Thu. Mar 28th, 2024


ComingSoon Senior Editor Spencer Legacy spoke with Javon ‘Wanna” Walton and Dascha Polanco about their roles in the upcoming Prime Video film Samaritan. They discussed voice acting and doing their own stunts.

RELATED: Samaritan Interview: Sylvester Stallone Praises Javon Walton’s Humor

“Thirteen-year-old Sam Cleary suspects that his mysterious and reclusive neighbor, Mr. Smith, is actually a legend hiding in plain sight,” reads the film’s synopsis. “Twenty-five years ago, Granite City’s superpowered vigilante, Samaritan, was reported dead after a fiery warehouse battle with his rival, Nemesis. Most believe he perished in the fire, but some, like Sam, have hope that he’s still alive. With crime now on the rise, Sam makes it his mission to coax Samaritan out of hiding to save the city from ruin.”



Spencer Legacy: Wanna, how has your experience with boxing prepared you for this more action-heavy role?

Javon “Wanna” Walton: I think what really helped me is I have a gymnastics background as well. I’ve done gymnastics and, I still do boxing, but I have a boxing background as well. So I’ve been doing both of those for a very long time. I don’t do gymnastics anymore, but I think that just both of them really helped me all-in-all just with the stunts I was doing on the top. You’ll see, on the rooftop, me boxing with Sly a little bit, and that was a lot of fun. I love that. And you’ll see some crazier stunts for me, like climbing up a building. I really think my background, just in general, has really helped me prepare for this kind of stuff.

Dascha, you said that you did your own stunts. What was that like?

Dascha Polanco: It was exciting! Explosions! Motivating, inspiring. It’s definitely prepared me for more. I’m ready for more action films and maybe, you know, another film with Sylvester. Who knows?

Maybe the leading role?

Dascha Polanco: Oh, I’m ready! I’m ready. You know, it’s my time. Everybody has their time and my time is coming, you best to believe. So I’m ready for it all. I’m ready for it all. Yes, sir.

Wanna, you’ve been in a commercial with The Rock, you’ve been in the movie with Stallone. What other legends do you want to work with?

Javon “Wanna” Walton: I would say one that I want to work with … there are so many amazing actors out there. I’d love to work with Robert de Niro. I want to learn from people that are just … I want to work with people that are amazing actors that I can just learn from in general. I love that I did that on Samaritan.

Dascha is phenomenal, Pilou is phenomenal. Sly is amazing. He’s phenomenal, everyone’s phenomenal. I just loved working with them, but I’d love to work with Leonardo DiCaprio or Robert de Niro. I love to work with people that push themselves and strive towards that bigger goal, that want to better themselves always and not just being okay with where they’re at, you know? They want to find every way to level up.

Dascha, you’ve recently done some voice work as well. Do you have a preference when it comes to what kind of role, whether it’s voice or live action?

Javon “Wanna” Walton: Voices are fun!

Dascha Polanco: Listen, I like flexibility. I like versatility. I obviously … I’m now a tenner, it’s a decade in this industry and it goes to show that I, too, can be a superhero. I too can be a leading role. I too can do voiceovers. I was just speaking Wanna, I’ve done a couple of films in the last couple of months, and it’s showing me in a different light where I’m comedic … it’s a comedic film.

So even though voice acting, for me, you don’t have to deal with all the makeup. You go in there, you can go in your pajamas, and you’re behind the microphone and you use your essence and your voice. That’s great. But I also like the camera in my face — that’s why I’m an actor, you know? I’m a performer, you got to.

Javon “Wanna” Walton: You can’t do anything without love for it.

By Dave Jenks

Dave Jenks is an American novelist and Veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Between those careers, he’s worked as a deckhand, commercial fisherman, divemaster, taxi driver, construction manager, and over the road truck driver, among many other things. He now lives on a sea island, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, with his wife and youngest daughter. They also have three grown children, five grand children, three dogs and a whole flock of parakeets. Stinnett grew up in Melbourne, Florida and has also lived in the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and Cozumel, Mexico. His next dream is to one day visit and dive Cuba.