Ethan from Never Have I Ever: Actor, Age, & Relationship

Few shows manage to introduce a new character in their final season and make him feel essential. But when Ethan Morales rolls up to Sherman Oaks High on a skateboard in Never Have I Ever season 4, he does more than just catch Devi Vishwakumar’s eye — he becomes the catalyst for her last big stretch of growth. Portrayed by actor Michael Cimino, this late-series addition left fans with plenty of questions about who he is, where he came from, and whether he and Devi would last.

Actor: Michael Cimino · Character: Ethan Morales · Show: Never Have I Ever · Season Introduced: Season 4 · Actor Age (2024): 25 · Character Age: 17–18 (senior year)

The character was designed as a late-series disruptor — someone who would challenge Devi’s expectations and push her toward her final choice.

Here’s everything we know about Ethan from Never Have I Ever.

Who plays Ethan in Never Have I Ever?

Ethan Morales is portrayed by Michael Cimino, an American actor who joined the cast for the show’s fourth and final season. The season was released on June 8, 2023, on Netflix (Wikipedia). Cimino was 23 years old when he stepped into the role (Seventeen).

Michael Cimino: Actor Biography

• Born on November 10, 1999, in Las Vegas, Nevada (Wikipedia)
• Raised in Las Vegas before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting
• Described as being of Italian-German and Puerto Rican descent (Capital FM)
• Has spoken about not wanting to limit how he identifies publicly (Wikipedia)
• Openly identifies as straight (Wikipedia)

Other notable roles

Before joining Never Have I Ever, Michael Cimino was best known for playing Victor Salazar in the Hulu series Love, Victor (Wikipedia). He also appeared in the 2019 horror film Annabelle Comes Home and had guest roles in Bizaardvark and American Housewife (Wikipedia).

The implication: Cimino’s career trajectory — from Disney Channel guest spots to leading a Hulu teen drama to joining a Netflix hit — shows a steady climb through the YA entertainment space.

Is Ethan Indian in Never Have I Ever?

Ethan Morales is not Indian. His ethnicity is never explicitly stated in the show, but the character is presented as a Latino teenager (Never Have I Ever Wiki). The Fandom wiki describes him as a “Latino teenage boy,” and his last name, Morales, reflects that background.

Ethan’s ethnic background

• The show does not directly address Ethan’s ethnicity in dialogue
• His surname Morales is of Spanish origin
• The actor Michael Cimino is of Italian-German and Puerto Rican descent (Capital FM)
• Ethan is not coded as Indian or South Asian

Representation in the show

Never Have I Ever built its reputation on diverse representation, with a predominantly South Asian cast led by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi. Ethan’s character adds a different flavor of diversity to the mix. Unlike Devi’s previous love interests — Ben Gross (played by Jaren Lewison, who is Jewish) and Paxton Hall-Yoshida (played by Darren Barnet, who is of Japanese and Cherokee descent) — Ethan brings a Latino presence to the show’s romantic landscape.

The pattern: the show’s creators, Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, consistently chose love interests who reflected different backgrounds, making Devi’s romantic journey also a story about cross-cultural connection.

How old is Ethan supposed to be in Never Have I Ever?

Ethan is a senior at Sherman Oaks High School, which places him at 17 to 18 years old during the events of season 4 (Seventeen).

Character age vs. actor age

• Ethan Morales: 17–18 (senior year)
• Michael Cimino: 23 during filming, 24–25 as of 2024 (Wikipedia)
• The age gap between actor and character is roughly 6 years

This kind of age gap is standard in teen TV. Most actors in Never Have I Ever were older than their characters — Darren Barnet (Paxton) was 32 during the final season, while Jaren Lewison (Ben) was 22 (YouTube recap).

Senior year timeline

What happened to Ethan from Never Have I Ever?

Ethan’s arc in Never Have I Ever season 4 follows a classic “bad boy” trajectory: introduction, romance, conflict, and exit. He appears in multiple episodes before his storyline concludes.

Introduction in season 4

• Ethan is introduced in the season 4 premiere as a new student at Sherman Oaks High
• He has a “skater vibe” and immediately catches Devi’s attention (Seventeen)
• He is described as the “resident bad boy” (Wikipedia)
• Devi is drawn to his confidence and rebellious attitude

Relationship with Devi

Ethan and Devi begin flirting early in the season. They kiss at a party Ethan hosts, and that moment sparks a short-lived romantic relationship (Never Have I Ever Wiki). According to the show’s Wikipedia page, Devi and Ethan start a sexual relationship before everything falls apart (Wikipedia).

The turning point comes when Ethan steals the wallet of a visiting Princeton representative — a moment that reveals his immaturity and forces Devi to confront what she really wants (Wikipedia). Devi breaks up with him in episode 4 after the incident (Never Have I Ever Wiki).

Exit from the show

After the breakup, Ethan fades from the main storyline. He makes a brief appearance in the season finale, but by then Devi has moved on — both emotionally and romantically. Since Never Have I Ever ended with season 4, there are no plans for Ethan to return in any future project (Wikipedia).

The trade-off: Ethan’s purpose was never to be a permanent fixture. He exists to shake Devi out of her patterns one last time, and once that job is done, the show lets him go.

Do Devi and Ethan end up together?

No, Devi and Ethan do not end up together. Their relationship is brief and ultimately serves as a stepping stone in Devi’s journey toward her final choice.

Relationship arc

• Ethan and Devi date for a few episodes in the middle of season 4
• The relationship is intense but short — a few weeks at most
• Tensions arise from Ethan’s reckless behavior and Devi’s conflicting priorities
• Devi ends things after the Princeton wallet incident

Finale outcome

In the series finale, Devi makes her final romantic choice — and it’s not Ethan. She chooses Ben Gross, her academic rival and on-again, off-again love interest throughout the entire series (Wikipedia). Ethan appears briefly in the finale but his role is peripheral.

Timeline: Ethan’s arc in Never Have I Ever

Five episodes, one complete arc: Ethan’s story moves from introduction to exit in a tight, purposeful sequence.

The sequence makes clear that Ethan’s arc was designed to accelerate Devi’s final growth, not to compete for long-term screen time.

What we know and what’s unclear

Confirmed facts

• Ethan is played by Michael Cimino (Wikipedia)
• Ethan is a love interest in Season 4 (Wikipedia)
• Devi and Ethan break up after the Princeton wallet incident (Wikipedia)
• Ethan is not Indian (Never Have I Ever Wiki)
• Michael Cimino was born on November 10, 1999 (Wikipedia)
• Ethan’s last appearance is in the season 4 finale (Wikipedia)

What’s unclear

• Exact ethnicity of Ethan (not explicitly stated in the show)
• Whether Ethan will appear in any spin-off or future project
• Michael Cimino’s exact age during filming (estimated at 23 based on the 2023 release date) (Seventeen)

Key quotes

“I don’t want to put myself in a box.”

— Michael Cimino, on not limiting how he identifies publicly (Wikipedia)

“Devi and Ethan began a sexual relationship before breaking up after Ethan stole from a visiting Princeton representative.”

— Never Have I Ever plot summary (Wikipedia)

“Ethan is described as the Sherman Oaks resident bad boy.”

— Seventeen magazine, on the character’s role in the show (Seventeen)

Ethan Morales may have been a late addition to the Never Have I Ever universe, but his role was precisely calibrated. He enters Devi’s life at a moment when she’s supposed to be focused on her future, and his recklessness forces her to recognize what she actually values in a partner. For fans who followed Devi’s journey from season 1, the choice between Ben and Ethan was never really a choice — Ethan was always going to be the lesson, not the destination.

Frequently asked questions