last — TBT

JAVON ‘WANNA’ WALTON WAS JUST 11 YEARS-OLD WHEN HE WAS CAST IN HIS BREAKOUT ACTING ROLE AS ASHTRAY IN HBO’S CULT TEEN DRAMA EUPHORIA. HE HAS SINCE APPEARED IN AMAZON PRIME’S UTOPIA, PLAYED PUGSLEY IN THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2 AND STANLEY, A REBELLIOUS LITTLE SCAMP IN THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY. NOW HE’S LANDED HIS FIRST LEAD ROLE OPPOSITE HOLLYWOOD HEAVYWEIGHT SYLVESTER STALLONE, IN THE SUPERHERO THRILLER MOVIE SAMARITAN, WHICH IS KINDA COOL FOR A KID WHO GREW UP WATCHING ROCKY MOVIES AND IS ALSO A JUNIOR OLYMPIC BOXING PRODIGY. WE CAUGHT UP WITH WALTON TO DISCUSS THE SPICE GIRLS AND SUPERPOWERS.

I think all actors dream of being a superhero at some point in their career.

JW.

Los Angeles, June 2022

Kate Lawson: Firstly, your nickname in real life is 'Wanna’. Do you wanna really, really, really wanna zig-a-zig-ah? Name the record?

Javon Walton: [Laughs.] I don’t know that one! My Dad started calling me Wanna from a young age because I didn’t want to be treated like a child. I wanted to train with the grown-ups, I wanted to hurry up and turn 8 years-old so I could take my first fight. I wanted to compete on a big stage. My parents never put limitations on me, and neither did I on myself.

KL: What?! Ok you’re too young to remember a Spice Girls classic. Let’s talk about Ashtray instead. You managed to make him into one of the most loved characters on the show. How did you bring that likeability to such a seemingly unlikeable character?

JW: I think the mystery behind Ashtray allows people to create their own stories. Other than Fez we don’t see Ashtray loved and treated like a child and that’s really sad. I think people feel compassion for him and justify his behavior. People are still really pulling for Ashtray.

KL: Speaking of Fez, did you continue your brotherly bond off-camera with Angus [Cloud], do you hang out now?

JW: We definitely have a connection. Angus is a really good soul. He’s always positive. We live in different states, but we try to Facetime often. It’s cool because we both got our start on Euphoria and were actually discovered by the same casting director.

Left Shirt **Miu Miu,** jeans **Celine Homme**, shoes and socks stylist’s own, necklace Javon’s own
Right Jacket and pants **Celine Homme**

KL: We’re all presuming Ashtray was killed in the emotional Season 2 finale. Do you have any hopes or wishes for him if he comes back in Season 3?

JW: I wish I could tell you if he’s really dead but even I don’t know for sure. Sam [Levinson] is genius and super creative so there’s really no telling until filming starts back. If Ashtray doesn’t return, of course I’ll be a little disappointed, but I’m glad he got the finale he deserved. It was a lot of fun to shoot that episode.

KL: So, how did acting come about for you? Because you’re actually a boxing and gymnastics prodigy first and foremost?

JW: When I was 11 years-old, The Steve Harvey Show noticed me on Instagram and asked me to come on the show. The casting director for Euphoria just happened to see me on that show and somehow got my dad’s number and called to see if I was interested in acting. I hadn’t actually thought about it before then, so I got the role without any acting experience.

KL: Do you think your sporting work ethic has helped you with your on-screen career?

JW: Yeah, it definitely has helped me. Boxing requires a lot of discipline and a strong work ethic. Acting is the same. It requires a lot of hours on set and you have to bring the right energy to each take. When I step in the ring every round is important, because I’ve only got 3 rounds. I think of acting in the same way. You never know which take the director will use, so you have to bring your best every time.

Left Sweater, jacket and jeans **Celine Homme**, shoes stylist’s own
Right Jacket **Isabel Marant**, jeans **Loewe**

KL: You’ve recently worked with a sporting legend, Rocky, aka, Sly Stallone, for the film Samaritan. Did you ever watch the Rocky movies? Were you starry-eyed around him?

JW: I grew up watching Rocky movies with my dad! When I heard Sly was making a movie with a kid, I knew that kid had to be me! I can’t wait for everyone to see it. I don’t really get star struck, but he and I talked about boxing a lot on set.

KL: As an actor looking at an acting legend, what do you think you could learn from him?

JW: This movie was the first time I really had the freedom to go off script and improvise. Sly really taught me that the energy you bring, and your connection to the character, is more important than nailing every word. He gave me confidence to believe in the character that I brought to life, and speak for that character in a way that I believed was truthful.

Sly [Stallone] really taught me that the energy you bring and your connection to the character is more important than nailing every word.

KL: The movie is a superhero drama based on the Mythos Comics graphic novels. Do you have any comic-book heroes you would love to play on screen in the future?

JW: I think all actors dream of being a superhero at some point in their career. I wouldn’t mind being a villain too. Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix were both amazing playing the Joker, and I think when I’m older I’d like to play the Joker too. I’d also love to play Robin.

KL: In the film, Sly’s character has superhuman abilities. What three superpowers would you have if given the opportunity?

JW: I would want to be super strong. I feel like it’s a power that I could do so much with. I would also like to fly. That would be really cool. If I had to pick one more, I would probably say I would want to be super-fast!

Left Jacket **The Thirteen Club**, hat **Louis Vuitton**, pants **Isabel Marant,** shoes stylist’s own
Right Coat **MM6**, shoes and socks stylist’s own

Left Jacket **The Thirteen Club**, shirt and hat **Louis Vuitton**, pants **Isabel Marant**, shoes stylist’s own
Right Full look **Celine Homme**

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Noua Unu Studio

Fashion by Sharon Chitrit

Casting by Imagemachine cs

Grooming by Zaheer Sukhnandan

Set Design by Romain Goudinoux

Photographer’s assistant Casey Cunneen

IF IT ISN'T THE CASE ALREADY, YOU WILL PROBABLY BE SEDUCED BY CLAIRE POMMET'S LIVELY PERSONALITY AND THE TENDERNESS OF HER MUSIC. FOR SOME YEARS NOW, THE FRENCH 26 YEARS OLD MUSICIAN — ARTIST NAME POMME — FINDS HER OWN BALANCE BETWEEN MONTREAL, WHERE SHE COMPOSED HER LAST ALBUM CONSOLATION, AND PARIS, WHERE SHE RELEASED IT THIS SUMMER. AFTER THE SUCCESS OF HER SECOND ALBUM LES FAILLES IN 2020, THE YOUNG ARTIST CONTINUES TO ASSERT HERSELF MUSICALLY AND TO EMBODY THE VALUES OF HER GENERATION. HEAD ON SHOULDERS, POMME AFFIRMS HER COMMITMENT WITH THE SAME SINCERITY THAT RESONATES WHEN SHE SINGS HER MINIMALIST SONGS. FEMINISM, CULTURAL LEGACY AND ARTISTIC IDENTITY ARE SOME OF THE TOPICS WE DISCUSSED, AND WHICH SHOW A PART OF THE AUTHENTICITY AND WHOLENESS OF THE SINGER.

Writing comforting songs was a way of turning first to myself and then to others.

Paris, July 2022

Hanna Pallot: How does Québécois culture influence your music?

Claire Pommet: Quebec's culture is halfway between Europe and America. Folk music is part of Quebec's musical heritage and is still very present today. In France, it was still quite old-fashioned to play Folk music five years ago. Even if I don't only identify with this musical style, I felt much more at ease in Quebec.

HP: I’ve heard that asserting a musical identity can be complicated in France. How have things evolved for you in this regard?

CP: When I started making music ten years ago, it was absolutely necessary to specify your musical style. Today it is much freer, especially because people easily have access to a lot of tools that allow them to compose and experiment on their own. It is no longer needed to find a producer who will drive you to a specific musical style. Personally, I say I do French variety because I sing in French, but it is very broad.

HP: French variety is the French legacy.

CP: Exactly! It is a beautiful heritage that refers to voices like Georges Brassens or Barbara. It gathers many different genres and time periods. More than a musical style, it is an entity that, for me, has a classy and poetic connotation.

Left: Jumper **Marni**, trousers and belts **Chanel**, top **Zadig&Voltaire**, panty **Kollection**
Right: Jacket, shirt and tie **Gucci**, sunglasses and earrings Clash **Cartier**

HP: Did you feel free when you created your album Consolation?

CP: I didn't try to fit into any box for this album. I made it together with Flavien Berger who makes music that is impossible to define. We were very free, and we went all out with every idea we had. Flavien's freedom in conception encouraged me to stop constantly trying to define what I do.

HP: How does music console? For you? For others?

CP: I think the last two years have been so complex that we need to be consoled. We all have experienced violence on different scales. Consolation is not a solution; it actually becomes necessary when there is not much of a solution. In 2021, after a year of pandemic, I realized I was feeling a certain sadness. Writing comforting songs was a way of turning first to myself and then to others.

I think there is as much vigilance as there still is tolerance for toxic behaviors. It is hard to know what is really and deeply changing.

HP: In 2021 you were awarded Female Artist of the Year at the French Victoires de la Musique. We both belong to the same generation of feminism, so what does it mean to you to be a Female Artist today?

CP: In my opinion, feminism is connected to something much bigger which denounces a system that gives everything to some people and nothing to others because they are not white, straight, thin or whatever. First and foremost, being a female artist depends on your status, your origins, your history. Even if I am part of the oppressed people in some ways, I have a lot of privileges, so I try to use my visibility to open discussions. It is not even about claiming anger but about creating a dialogue and listening.

HP: Have things changed compared to previous generations?

CP: There is more vigilance and resources, but that doesn't stop someone from assaulting a woman if they want it. There are certain things that are no longer accepted to say, but behaviors have not really changed. I think there is as much vigilance as there still is tolerance for toxic behaviors. It is hard to know what is really and deeply changing.

Left: Coat, shirt, trousers and tie **Louis Vuitton**
Right: Jacket and trousers **Y/Project**, boots **Ports 1961**

HP: Do you see your music as a way of giving a voice to these causes?

CP: When I compose, I manage to disconnect from the present. I create without trying to politicize, but I am so caught up in these issues that they end up coming out. For example, one of my last album’s songs, Nelly, is a letter I wrote to the Canadian feminist writer Nelly Arcan who committed suicide. Because the song is about her, it was immediately politicized. It is like Grandiose, which became a pro-MAP song, even though I wrote it when MAP [Medically Assisted Procreation] was not yet a debate in France. The interpretation and reception of songs can change according to the political context.

HP: Nelly Arcan questioned the (male) gaze and the impact of images on women’s development. Today, social media have a strong influence on these notions. You are quite active on social networks, do you feel in control of your image?

CP: I feel in control of my image within the limits of what I can control. There are inevitably things that escape you when you are an artist, especially on social networks. I publish things in full awareness of the consequences, but there is a whole part I can't control, just like the interpretation of my songs. My use of the networks has also unconsciously changed. I guess I share less of my private life to preserve myself from what I can’t control.

HP: Concerning your evolution both as a woman and as an artist, how do you feel today?

CP: I feel quite good! I am angry at a lot of things, but I manage to find a balance. I feel in adequacy with my last album, happy and lucky to have been so free in this last project that I deliver with honesty. This is not given to everyone.