Joseph Ashton (actor)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Ashton Valencia (born November 18, 1986) is an American
film and voice actor.
; both of his parents have Cherokee
ancestors. His father is a California Highway Patrol
officer and his older brother is Mathew Valencia
, a voice actor. At his high school, Diamond Bar High School
, Ashton was an honor roll
student, a captain of his club soccer team, a starting player on the varsity soccer team, and participated in the Olympic Developmental Soccer Team program at the regional level in England
.
He is a graduate of the University of La Verne
, where he majored in TV and radio broadcasting. Joseph is also currently the Junior Varsity coach for boys soccer at Diamond Bar High School.He starred in The Little Rascals and a remake of Where the Red Ferns Grow.
Joseph first appeared before the camera as an infant in a national McDonalds commercial and has worked steadily ever since. He had a regular role on the Award winning CBS drama LA Doctors and was nominated for a Young Artist Award. His guest-starring roles on television series include ER, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, Walker, Texas Ranger, Martial Law, Cracker and Smart Guy. He reprised his role as the voice of ‘Otto Rocket' in the television movie Rocket Power: Race Across New Zealand for Nickelodeon. He appeared in Asylum as Young Tordone on HBO and the NBC mini series Blind Faith based on the #1 national bestseller authored by Joe McGinniss.
On the big screen, Joseph had the starring role of 'Sonny', in Slappy and the Stinkers and won a Young Artist Award for best performance in a feature film. Joseph's compelling performance of the title character, Little Tree in the critically acclaimed The Education of Little Tree earned him another Young Artist Award. Roger Ebert gave Joseph a hearty two thumbs up for playing the half-Cherokee orphan calling him "fresh and natural." The Boston Phoenix lauded him as "adorable and energetic."
Other film credits include The Little Rascals and Where The Red Fern Grows which recently premiered to rave reviews at the Tribeca Film Festival. Joseph Ashton has won a Crystal Heart Award, multiple Young Artist Awards, and numerous Native American in Film Awards, including the ICE Horizon Award, during his career.
Ashton's film debut was in the 1994 remake of The Little Rascals
. He appeared in many television
productions throughout the 1990s, and notably starred in the title role of the 1997 film, The Education of Little Tree, a well-reviewed low-budget film about a 1930s-era boy discovering his Native American
heritage. Ashton has twice won the Young Artist Award
.
Ashton is the English language
voice of Otto Rocket on Nickelodeon
's Rocket Power
cartoon series, and also recently appeared in Walt Disney Productions' direct-to-video
remake of Where the Red Fern Grows
, playing the main character, "Billy Coleman".
Ashton has teamed up with EndlessEntertainment Co., and produces his own films.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film and voice actor.
Personal life
Ashton was born Joseph Ashton Valencia in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
; both of his parents have Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
ancestors. His father is a California Highway Patrol
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
officer and his older brother is Mathew Valencia
Mathew Valencia
Mathew Valencia is an American actor and voice actor. Mathew was born in Fontana, California. His father is a California Highway Patrol officer and his younger brother Joseph Ashton is also a voice actor...
, a voice actor. At his high school, Diamond Bar High School
Diamond Bar High School
Diamond Bar High School is located in Diamond Bar, California and is part of the Walnut Valley Unified School District. The school mascot is the Brahma, and the school colors are purple, gold, and white. Diamond Bar High School students participate in programs such as Advanced Placement and...
, Ashton was an honor roll
Honors student
An honors student is a person recognized for achieving high grades or high marks in their course work.Honors students may refer to# Students recognized for their academic achievement on lists published periodically throughout the school year, known as honor rolls, varying from school to school, and...
student, a captain of his club soccer team, a starting player on the varsity soccer team, and participated in the Olympic Developmental Soccer Team program at the regional level in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
He is a graduate of the University of La Verne
University of La Verne
The University of La Verne is a private research university located in La Verne, California . Founded in 1891, the university is composed of the College of Arts & Sciences, College of Business & Public Management, College of Education and Organizational Leadership, College of Law, and a Regional...
, where he majored in TV and radio broadcasting. Joseph is also currently the Junior Varsity coach for boys soccer at Diamond Bar High School.He starred in The Little Rascals and a remake of Where the Red Ferns Grow.
Career
Joseph Ashton is an award winning actor in television and films. Joseph's voice is immediately recognized as the lead character ‘Otto Rocket' on Nickelodeon's popular animated series Rocket Power. Joseph was on the series for 4 seasons and has been nominated twice for a Young Artist Award for his voice-over work. Joseph has lent his voice to other animated projects including Hey Arnold, Whatever Happened to Robot Jones and the animated films Babes in Toyland and Tarzan. Other voice work includes recording an audio book for Christian Day Parenting.Joseph first appeared before the camera as an infant in a national McDonalds commercial and has worked steadily ever since. He had a regular role on the Award winning CBS drama LA Doctors and was nominated for a Young Artist Award. His guest-starring roles on television series include ER, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, Walker, Texas Ranger, Martial Law, Cracker and Smart Guy. He reprised his role as the voice of ‘Otto Rocket' in the television movie Rocket Power: Race Across New Zealand for Nickelodeon. He appeared in Asylum as Young Tordone on HBO and the NBC mini series Blind Faith based on the #1 national bestseller authored by Joe McGinniss.
On the big screen, Joseph had the starring role of 'Sonny', in Slappy and the Stinkers and won a Young Artist Award for best performance in a feature film. Joseph's compelling performance of the title character, Little Tree in the critically acclaimed The Education of Little Tree earned him another Young Artist Award. Roger Ebert gave Joseph a hearty two thumbs up for playing the half-Cherokee orphan calling him "fresh and natural." The Boston Phoenix lauded him as "adorable and energetic."
Other film credits include The Little Rascals and Where The Red Fern Grows which recently premiered to rave reviews at the Tribeca Film Festival. Joseph Ashton has won a Crystal Heart Award, multiple Young Artist Awards, and numerous Native American in Film Awards, including the ICE Horizon Award, during his career.
Ashton's film debut was in the 1994 remake of The Little Rascals
The Little Rascals (1994 film)
The Little Rascals is a 1994 American comedy film produced by Amblin Entertainment, and released by Universal Pictures on August 5, 1994. The film is an adaptation of Hal Roach's Our Gang, a series of short films of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s which centered around the adventures of a group of...
. He appeared in many television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
productions throughout the 1990s, and notably starred in the title role of the 1997 film, The Education of Little Tree, a well-reviewed low-budget film about a 1930s-era boy discovering his Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
heritage. Ashton has twice won the Young Artist Award
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
.
Ashton is the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
voice of Otto Rocket on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
's Rocket Power
Rocket Power
Rocket Power is an American animated television series that aired on Nickelodeon.-Premise:Rocket Power involves the daily situations of a group of best friends named Oswald "Otto" Rocket, Regina "Reggie" Rocket, Maurice "Twister" Rodriguez, and Sam "Squid" Dullard, as they live in the fictional...
cartoon series, and also recently appeared in Walt Disney Productions' direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
remake of Where the Red Fern Grows
Where the Red Fern Grows
Where the Red Fern Grows is a children's novel written by Wilson Rawls about a boy who buys and trains two Redbone Coonhound hunting dogs. This book is a popular choice for early middle school reading classes, with a reading level appropriate to grades 4 and up.-Plot summary:Before leaving work one...
, playing the main character, "Billy Coleman".
Ashton has teamed up with EndlessEntertainment Co., and produces his own films.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Where the Red Fern Grows Where the Red Fern Grows (2003 film) Where the Red Fern Grows is an American family adventure film, directed by Lyman Dayton and Sam Pillsbury. The film stars Joseph Ashton, Dave Matthews, Ned Beatty and Dabney Coleman... |
Billy Coleman | |
| 1998 | Slappy and the Stinkers Slappy and the Stinkers Slappy and the Stinkers is a 1998 adventure/black comedy directed by Barnet Kellman. The film stars B.D. Wong and Bronson Pinchot.-Plot:... |
Sonny | |
| 1997 | The Education of Little Tree The Education of Little Tree The Education of Little Tree is a memoir-style novel written by Asa Earl Carter under the pseudonym Forrest Carter. Since its first publication by Delacorte Press in 1976, the book has been the subject of acclaim. Many people have been drawn to its message of simple living, tradition, and love of... |
Little Tree | |
| 1994 | The Little Rascals The Little Rascals (1994 film) The Little Rascals is a 1994 American comedy film produced by Amblin Entertainment, and released by Universal Pictures on August 5, 1994. The film is an adaptation of Hal Roach's Our Gang, a series of short films of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s which centered around the adventures of a group of... |
Rascal |