IN CONVERSATION WITH JAVON WALTON

interview JANA LETONJA

Multi-hyphenate actor and boxer Javon Walton, a.k.a. ‘Wanna,’ first captured hearts with his breakout role in HBO’s Emmy nominated series ‘Euphoria’. His acting star continues to rise, most recently with a leading role in Hulu’s gripping true-crime miniseries Under the Bridge. On the boxing front, Walton made headlines in 2022 as Jordan Brand’s youngest-ever signee and the only active boxer on their roster. Following his professional debut last December, he is now gearing up for his third pro bout this September.

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Javon, fans best know you from your role in ‘Euphoria’. How exciting was getting cast on this highly successful series?
At that point in my career, acting was so unexpected as I was strictly focused on boxing. I saw it as such a big opportunity and a new focus I was excited to take on. I would have never imagined back then what a game changer ‘Euphoria’ would be for me. I’m very thankful to the casting and Sam Levison for believing in me and trusting me with the Ashtray character.

In the series, you portrayed one of the most beloved drug dealers on TV. What was the most challenging about portraying such a role?
Honestly, there weren’t really any challenging elements. Ashtray is super dry and mostly in his head. Even though I was young, 11 years old, I walked with the same confidence that Ashtray had. I think the way I carried myself and the confidence I exuded was what brought Ashtray to life and made him believable. Throughout my youth people were always telling me I was an old soul.

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‘Euphoria’ also marked your acting debut. What inspired you to pursue acting in the first place?
Acting found me. Before ‘Euphoria’, I had never acted. At 11 years old I was on the Steve Harvey show and casting director Jennifer Vendetti saw me on the show. She called my parents and asked if I had any interest in acting. I was later told that hundreds of teens had auditioned for the role and it just wasn’t what Sam Levison was looking for. I was told when he saw my tape he laughed and was like “Yes! That’s F*cking Ashtray.”

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Most recently, we’ve been able to watch you in Hulu’s thriller miniseries ‘Under the Bridge’. What did you find creatively the most exciting about this miniseries and its story?
I truly love dramas, especially real-life stories. When I was approached to play Warren, I learned what a dynamic character he was and was really excited about taking a deep dive into his story and challenging myself. Warren is good and bad at the same time. It was important that the viewers could see Warren as the complicated individual he was. Quinn Shephard did a great job by honoring Reena’s story and humanizing the characters in a way that I believe is truly unique to this project. 

Looking forward to your acting career, what projects and roles do you hope to work on next?
I’d like to stay in the dark drama realm, I love challenging roles. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t entertain comedy if it was the right project. Playing Stan on ‘Umbrella Academy’ was something I never saw myself doing. Steve Blackman and Jeff King were so amazing to work with and the cast is more like a family than people just working a job. I had so much fun with those guys. David Castaneda let me play with knives, which was cool, Justin Min always made sure to include me in his Starbucks order, Robert Sheehan and I had some deep conversations, and Ritu Arya was just the kindest, sweetest cast mate. I may or may not have brought her flowers to set even though I was only 12. Stan was funny, but he also had somewhat of a troubled upbringing. I’m looking forward to watching the new season. Shout out to my ‘Umbrella Academy’ family. 

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Besides acting, you are also a boxer. What made you choose boxing as a sport of your choice?
I started boxing when I was four. I watched boxing on TV with my parents and something about the sport drew me in. I would punch couch pillows and take breaks in between rounds. I was the youngest in the gym and often boxing alongside grown men. In the gym working is where I felt I belonged. In kindergarten, I would draw pictures of myself winning gold for boxing in the Olympics. Though my path led me away from the Olympics, mostly because the age restrictions didn’t line up for me, I still strive to be the best. Boxing, even if it’s just training, is something I hope to do for the rest of my life. 

You got your start in the sport as one of America’s youngest elite youth boxer at the very age of 4. How would you sum up your boxing career and your development as a boxer?
Early on, I was able to become a decorated Amateur with over 85 bouts. Leading up to my decision to turn pro, I became a multi-time junior regional champion and 2-time national silver medalist. Last year I signed with Most Valuable Promotions, founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, and am currently headed into my third professional bout. I’m still a student of boxing and realize I still have a lot to learn in the sport. 

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Last December, you boxed your first professional match. Take us through your preparation process for a match.

Once I got the date to fight, I started an eight-week camp. My camp consisted of 2 - 3 times a day training sessions. Camp is meant to try and break you, so the fight feels easy. My dad, who is also my head coach, pushed me both physically and mentally. My camp consists of strength, cardio, physio, yoga, sparring and much more. I went into that fight feeling well prepared and I won by TKO.   

Recently, you’ve also announced your partnership with Jordan Brand as the youngest signee in their history. Tell us more about this collaboration and what it means to you.

I truly feel humbled and honoured to be a part of such a special brand. It’s a dream come true to create my own boxing boots with Jordan. I’m a big sneaker head so I know shoes. I have a say in the construction of the boot from the insole to the width, I work out in samples to test the boots performance and help create the boots design. I have learned so much about design and shoe construction during the partnership. It still seems a little surreal. 

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What is coming up next for you? Any exciting acting projects or boxing matches you are especially looking forward to?
On September 6th in Orlando, Florida at the Caribe Royale Resort I’m back in the ring for my third pro bout. I’ve spent the last several weeks in camp training and I’m ready. I’m after a big win and to show people how good I really am. I’m not an actor turned boxer. I’m a boxer that was fortunate to have the opportunities I’ve had in acting. You can get your tickets through Ticketmaster and if you can’t make it, tune into dazn.com. As far as acting, I can’t really talk about my upcoming projects right now, but soon. 

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TEAM CREDITS:

talent JAVON ‘WANNA’ WALTON
photographyANTHONY G BARRIOS
creative direction & styling EDWIN J. ORTEGA
grooming / SFX NATHANIEL DEZAN
cinematography ARAMIS DURAN
film direction EDWIN J. ORTEGA & ARAMIS DURAN
production assistants BROOKE MUMFORD & ANDREW BARRIOS