HBO's "Euphoria [1]" is stacked with incredible talent, including Javon Walton! The 15-year-old plays Ashtray, a quick-witted preteen assistant to his drug-dealing older brother, Fez. But did you know he's more than just a talented actor? Javon's an incredible athlete [2], has dipped his toe in modelling and voiceover work, and has even done a project with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson [3]!
Starring in one of today's hottest shows, it's hard to imagine the Georgia native has time for anything outside of acting and doing press for "Euphoria [4]," but Javon makes it work… including finding time to train for arguably the biggest televised worldwide sporting event. Read on to find out more surprising facts about this child prodigy!
Javon Walton is Training for the 2024 Paris Olympics in 2 Sports
Javon has dreams of competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics in boxing and gymnastics [5]. As ambitious as this may sound, it seems like an achievable goal for the "Euphoria [6]" star! Javon started boxing at age 4 and began gymnastics soon after. He's gone on to win numerous state competitions and even compete in the Junior Olympics.
Competing athletically at an international level has been a life goal of Javon's. According to "Men's Health," even his kindergarten teacher recalled him drawing a picture of himself as an Olympic medalist standing on a podium one day in class! And in case you're wondering how Javon would juggle acting with the Olympics [7], he did share with "The Face" [8] that "boxing would 100% be the only focus" as he gets closer to his competition date.
Javon Walton Was Discovered After a Steve Harvey Interview
In 2017, Javon appeared on Steve Harvey's interview show "Steve" to chat about his impressive boxing career to date. Amazed by Javon's interview, casting director Jennifer Venditti reached out to Javon's dad [9] to ask if his son would audition for "Euphoria [10]." At that point, Javon's on-screen experience was limited to an Under Armour commercial that he starred in with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, but that didn't stop the future Ashtray from going for the role. Since being cast in "Euphoria," Javon's also landed roles on "Utopia," "Addams Family 2 [11]," and even modelled for Dick's Sporting Goods alongside Alex Rodriguez [12].
Javon Walton Helped His Brother Land a Role on Euphoria
Javon's younger brother Daelo scored a one-episode role as a younger version of Javon's character Ashtray thanks to some help from his older brother! Javon shared with "Complex [13]" that Daelo read a scene to him, and that he was so impressed that he sent the tape of Daelo to "Euphoria [14]" creator Sam Levinson. "It was super funny because [Daelo] was saying the drug names and all of that, but he really wanted to be a baby Ashtray." Sam also liked what he saw, and soon cast Daelo for the guest spot on the show.
Javon Walton's Nickname is "Wanna"
"When I was very little, I never put limits on myself [15]," Javon shared with "The Face," explaining that his dad instilled in him that "anything I want to do, I should work hard to achieve it." After noticing Javon took that message to heart and applied it to every part of his life, like boxing and gymnastics, Javon's dad officially gave him the nickname "Wanna." Considering he's only 15 and already a championship boxer, award-winning gymnast, and TV star on one of today's hottest shows, it's safe to say Javon deserves and fulfils the nickname! He sure can achieve whatever he "wanna" achieve.
Javon Walton's Favourite Boxing Legends Inspire His Acting
Javon shared with "Men's Health" that his first hero was boxer Manny Pacquiao [16], whom he watched compete on TV at age two. Since then, Javon's added other boxing legends Mike Tyson and Julio César Chávez to his list of heroes. Although each of these three men are athletes, Javon's holistically inspired by each of their drives to succeed and applies this to his acting career. "You can't just slack around in boxing [17], it's the same with acting," he explained to Complex [18]. "You have to deliver every scene."