Will Ahern

William James Ahern (October 9, 1896 – May 16, 1983) was an American vaudeville entertainer and Broadway performer born in Waterbury, Connecticut. He is best known for his comedy duo act with his wife, Gladys Reese Ahern, which combined rope tricks, comedic song and dance, and multilingual performance across decades of stage work in the United States and Europe.

Ahern's connection to performance began early. In 1909, he reportedly joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West troupe following a local appearance, and it was during his time with that show that he learned rope spinning. His first formal stage performance came in 1913 at the Lyric Theater in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he performed a comedic rope-spinning act. He subsequently worked in circuses and with the Oklahoma Ranch and 101 Ranch shows, where he performed trick riding and roping. During World War I, Ahern served in the Navy and performed in shows for Liberty Loan drives. Following the war, he and a partner named Joe O'Hare performed a mind-reading act aboard the George Washington, a ship transporting U.S. delegates to Europe for the peace conference.

After parting ways with O'Hare, Ahern performed as a solo act until meeting Gladys Reese in Chicago in 1919. The two formed a partnership that became the centerpiece of his career. Their act featured Gladys dancing inside the open lasso Ahern twirled, along with comedic song and dance numbers performed together both inside and outside the rope. Gladys also sang and danced using a Mexican accent as part of their routine. The Aherns performed in German, French, Italian, and Spanish, which allowed them to work extensively in Europe as American vaudeville declined in popularity. During World War II, they appeared in performances for soldiers abroad. The duo also appeared in RKO studio shorts during the 1930s.

Ahern's Broadway career spanned from 1927 to 1930. He appeared in the musical Sidewalks of New York, which ran from October 3, 1927 to January 7, 1928, playing the roles of Goofy and Willie. He then appeared in Simple Simon, running from February 18, 1930 to June 14, 1930, in the role of Jack Horner. Beyond Broadway, Ahern had an uncredited bit part in the film Hello, Dolly!, in which he danced with Barbra Streisand. His last stage appearance was in a 1980 production of Guys and Dolls.

For many years, Ahern and his wife operated Rainbow Studios, a rehearsal space located one block north of Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood, California. He was also a member and officer of the Hollywood Comedy Club. Ahern died on May 16, 1983, at the age of 86.