Ethan Itzkow was born just outside of Chicago in Lincolnwood, IL. He is the first in his family to pursue a career in the arts, his mother having been a contract lawyer and his father a defense attorney and entrepreneur.

He attended Ithaca College in their BFA department before deciding to leave the school for different training, and attended the Lee Strasberg institute in New York. In addition to his acting, he is also a produced playwright.