“I’ve always wanted to have a super power,” said 13-year-old Santa Clarita resident Evan Hannemann. “It’s been killing me since I was a kid.”
Like most boys, Evan has wanted super powers since before he was tall enough to ride a Batman roller coaster. Unlike most boys, however, Evan’s dream came true. As a child actor, the stage has brought comic book pages to life for Evan, and taught him about family. It’s helped him make friends in and outside the entertainment industry and, above all, identified his life’s passion before he even walks onto a high school campus. A born performer, Evan’s love for the stage struck early on.
“When I first moved here, I didn’t really know what to do,” he said. “My musical theatre director liked the way my voice sounded and had me audition.”
Instantly, Evan found a sense of belonging under the spotlight.
“Performing felt so amazing to me,” he said. “I knew right then and there that’s what I wanted to do.”
Immediately, he jumped into the entertainment world with his parents’ guidance. Quickly, he got a bite. Evan auditioned for the role of young Ben Grimm – better known as The Thing – in the recently released blockbuster film “Fantastic Four.” An avid comic book fan, Evan was thrilled to appear in this film – so thrilled, he refused to be nervous.
“The first day of filming, I walked on set and looked around. It all became so real,” he said. “I felt really excited, but I don’t like to get nervous. It makes me look unprofessional. So I just remembered what an awesome project it was to work on.”
The overall experience solidified his dream to be an actor. Evan loved being a part of the origins story of some of his favorite comic book characters, and he enjoyed getting to know the other actors, as well. Miles Teller and Owen Judge, who played the young and adult Reed Richards characters, respectively, became on-set friends. “They were all really nice people,” Evan said. “It was an amazing experience to play in one of my favorite Marvel movies.”
Though the comic book film was Evan’s introduction to professional acting, it wasn’t his last experience on set. Shortly after, Evan secured the part of Barefoot Dave on ABC’s comedy “Fresh Off the Boat.” Abandoned by his father, Barefoot Dave is raised by his mother, who sometimes spoils him. Instantly charming and, at turns, hilarious and endearing, Evan is a natural fit for the character.
“‘Fresh Off the Boat’ is a lot of fun,” Evan said. “I get to hang out with more people my age, and they are just a really fun group.”
As Evan settles into his new role, his dreams for the stage become even clearer.
“I want to be on set doing what I love,” he said. “My dream job is to play a character with a special ability of some sort.”
By Evan’s standards, it looks like his dreams may just come true.
