Netflix Eric series shines a light on 12-year-old Ivan Howe and has fans wanting to know more about the young rising star.
The six-part miniseries stars Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch as a troubled puppeteer in 1980s New York, dealing with an unhappy marriage and a volatile personality.
Then she finds herself in a terrifying situation when her son Edgar goes missing, which leads her to substance abuse, convinced that one of her dolls can help her reunite with her child.
Millbrook, New York native Ivan Howe will appear alongside Cumberbatch in the lead role of Edgar.
4 things you need to know about Eric’s Ivan Howe
Ivan’s best friend got him into acting
As told in an interview with The Lakeview Journal, Ivan Howe was inspired to act by one of his close friends, Harriet Luongo.
He first saw Luongo in the production Oliver years ago enjoying his performance and “(want to) try” after seeing him on stage. He then enrolled in his first theater group and began acting in school plays:
“Actually, I was first introduced to acting by my best friend who does ‘Oliver!’ as well, Harriet (Luongo), I saw her in ‘Oliver!’ Five or seven years ago, I thought her acting on stage was super cool and I thought I’d give it a try, so my mom signed me up first to another theater group called SRO – Standing Room Only – and then. I did this and one school play.”
Ivan played the lead role in Oliver
After seeing his friend perform OliverHowe had his own opportunity to star in that show in a 2023 production in Sharon, Connecticut.
He shared his excitement about his role on Instagram in July 2023, praising the cast of the series and expressing his respect:
“It was such an honor to play Oliver at the Sharon Playhouse with such an amazing cast! Tickets are linked in the bio and the show runs August 4th – August 20th!”
About a month after the show ended, she shared a series of photos from her performance on Instagram, describing it as one of the best experiences of her life.
In a Berkshire On Stage review, the show’s young cast was highly praised, although Howe stood out.
The review highlighted her singing “strong performance on stage” highlight, praising him for his ability to work with his fellow actors:
“This group of youngsters, mostly number one, is exceptional, especially young Howe and Phoebe Amankwah’s Artful Dodger.
The performances are universally impressive. Young Howe has a pleasant singing voice, but it is his strong stage presence that commands attention. An important talent is that he knows how to listen to his co-stars and react to them.”
Ivan found 1 Oliver’s song particularly difficult
While Howe excelled in his performance as the titular Oliver, the song “Where is Love?” presented him with challenges he had never faced before.
In a chat with The Lakeville Journal, Howe explained how she had to cry during her performance, noting how challenging it is because she relates to the character.
In addition, the song requires the ability to perform difficult dance moves, which he had to work through when there was no dance practice before the performance:
“In ‘Where Is Love,’ where Oliver talks about that feeling, I have to cry in it, and that’s been challenging because I really have to connect with the character to do that. I’m also not the best dancer, I don’t have dance training, so the choreography always requires a little practice.”
That didn’t stop him from enjoying the experience though, gushing about how great his acting was and how much he enjoyed working with everyone:
Q: “What is your favorite part of this show?”
Howe: “I really like everyone here. Everyone is very nice. And I also like the show a lot. I think it’s really interesting and a lot of fun to be a part of.”
Netflix’s Eric is Ivan’s first role on screen
After starting his acting career in several stage productions, Eric marks a huge turning point for Ivan Howe as he takes on his first screen role.
Howe plays Edgar Anderson, the son of Benedict Cumberbatch’s protagonist Vincent Anderson.
After a heated argument between his parents, Vincent allows Edgar to walk the school route alone, which consists of only a few blocks. Unfortunately, he never makes it to school because he disappears, and Vincent found his coat on the street at the end of the first episode.
Celebrating the show’s debut on Instagram, she shared pictures from various parties with her family and friends on Instagram. He also showed off a small yellow wallpaper statue he got from Netflix to celebrate his role in the series, as the caption mentions:
“ERIC premiered yesterday! I had the pleasure of sharing it with my friends and family. Thank you to everyone who came to The Movie House last night, including our brilliant manager April Baker. And a special thanks to Netflix and Netflix UK for a great ERIC pass. board (picture 2)!”
How to follow Ivan Howe online
Those who wish to keep up with Ivan Howe online can do so on his Instagram (@theivanhowe).
Eric now streaming on Netflix.
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