Ethan DeLorenzo’s high school diploma was barely a few hours old when he packed his bags, said goodbye to his family and moved to Brooklyn, New York.
“I had one month of rent saved up. I was completely unprepared in most people’s perspective. I was way too ambitious at a young age,” said DeLorenzo, recalling the move the evening of his 2009 graduation from Hazleton Area High School. “I’m a Pisces, a dreamer.”
In the six-plus years he has been away from his native West Hazleton, he has broken into the music industry and launched a career in photography. And while he has worked with some of the entertainment industry’s most talented, DeLorenzo has mostly stayed behind the scenes.
But that all changed recently, when “Hunger Games” actress Jena Malone announced via social media that she is expecting a baby with DeLorenzo.
“We are happily pregnant and creating a family. I’m very excited to be a father,” DeLorenzo wrote in an email to the Standard-Speaker.
News of the pregnancy spread quickly among media outlets, even prompting an article on Bustle.com titled, “Who Is Ethan DeLorenzo?”
DeLorenzo grew up on East Green Street, a son of Joe and Diane DeLorenzo.
“Many days spent at Fifth Street Playground and running around the neighborhood,” he wrote. “My whole childhood was in West Hazleton. Great childhood memories. We never had much money but we always had a lot of love. My parents and sister (Kristi DeLorenzo) were really supportive of my wild imagination.”
In school, he favored broadcasting and music theory classes, and never took the SAT because college wasn’t in his plans.
“I moved to Brooklyn graduation night of high school. I said my goodbyes to my family and drove to my apartment late that night. It’s not easy leaving everyone you love,” he said.
DeLorenzo had a job lined up with music recording engineer Ryan West, who taught him the technical side of recording music.
“One of the first songs I was a part of with him was for a T.I. and Rihanna song at Jay Z’s Baseline Studios. That was a childhood dream come true,” he said. “I used to sit in my room and read the liner notes of albums.”
Next up was a job at Cutting Room studios in SoHo, where he worked with many artists he grew up admiring.
It wasn’t easy, though.
“It was always a struggle with money, I had to work part-time jobs sometimes to survive. But it’s always worth it,” he said. “Brooklyn at that time was so exciting. So much creativity and youth. It helped solidify the artist inside me and recognize that my dreams weren’t just dreams, they can become a reality.”
DeLorenzo spent three years in New York City, then moved to Los Angeles. All the while, he was creating music and shooting photos.
“The talent and people I’ve met have led me to many incredible moments and lots of traveling,” he said.
He and Malone met through a mutual friend, poet Jacqueline Suskin.
“The rest is history. We fell in love. She’s incredible,” he said of Malone, who has also starred in the movies “Donnie Darko,” “Pride & Prejudice” and “Into the Wild.”
In announcing the pregnancy, Malone posted a photo of her growing belly on Instagram. The photo, she captioned, was “taken by my beautiful hearted baby daddy.”
“It’s with two feet firmly on the ground and a heart swelling in an ocean of love that I’d like to share the new shape I am becoming to hold the greatest dream of them all,” Malone wrote.
On his website, www.ethandelorenzo.com, DeLorenzo has a number of photos of Malone, other well-known faces and places in the Hazleton area.
“Photography is a love of mine, Jena and I share that love,” he said.
The two just moved from Los Angeles to a place DeLorenzo called “the middle of nowhere.” There, they plan to create a home.
When the baby arrives, DeLorenzo said he wants to be “the best father I can be, like my father was to me.” He also plans to bring the baby to the Hazleton area.
“It’s where I grew up. It’s where my family lives. I’m excited to take my child on adventures and to my secret nature spots,” he said.
Until then, DeLorenzo will continue producing music for a number of artists including folk performer IMRI and the group HOME. He’s also finishing up a short film with director Jem Goulding and working on a music video.
Life, he said, has been flowing like a river.
There are still things, however, that he misses about his hometown.
“My family,” he wrote. “My grandparents. Getting to spend time with my Gran Nancy (Majchrowicz). I talk to my grandmother every week. She has a lot to do with the person I am today. I enjoy visiting and going down memory lane. Running into people I grew up with. Visiting 4th Street Pub, Senape’s, Jimmy’s and Third Base of course. Knotty Pines, we miss you. It will always be my hometown. I love the history of the town. I am proud of it.”
In his email, DeLorenzo, who is also a grandson of Leo Majchrowicz and Jean DeLorenzo, talked about his hopes for the area.
“I encourage people to be hopeful. Make the town a better place. Work hard, don’t give up on what you love,” he wrote. “Magic comes from community and unity. Family businesses are what made the town a magical place. Support family-owned businesses like Thomas’s. Support the beautiful diversity and culture coming to town, don’t fight it.”
Furthermore, he wrote, “Last but not least, respect your elders. The elderly community in Hazleton have incredible stories. Speak to them, learn from them. They are strong souls, treat them kindly.”