Tapping into the modern era where breaking barriers is now the norm is Milo Maharlika, the first Filipino American to play Gavroche in Les Misérables.
Currently on its eighth month run of the Broadway musical’s national US tour, the 10-year-old powerhouse plays a role that’s usually given to Caucasian talents in the US theater market.
Maharlika’s family moved to Thailand during the pandemic where he honed his craft, taking up theater acting, dance, and music workshops. When his family returned to the US, they moved to Los Angeles where they currently reside.
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Milo Maharlika’s acting legacy
Born in Hawaii to a Filipino dad and mom from Guam, entertainment runs in Maharlika’s veins. His father Ajax Maharlika is an actor who worked with big names like Dwayne Johnson and Michael Fassbender.
Having been exposed to the spotlight at a young age, he had appeared in short films, commercials, plays, and movies. Maharlika made his first on-screen appearance at a mere six months old.
Last Thanksgiving, Maharlika took a break and went back to Hawaii. In an exclusive interview, he shared the ups and downs of traveling young for work.
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“It’s really fun so far, and I’ve gotten to meet many people along the way,” he shared. The hardest part for him is “Performing every single day, we only get one day off, and it’s kind of sad because you get comfortable in one place and then have to go to another one.”
While he’s one of the youngest actors stealing the spotlight in Les Misérables, it wasn’t a struggle for him as he sees himself in his character Gavroche—a street-smart and homeless kid.
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Drawing parallels between himself and his Les Misérables character, he says, “He’s a young revolutionary, he’s charismatic, he’s charming, he’s a born leader, and that’s really just like me.”
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Amid the months of long tours across the US, it’s not all glitz and glam with him being away from home. But what keeps this young actor going? “I love performing in front of a crowd each night, expressing my emotions through my art and inspiring people to see that they can follow their dreams just like I did,” Maharlika said in an interview with SoCal Filipinos.
What’s next for this Fil-Am talent?
If you missed watching this kid sensation, Les Misérables has extended its tour, hitting 23 cities in the next 26 weeks. From Palm Desert, California to Canada, the Broadway show continues to make waves.
For tickets and showtimes, head over to lesmis.com.
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