Five years ago, an amateur boxing sensation and gymnast in his pre-teens named Javon “Wanna” Walton appeared as a guest on Steve Harvey’s daytime talk show. Within seconds of making his debut on syndicated television, the charismatic 11-year-old performed a spirited boxing presentation with his father, before he boldly propped himself on top of Steve Harvey’s desk and back-flipped through the air, landing squarely on his feet. Little did he know that his perfect dismount in front of a live studio audience would also land him the role of a lifetime in HBO’s hit series, “Euphoria.” And the rest, as they say, is history.

 

“A casting director from ‘Euphoria’ saw me on Steve Harvey’s show and asked if I was interested in acting,” Javon said, as he recounted the life-changing phone call that he received shortly after being interviewed by Steve Harvey. “It’s not something that I ever did before, so it was a confusing space [at first.] But I ended up trying out and I got [the role of Ashtray] immediately.” Up until that point, Javon had spent the majority of his life being trained by his father, DJ Walton, to become a boxer. But once he flashed his pizzazz on syndicated television, the producers at HBO were hell-bent on converting the young dual-sport athlete into a triple threat. In wake of Javon’s interview with Steve Harvey, the visionaries behind “Euphoria” believed that they had just discovered a hidden gem with the potential to add personality and glaring characteristics to the role of a gun-wielding drug dealer with face tattoos. Initially, the show’s creators wanted someone much older to play the role of Ashtray, but once Javon performed a cold read, at the tender age of twelve, they flipped the script and penciled him in as a member of the main cast. “At first, I had problems pronouncing the drug names right,” said Javon with a slight chuckle. “[The casting directors] were going for an older kid and a bigger kid but they ended up liking my look for it, so I got chosen for Euphoria.”

 

In the years that followed, the adolescent actor would go on to become America’s most beloved on-screen drug dealer. Or better yet, the baby-faced muscle in a trap house orchestrated by his on-screen older brother, Fezco (a character played by Angus Cloud). Javon’s cold-blooded “death stare” in season one of ‘Euphoria’ helped pierce a hole through the show’s metaphysical third wall and gave its viewers an emotional glimpse into the life of two latchkey kids trying to make their way in a town full of vivacious teenagers who all have their own hazardous subplots to deal with. It’s an impression that made Javon a star, immediately following the conclusion of the inaugural season.  And it’s an emotional roller coaster ride that he’ll always cherish, because he has had the pleasure of sharing the experience with a leading woman like Zendaya, along with a slew of fresh Hollywood faces such as Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeny, and Jacob Elordi. Indeed, the talented young cast has been given their flowers, in the form of awards, critical acclaim, and the distinction of boasting the second most-watched show in the history of HBO. Nevertheless, the roses have also come with a fair share of thorns because organizations like D.A.R.E have condemned the hit series for placing too much emphasis on drug abuse and violence amongst teenagers. To that, Javon shared an insightful viewpoint, indicating that while there may be some adults who do not fully appreciate the positive impact that the show is having on society, it is certainly resonating with people from within his age demographic. “I think kids are finding a way to relate to the characters in a way that their parents can’t really understand,” Javon said. “It’s really good for them, in a certain kind of way. Because a lot of kids come from a tough background and when they watch ‘Euphoria,’ they can relate to whoever they’re trying to relate to and it gives them a little break.”  Collectively, the cast of ‘Euphoria’ has already left a lasting impression on the societal landscape of pop culture by pushing the boundaries of the nuclear family structure in suburbia with a brand-new take on love, art, gender identity, school days, and the drug game. A notion that is very real and relatable for people of all walks of life. For now, Javon’s character is neck-deep in a suspenseful narrative that is unlikely to resume until season three, which has been tentatively scheduled for release sometime during the year 2024.  So, now that the writers from ‘Euphoria’ have etched an insurmountable level of anticipation for the fate of Javon’s character inside the minds of their fans, this seems like just as good of a time as any for the young actor to take a temporary detour from the speculation surrounding the hit show. Why? So that he can gather his thoughts, before taking a metaphorical backflip into the world of fictional television and films.

 

As part of a cover story interview with MOOD magazine, Javon revealed that he will be appearing in the widely popular superhero television series, ‘The Umbrella Academy.’ While the 16-year-old actor stated that he couldn’t share too much about his involvement in the project just yet, he did share a few tidbits about what his fans should be on the lookout for, in terms of the role that he’ll be playing this Summer. “It’s a character that [my supporters] aren’t going to be expecting at all,” Javon explained. “It’s pretty crazy! The writers and the directors did a great job with the entire season, it’s going to be really cool. My character is a bit of a prankster, I’ll say that.”  Two months after Javon is introduced to The Umbrella Academy’s viewers on Netflix, he will make his debut on the silver screen in a superhero movie called “Samaritan.” A blockbuster film loosely based on a series of graphic novels by Mythos Comics. The storyline depicts the shocking discovery made by a young boy named Sam Cleary (played by Javon) that a renowned superhero named Samaritan (played by the legendary leading man, Sylvester Stallone) is still alive, after he disappeared, in wake of an epic battle, 20 years before their first encounter with one another. Javon’s depiction of the Sam Cleary character is quite a departure from his famous role on Euphoria, as the script presented challenges that the young actor had never faced before.

 

“My role as Sam in Samaritan has been my toughest role so far,” Javon declared. “Sam is a very dynamic character.  He’s smart, funny, tough, and sensitive at the same time.  He’s got a lot on him and finding the balance of that while still being a kid was important to the role.  I’m really happy with my performance though, of course, I’ve grown a lot since we filmed this but to date, I think Sam was tough from an emotional standpoint.

 

About 45 years ago, Javon’s co-star in “Samaritan,” Sylvester Stallone, introduced the world to the very first installment of the iconic “Rocky” series. Since then, those sports films have made him a fixture in the world of boxing. So, naturally, on the days when the teenage actor/boxer and Stallone shared scenes together, during the filming of ‘Samaritan,’ they would often engage in friendly debates about their favorite professional fighters. “We talked about boxing pretty much every single day we were on set,” recalled Javon. “We would always argue about who’s going to win this fight and who’s going to win that fight. The fight that we debated on that I ended up winning was Teófimo vs Lomachenko.” According to Javon, the two actors formed such a genuine bond over boxing that Stallone practically gave him full access to his mental Rolodex, regarding the combat sport. “[Stallone] would always tell me these crazy boxing stories about fighters from so long ago. He’s definitely a boxing historian, so it was cool to be able to hear all of the old boxing names that he was talking about.”

 

Javon’s co-star, Sylvester Stallone, has written and/or produced over 10 boxing-based television shows/films, which include “Rocky,” “Creed,” and “The Contender.” So, considering the fact that Stallone and Javon both share an affinity for the sport of boxing, this could be a pairing to look out for in the future. As Javon’s interview with MOOD magazine continued, he indicated that he would like to portray the late Rocky Marciano (a legendary boxer who finished with a record of 49-0 during the mid-1950s) in a biopic someday. Stallone’s penchant for directing critically acclaimed boxing-based productions would actually make him an ideal fit to facilitate such a project, in which Javon could be cast in his dream role as the only heavyweight boxer to have ever finished with an undefeated record. Logistically, it’s unlikely that Javon could portray a heavyweight fighter like Marciano until he ages into adulthood in about five years or so, but if his current trajectory as an actor serves as an indication of what he will accomplish in the future, it may not be long before a casting director reaches out to him about making his dream role to play the man nicknamed ‘The Italian Stallion’ a reality.