“Zach is a force to be reckoned with.”
At least, that’s how his mother and father individually described him. A senior at George Mason High School, Zach “Fabio” (as he calls himself) Ellis is likely one of the most well-known students in the building.
You may recall him from his YouTube channel, from the announcements he makes on the loudspeaker each morning, or from his title as the 2016 Mr. Mason. Many students, faculty, and parents alike saw Ellis rip off his spiderman mask at the Mr. and Miss Mason Competiton, but few truly know the man behind the mask.
Ellis was born in American Fork, Utah, while his parents were attending Brigham Young University, the same university he himself plans to attend. He spent his childhood moving amongst various cities in Utah, California, Virginia, and Wyoming before finally settling in Falls Church City in 5th grade. However, Ellis didn’t discover his passion of filmmaking until the following year.
Ellis first began directing and editing his own videos after appearing in the videos of a friend.
“I thought it was fun,” he said, “but I also wanted more creative freedom.”
Consequently, Ellis coined his alter ego of “The Angel of Deathish” and took to directing and editing with ease. Ellis currently has 109 subscribers, and his most views, a little over two thousand, on his video Crazy Dentist Attack.
“It’s a good video and I’m glad [it has that many views],” he said. “But it still has some issues because I filmed it with a bad camera.”
Always a perfectionist, it’s not unusual for Zach to pull all-nighters editing his videos until they meet his standards. However, he has no critiques for his most recent video, Farm Animals. “Without a doubt [it’s my favorite film I’ve ever made],” he said. “I think everything in it is great.”
No, Ellis has never been shy about speaking his mind, especially about himself.
“I’m the people’s champ,” he informed me. Furthermore, while interviewing him, he instructed me to “write [this profile] so it seems like I’m bragging.” And according to himself, Ellis has no hidden talents. “All my talents are visible.” he said.
However, Ellis doesn’t have to do much bragging about his talents, for those close to him often oblige. His greatest talent, perhaps, lies in his skill in playing the Gamecube game Super Smash Bros Melee.
“He’s so good; he can beat anyone,” said Ben Ellis, his 13 year old brother. “He’s a beast,” agreed Abe Ellis, Zach’s seven year old brother.
Indeed, Ellis spends much of his down time at home “walk[ing] around with his headphones on, playing Super Smash,” said his father, Josh Ellis.
While though at school Zach “is quite a vocal student,’” said his English teacher Ms. Tooze, he is quite different at home. Zach fills any silences in class, while at home he “hides like a bear in a cave,” said his parents, Josh and Holly Ellis. He also isn’t very vocal, and tends to grunt, murmur, or point at something instead of speaking He always has his headphones on, and it’s not uncommon for this to lead to a humorous home occurrence: “When you try to talk to him he can’t hear you, and then you talk a little louder, and he still can’t hear you, so you talk really loud, and then he turns to you, takes off his headphones, and says ‘WHY ARE YOU YELLING AT ME?’ ” said Ellis’s father.
Ellis’ behavior at home doesn’t differ from school in every area, though. He has consistently been able to be some form of Spider-Man in both environments. “In the lunch line, some kid [once] addressed me as Spider-Man,” said Ellis, “and I think that’s the closest to being Spider-Man I will actually feel.” However, besides his Mr. Mason performance, Ellis may have been closer to being Spider-Man in his infancy. Though most children first learn to move by crawling, Ellis didn’t like the feel of the carpets so he “spider-walked on all fours,” said his mother.
And while Ellis is “the nicest brother ever,” according to his five year old sister, Rosemary Ellis, that may not have always been the case.
“When he was a little kid, he was getting pushed around on the playground,” said his father, and “I told him, ‘Zach, don’t let people push you around, or they’ll push you around for the rest of your life. Next time that kid pushes you around, you just push him right back, and jump on him.’ Minutes later, when Zach’s father was chatting with some other parents, a small child ran up crying and then said, “a kid pushed me down and jumped on me!” Zach then ran up to his father and said “Hey dad, I did what you said, I pushed him down and jumped on top of him!” They then “quickly left the playground,” laughs Ellis’s father.
However, that’s all in joking, and Ellis certainly seems to be esteemed in good character by those around him. “He’s handsome and a hard worker,” said his father. In his father’s opinion, the only way he could improve is by “listen[ing] to more Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.”
Ellis’s mother has similar opinions. “He’s incredibly determined, and he’s really socially suave,” she said. “He’s witty, he has a way with words, and he’s really good at conversation.” And while Ellis may be “socially engaging,” it’s his determination that has led him to becoming a valedictorian, and is the trait that those around him believe will take him far.
The strong opinions of his parents just might be stronger than Ellis’s opinions of himself.
When Ellis and I concluded our interview, we were listening to Defying Gravity from the musical Wicked, and his description of the song seems to be a perfect metaphor for his life.
“I think it is a wonderful song with themes about success and achievement, friendship, the power of friendship, and hard work,” said Ellis, “and I hope one day I’m Galinda and me and whoever Elphaba is can one day perform a number as beautiful as this.”
Whether or not your Elphaba is an Academy Award, we can’t wait to see what gravity-defying heights you’ll reach, Zach. Good luck.
