Euphoria's Ashtray on Working with Zendaya & Angus Cloud

Hello. How you doing?

Good. How are you?

I'm doing really good. Okay, well, the the man of the hour, how are you feeling?

I am feeling great. How are you doing?

I'm doing great. Honestly, very excited to talk to you because we posted, I mean, our young Hollywood is obsessed with Euphoria, like, as is the world. And we posted and everyone was just asking to talk to you, talk to you, talk to you. So, it's a great day.

Yeah, I'm super excited about this. This is going to be fun.

Where are you right now?

Uh, I'm in Atlanta. That's home base for me, you know. So, that's that's where I'm at.

Do you get to come out? How often are you like on the West Coast or are you in New York City a lot? Where do you, you know,

Sometimes I'm in New York, I'm usually in the West Coast, but um, right now I'm in school. Not doing much. I'm just I'm chilling, you know, like things in the works, but right now I'm chilling right now. Yeah.

Okay. Do you go to school in person?

I do now. For the longest, I didn't, which, you know, I was happy about, but going back to school is a really interesting change and I'm not the biggest fan of.

You're like, What is this? So, how do you find time for you do boxing after school? Do you do workouts before school?

Right. So, how I find time for boxing, um, I have to get up at like 6:00 in the morning for school, so I can't do it before school. I do my day at school and I come back home and you know how everybody has their sport that they do. So some people have school sports. I go home and I box because I have like a gym in my basement. Like that's that's like my spot. So I got uh, workouts usually like right after school, about like three hours long. Sometimes I hit cardio, sometimes I just hit boxing and you know, strengthening, conditioning, stuff, all all different kinds of stuff. Yeah.

Oh my gosh. I was going to say, how long? Three hours? Like the minimum?

About About three hours. Yeah, sometimes it's like two to three hours. Yeah.

But you love it.

Yeah. They're pretty I love boxing. It's like my favorite thing in the world. And I'm prepping pretty soon for, you know, like, um, nationals and all that. Yeah.

Cuz in your Instagram bio, it's soon to be world or like one-day world champ. So you're you want boxing to be.

That's the goal. That's what I really want. You know, I want to continue my acting career, but I also want to excel at a very high level in boxing. That's been my goal since God, since I was very little when I started and I want to continue that.

Oh my gosh. That's awesome. Okay. So aside from boxing, of course, we have the acting side of you. So, how did you audition for Euphoria? When did you find out? And what was your reaction?

All right. So I was on the Steve Harvey show for boxing. Uh, this casting director named Jennifer Venditti. She saw me on, um, Steve Harvey and she was like, "Hey, have you ever acted before?" And I was like, "No." No, it's not even something that crossed my mind. Right. So I ended up trying out for Euphoria because she, um, was wondering if I wanted to try out for it. I tried out for it and I got the gig immediately. And I was one of the only kids that were like saying the drug names right. Cuz some like you saw the first episode, like it was like complicated names like Indian is proper. All that stuff. Right. So they love my look and and they loved that, you know, I was smaller, but I was like I was gangster. Yeah. I was gangster with it. And that's that's really how it started.

That's crazy. And so what did you feel when you are you got on set and like the first day, a couple days of filming? Were you nervous? Were you like just excited? What were you feeling?

I wouldn't say I was nervous. It was really interesting cuz it was my first time ever acting. Right. And my very first scene was was me saying all those big drug names and it was with Zendaya. So it was really tough. cuz I was just thrown into it. We didn't even rehearse it. He was like, "All right, let's let's get ready to go." And I ended up doing it immediately and it ended up, you know, the way it the way it did. So I was all, I was happy with it. Not a bad like first kind of like run at acting and being on like a biggest show in the world. Yeah. Not bad.

No, I mean pretty, pretty good run. Pretty good run for sure. How do you feel reading the comments about, you know, having literally millions and millions of fans?

Honestly, I'm just blessed with the fan base I have. Yeah. You know, some of y'all got me banned on TikTok, which is fine.

I literally went to look you up and it was like banned and I was like, "What?"

I was pretty upset about that. And then people were making fake accounts with me and pretending to be me. And it was like it was this whole thing, right? Um, I'm just glad I got my account back. But my fan base, they're all super, super sweet. Y'all are all amazing and I really appreciate y'all and I'm blessed with how everything has turned out cuz I've been working for a long time on Instagram for my following, right? I've been doing Instagram since I was about seven years old. Um, as far as boxing and all that. So really just it feels great that my hard work is like finally paying off.

Totally. Is there any comment that you've read about your character or just your personal life that has stuck with you? Were you like, "Wow, like like maybe like, okay" or like you're like, "Why does somebody think that about me?"

Okay. I can I got a why does somebody think that about me? Um, they thought I was Ned's brother for the longest. And people were making rumors about that and I was like, "How would that make sense?" But people got some really interesting rumors about what's going to happen in episode eight. And you know, how that's all going to go down, which is like really cool to see in my comments.

Yeah. I mean, literally all of everyone just wants to know like you have all these different theories and some of the theories like Dominic was on Jimmy Fallon and he was like saying like some of the Reddit pages, it's just like how do people come up with this stuff? Like

Yeah, no, people are like super creative on these apps. Like, they need to get into writing, you know. I know you need to talk to Sam and Sam. Yeah. It was Sam who wrote season three, you know.

That's so crazy. Um, and if you could change characters with anyone, who would you change with? If you weren't you.

Man, I would want to play a tough character, but who would I change with? That'd be hard. Honestly, I'd probably just change with Fez at the end of the day cuz and I like that role a lot. It's super chill and it's super gangster, so I like it. Cuz he and I are like the two characters that stand out and that's what I love so much about me and him.

Yeah. For sure. And do you have any like or do you have any inside jokes with him from behind the scenes? Like with Angus Cloud? Is there like something that happened that you had to like redo a scene 80 million times? Or you just have like a maybe a handshake with him or like something? Are you guys like close?

Okay. So we did create a handshake, but I totally forgot what the handshake was. One time, he said ambience on set and I would just like I kept bringing it up. And it was so funny because he meant to say ambulance, but, you know, I was I would like do little things like that, like just to mess with him on set. So we, you know, we mess with each other. We're super we're super close on set cuz we have to have that bond to create that friendship.

Yeah. Seriously. And do you had did you get any advice from any of the other characters in the show that are like maybe they're just like, "Hey, like you're do like you're killing it. Like, you're doing a great job or like just advice for your future like acting gigs?"

Right. Now that, you know, just watching Zendaya act has just made me a better actor in general. She is amazing at what she does. And when you see her in Dune, when you see her in Spider-Man, when you see her in all these projects she's worked on, she does a phenomenal job and there's so much you can learn from actors like her. You know, So I've just really learned a good bit in just the acting space from her.

For sure. And if you were watching as a fan, so you watch every Sunday, so you're not in the show, do you think you'd be team Maddy or team Cassie?

I think I'd be team Maddy. I think I would. Man, yeah, I would be team Maddy. I definitely would be team Maddy. At the end of the day, people are, you know, you know, thinking that way.

And what is one of your favorite lines that you had in the show? Like what like iconic? You think it's like "Ashtray did it" and you're like, "Wow."

My favorite line was the the thing that kicked it all off when I was like, "I'm just trying to stab my cash. You got farm mortgage. So you you know, that whole thing, that was like my favorite.

Love that. So sweet. And if you could act like you have like obviously you have the whole boxing thing.

Down the line, is there like a certain role that you'd want to play? Like, would you want to do like a crime movie? Do you want to do like a boxing movie? Like what would a goal like acting project be for you?

Man, I would love to continue the Rocky franchise and be like the next Rocky or I would love to play like a superhero. I mean, even like right now, like Robin or something like that would be really, really cool. And then down the road I would like to play like a super villain like um, man, like the Joker or something like that. Like I would love that. So I'm interested in like the superhero, supervillain stuff and I love the Rocky franchise. So, if I could be like the next Rocky or something, that'd be pretty cool.

Maybe like a Marvel movie? That would be cool.

Yeah. Marvel, any of that. Superhero that boxes by day and is like

Superhero that boxes by day and is fighting crime in the night. I like it. And it's is there anything that you made sure that you had set on set with you? Like, did you have your boxing gloves with you? Did you get workouts in when you weren't filming? Like what was how do you do personal life on set?

Right. So my dad is my trainer. So usually I'll, you know, when he is in L. A. with me on set, um, I always have my boxing gloves with me so I can train with him. So you know, that's that's definitely an essential for me. And um, I have to bring my school work on set. So that's also an essential. Not, you know, super happy about that, but that's an essential at the end of the day cuz I can't forget that.

Yeah. How long was one of the longest scenes that you filmed? Was it like a couple days, a couple hours or your scenes are pretty quick?

Most of the scenes can be pretty quick, but a scene that did take a minute was um, the very last episode. It was a lot of crazy, like just craziness in general. I mean, it took three a good three days to film that. Oh, and then the party scene, that took like in general for everybody, that took about a week. It was a lot. Oh, yeah. It was a lot.

Okay. So besides boxing, besides acting, if you're just chilling, like it's just like Sunday before Euphoria comes on, like what are you doing? Like are you on like TikTok? Are you hanging out with your siblings? Like what do you like to do for fun?

I've been trying to limit my TikTok screen time. It's been getting really bad recently. Like it's just like I just keep scrolling and then I lose track of time and then I'm just scrolling and scrolling and scrolling. And that's, you know, I got to I got to get off TikTok as much. And I'm really just hanging out with my siblings and just spending a lot of family time with them, you know, playing basketball with my friends, driving around on my golf cart. I got I got a few things that I do.

Yeah. Okay. One last question. Then we'll play a game quick. But the last question is this was the most asked question by everybody, is, would you date a fan?

I mean, if it's the right person, yeah. If it's the right person.

Love it. Okay. Now for the game. Okay. It's would you rather? So there's two scenarios and then you're going to pick one, okay?

Okay. Cool. Sounds good. I'm ready.

Okay. Dress up or dress down? So like sweats.

Dress down for sure.

Dress down?

cuz when you dress up like it takes so much work. I don't want to I want to have to piece everything together. I'm trying to wear some shorts and a jacket.

I feel that. Okay. Um, movies or TV shows?

That's a tough one. Um, I'd probably say movies cuz it doesn't take up as much time too. Cuz when you get really addicted to a show, it's like you're spending so much time watching that.

Yeah. Uh, and then you get like connected to the characters and you're like, "Wait, why do I feel something for this?" You care too much about them. You're like, "Why am I feeling this way about so-and-so?" And it's like,

Uh, stay up late or go to bed early?

So you're not getting up at 6:00 a. m. for school. Right.

You know, I have a problem going to bed at like 2:00, 3:00 a. m. and getting up at 6:00 a. m.. So, I go to bed late. Like I just like I'm way more productive late at night. Like I'll get so productive late at night. But during the day, like I'd rather sleep all day, you know. Like on my weekends, like I'd rather just like be chilling all day and then work at night.

Yeah. I feel that. Candy or ice cream?

Hmm. I'd probably say candy cuz Hot Smalls are pretty good.

I was going to say, what's your favorite? But I'm weird. Like I like mint chocolate chip ice cream. Like those are like one of those.

You're one of those.

I can't help it. I'm just like, I don't know. And I can't eat chocolate chip cookies. I can only eat oatmeal raisin. I don't know why. That's so random. I know. That's so random. Usually that's not the most common, but

Yeah. For a 15 year old to like oatmeal raisin cookies. Definitely not.

Yeah, and like mint chocolate chip. Uh, acting or fighting?

I can't choose. I love both so much. They're both so amazing. I can't choose. I can't help it.

Instagram or TikTok?

Ooh, probably Instagram since that's where I started off.

Yeah. FaceTime or voice call? You're going to FaceTime somebody.

FaceTime. FaceTime. Voice calls are boring. Like, after like talking to somebody for a couple minutes on call, I'm over it. Like I'd rather FaceTime.

Yeah. I feel that. And you like it, okay. So scenario, you are just getting a random FaceTime. Do you pick it up or like if you're like, "Oh, I'm not in the mood right now." Or do you always pick up your FaceTime calls?

I don't pick them up usually. No. I'm pretty.

You're like, "I prefer FaceTime, doesn't even pick up."

Even like on Snapchat, people are like, "Oh my God, why did you leave me on delivered for so long?" I'm like, "I don't know." That's just what I do. I'm not super responsible on my phone. I'm usually busy watching TikTok, you know.

Yeah. Snapchat filters or Instagram filters? Do you use them?

Honestly, I would pick Snapchat cuz Snapchat did it first. Yeah. And Instagram did it like second, you know, So.

What's your favorite Snapchat filter?

Hmm. Shoot. What what is my favorite? The baby face one was super funny for a while. That one was good. That one was funny. That one was good.

Okay. Well, biggest takeaway that you have from like right now in your life, how like biggest takeaway of something you've done in your life? Like you're like, "Okay, like, I'm like, how do you feel about your life right now?" Pretty much. Like, what's your biggest takeaway from Euphoria, boxing and everything?

Really, like, I'm just blessed where I'm at and like where I'm just my situation in general. I'm blessed that Euphoria has done so good. I'm really happy with how boxing's going right now. And I'm healthy and I'm feeling good. My following, my fans, just overall, I'm feeling great. There's nothing to complain about, so and I can't wait once again for everybody to see episode eight. Like that's that's going to be crazy.