The former “Dancing With the Stars” pro takes on his first scripted lead, embracing mobile-first storytelling in My Drama’s bold new series.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy is trading the ballroom for a remote wilderness cabin.
The longtime Dancing With the Stars favorite is starring in Wild Silence, a new vertical drama series for Holywater Tech’s My Drama platform.
The project marks his first leading role in a scripted series — and signals a fresh chapter for the professional dancer turned performer.
In Wild Silence, Chmerkovskiy plays Jack, a grieving widower who rescues a young woman named Camilla after a suicide attempt. She wakes up in his isolated cabin, and what begins as a tense situation slowly unfolds into a quiet, emotional journey.
As the two face their pain and isolation, they begin to form a careful bond that forces them to confront their pasts.
For Chmerkovskiy, the role was more than just a career move — it was a creative risk.
“Wild Silence was an opportunity to step into a completely different kind of storytelling,” he shared in a statement. He described the series as intimate and emotionally raw, adding that the vertical format reflects how many viewers now watch content — on their phones, in short-form episodes designed for mobile screens.
Best known for competing in 17 seasons of Dancing With the Stars before leaving the show in 2018, Chmerkovskiy has built his public image around movement and performance. This time, he leans into stillness and subtle emotion.
The series challenges him to express vulnerability in close-up, without the glitter of the ballroom.
Produced in collaboration with Alexander Kane, co-founder of Skyframe Films, and directed by Mila Pohrebynska, Wild Silence also represents a milestone for the fast-growing vertical content space.
It is the first U.S. vertical series to feature a reality TV star in a leading role.
The show streams on My Drama, one of several platforms under Holywater Tech, which also operates My Passion and the AI-focused streaming service My Muse. The company has been expanding quickly.
In 2025, Fox Entertainment acquired an equity stake in Holywater and began active production on 200 original microdramas and vertical series for the platform.
Holywater also recently announced a multi-year partnership with Dhar Mann Studios to produce 40 narrative-driven vertical titles exclusively for My Drama.
For Chmerkovskiy, Wild Silence isn’t just a new role — it’s a step into a changing entertainment world.
