Game Changers: Coco Gauff, Angus Cloud, Javon Walton Digital Cover: Coco Gauff, Angus Cloud, Javon Walton

FALL 19 COVER

ANGUS CLOUD & JAVON WALTON COCO GAUFF

HYPEBEAST Presents: The Fall Digital Cover For HYPEBEAST’s first multi-part Digital Cover, we decided to spotlight talents who are changing the game in their respective fields: tennis sensation Coco Gauff, and the breakout stars of HBO’s Euphoria Angus Cloud and Javon Walton. All three have just come off major — and perhaps surprising — successes this summer. Gauff rocked the tennis world when she defeated Venus Williams at Wimbledon in July; Cloud and Walton meanwhile stole the show as Fezco and Ashtray, respectively, on Euphoria. But the young stars remain focused despite overnight fame. Gauff is getting ready to compete at the US Open this month, only her second grand slam tournament since she transitioned to the senior level. Cloud and Walton are just coming off the success of Euphoria, which aired its season finale this month and has already been renewed for a second season, and balancing their sudden recognition with new projects. For all three, however, this is only the beginning. Click on each cover to see our full interviews and editorials with the breakout stars.

Meet Euphoria’s biggest scene stealers.

PHOTOGRAPHER: PAVIELLE GARCIA INTERVIEWER: EMILY JENSEN ART DIRECTOR: JADE CHUNG PRODUCERS: JADE CHUNG & EMILY JENSEN STYLIST: JADE CHUNG GROOMER: RACHEL BURNEY PHOTO ASSISTANT: Andre Mampourian PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: CHRISTINA HONG location: the line hotel, los angeles athletic club

Teens. Drugs. Sex. Drama. It’s a seemingly tired formula for TV. Yet Euphoria, the high school show that debuted on HBO this summer, hinges on all of these elements and manages to be far more than the sum of its parts. Certainly the show’s style — the makeup, the music the cinematography — all give it a distinctive charm. But it’s the cast, comprised mostly of newcomers and one very established star, that gives Euphoria its substance. Even with Zendaya at the lead, Euphoria lends ample screen time to its ensemble, using each episode’s introduction to tell the backstory of a supporting character. And yet, two of the show’s most-buzzed about characters had just a handful of scenes, almost no backstory to speak of, and nary even a last name: Fezco and Ashtray. In real life, Fez and Ash are played by Angus Cloud and Javon “Wanna” Walton, respectively, who have backstories to boot. Cloud had the kind of discovery most of us can only dream about — an HBO casting agent plucked him off the street in New York City, where he was working in a restaurant. From there the Oakland-native was offered the role of Fezco, the drug dealer with a complex but heartfelt relationship with the 17-year-old recovering addict Rue Bennett (played by Zendaya). Walton, meanwhile, was already a sports prodigy prior to his turn as Euphoria’s 14-year-old drug dealer Ashtray. He had some screen experience thanks to an Under Armour commercial in which he appeared alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, but was mostly making headlines as a boxing and gymnastics champion. Certain Euphoria fans would like to see Walton demonstrate those boxing skills on the show. Given Euphoria’s buzz following its season finale, Cloud and Walton are easily recognized by the time we meet them in Los Angeles for our cover shoot, with fans asking to take selfies mid-photo session. But their lifestyles haven’t quite caught up to their notoriety. Walton — ambitious and focused as he may be — is still a kid at heart, wanting to jump in the pool at The LINE Hotel and take a stab at a punching bag at the Los Angeles Athletic Club (sadly, we couldn’t allow him to do so while wearing Burberry and Gucci). Cloud, unperturbed by his newfound fame, uses public transportation to get around Los Angeles. For both of them, getting dressed up and having their photo taken remains a fun endeavour rather than a chore. That’s certainly lucky for them; since Euphoria was renewed for a second season and both are pursuing further acting projects, there’s only going to be more interviews and photoshoots on the horizon.

ANGUS BURBERRY POLO [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE], GIVENCHY PANTS [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE], CONVERSE SHOES JAVON GUCCI POLO [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE], APPAMAN PANTS [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE], CONVERSE SHOES

ANGUS GIVENCHY JACKET [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE], JACQUEMUS SHIRT [STYLISTS OWN], BURBERRY SHORTS [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE] JAVON RALH LAUREN SHIRT [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE], APPAMAN JACKET [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE], Vilebrequin SHORTS [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE]

HYPEBEAST: How are you feeling now that Euphoria has wrapped? Javon Walton: It's crazy right now, it's really cool. I feel good about how it ended. You know, I miss everybody on the Euphoria set though, because it was a blast to be able to work with the people I worked with. I'm really, really curious what's gonna happen in season two. There was a lot of crazy stuff. So season two is gonna kind of put it all together. How does it feel having this newfound recognition? Angus Cloud: Recognition is good. People coming up recognizing you and stuff. Like you're in the middle of the street or in a restaurant and watching you eat and what not. That part is crazy. It's a trip you know. Trying to get used to that. Could you both share how you first got cast on Euphoria? JW: There was a casting director named Jennifer Venditti. She found me on the Steve Harvey show and asked me, “Would you like to be on Euphoria?” And I'm like, man, sounds really, really cool. I read the part and they were like, watching. And you know that's kinda how it started. It was really cool though because when I met everybody, it was just such a great environment. AC: What happened with me, one of Jennifer Venditti’s scouts, her name was Eleonore Hendricks, she found me on the street in New York one one night when I was walking about. She asked me to come audition and what not. What kind of concept did they give you, as far as what Euphoria was about and who your characters were? AC: They didn't tell me anything when they first stopped me. I didn't even know that they had a project in mind, you know. Until I started reading, really gave me like this character and I was like, “Oh, so that's why you got to stop me in the street.” You know what I'm saying? I thought it was just random, but they already had this whole cat in mind. So it made more sense after I found that part. JW: They sent me what it's about. And they said I'm going to play a 14-year-old drug dealer, you know? And then they sent me the script and I read it a few times. Got to really know the scripts. Got to know who Ashtray really is.

BURBERRY SUIT, BURBERRY BEANIE

ANGUS GIVENCHY JACKET [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE], JACQUEMUS SHIRT [STYLIST'S OWN], BURBERRY SHORTS [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE] JAVON RALH LAUREN SHIRT [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE], APPAMAN JACKET [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE], Vilebrequin SHORTS [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE]

is just the coolest project, I don't ever want it to end.” - ANGUS CLOUD

What attracted you to the characters and made you want to actually take the offer? JW: What really made me want to take the offer was it was just so different than any other show. It was so unique and special to me. And not a lot of shows were going to be like that. So I decided to take the offer knowing that it's going to be a little crazy. But that's what I liked about it. AC: It wasn't even a question, right. I wasn't really doing nothing else except just working, you know, busing tables and what not. So it wasn't really an option for me. I'm like, “I'm doing that.” It's an opportunity, chance of a lifetime, you know what I'm saying? I would have passed that up, I would have just hate myself. When you started working on the show, did you have any sense that it would be the hit it is now? AC: Nah. I guess people talked about it and like, I don't know, but I didn't think it would be like such a big [hit]. I mean going into being a part of it and seeing how big the production was and everything. And then I was like, wow, this is a really big deal. JW: I kind of felt like it was going to be a big deal. It was a show that was very different and unique like I said earlier. And I think that's why this would be a big deal. You know, many people don't explain their life through a show. And [Sam Levinson] did that very, very well. And I feel like that's why I knew it would be a big hit, because these actual characters were very special. How much of the show did you actually get to watch beforehand? Or did you watch it at the same time as the audience? JW: I watched it at the same time the audience did. You know, like they weren't trying to give me any special preview. AC: Yeah. It definitely was cool to watch and be waiting for it. You know I'm like, “Oh, I'm just excited as everyone else to watch this.” What was your reaction to seeing the final product, versus your experience filming it? Did it seem any different than you expected? AC: Yeah, I mean just having never done this before and being on the set. Like whatever it was, three, four, 12-hour days, and then you'd see the scene that you did. You know what I'm saying? One minute, two minutes. You like, “Oh, okay I see what they’re doing.” It's definitely different than when you're on set for hella days doing the same thing. JW: It's crazy because you don't really get to see yourself until, you know, on the screen. So when you do it's very special. And I feel like the way that they did it was just so awesome. Like the montages that they made, the crazy awesome music. Cause I didn't know what to really expect when I was filming, cause I was just in my zone.

RALPH LAUREN SHIRT [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE], BURBERRY VEST [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE]

why I knew it would be a big hit, because these actual characters were very special.” - JAVON WALTON

What was your reaction to hearing that the show was renewed for a second season? AC: I was excited. Cause this is just the coolest project, I don't ever want it to end, you know what I'm saying? JW: Definitely feel you on that one. Do you have anything in common with your characters that you relate to in real life? AC: I'd say me and Fezco got some things in common, you know. We both got a strong sense of what's right and wrong, you know. Morals and stuff that not necessarily has nothing to do with the law. Or what everyone else might think. JW: I feel like me and Ashtray do have similarities. He's a little bit more mature, more gangster version. I feel like I'm a version of him. But I'm not selling drugs. Ashtray is a good kid and he should really use how smart he is in other things. You know, like in school-wise, like he's very, very smart. He needs to use the street smart and other things for other projects. Other cool things, you know. Do you have any similarities with how your characters in terms of style? Besides the face tattoos. JW: I like to wear the same clothes as Ashtray. Some of my clothing I've actually worn for playing Ashtray. Like I've worn Polos. I've worn some really dope stuff. AC: They let me wear some of my own stuff on there. They said, “What do you want to wear?” So, costume really was just trying to work with what made us feel comfortable. How do you feel about the clothes we styled you in? Is it something you would wear in real life? AC: Sh*t. If I was rich. JW: That's definitely something I would wear. I think the vibe of the vibe of it is really, really dope. We wish we could let you guys keep the suits. AC: I already asked if I can keep this suit. I already told her, “Can I keep this suit?” She said, "No, so don't get it wrinkled.”

and Fezco got some things in common, you know. We both got a strong sense of what's right and wrong.” - ANGUS CLOUD

What sort of styles do you like to wear in your real life? What sort of brands do like to wear? AC: All kinds. I'm not going to say it on the damn magazine because everyone's going to start getting it. They already working with my sh*t now. So now everybody get my same sh*t. I got to change up my speed. You know what I'm saying? JW: I really like Polo. I really like Tommy Hilfiger. I really like Burberry. I feel like they are cool little styles and that's about it. I like Under Armour, they have some really cool like running gear, lifestyle stuff. Javon, you’re an Under Armor athlete, you do boxing and gymnastics. How do you balance all that with your acting? JW: I feel like there's always time for sports. Like I actually have a boxing bag on set and that allows me to train when I'm not working at the time or if I have a long break. And I'm always fight ready. Like if I had to fight tomorrow, I could. I love boxing so much. You got to find time for the things you love. What are your goals right now with your boxing and gymnastics training? JW: Right now my goal is actually to become a Junior Olympic champion. I'm a five-time regional champion. And my goal is to win Junior Olympics. And also Silver Gloves, that's another national championship title. That would mean a lot to be able to win. For you, Angus, do you have any specific types of acting roles you want to take on going forward? AC: Anything really. I want to do some crazy fantasy stuff with monsters and magic and everything like that. Do you have any favorite memories of working on the Euphoria set? JW: Being able to work with Zendaya, to be able to work with such amazing actors. It was just special because I learned a lot from her. And being able to kick it with everybody was all really cool. That was something I'd love to do again. Do you know when you'll start filming season two? Have they told you yet? AC: Sometime next year. JW: I can't wait though. I just need to get right to it.

RALPH LAUREN SHIRT [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE], APPAMAN SUIT [COURTESY OF SAKS FIFTH AVE]

to take the offer knowing that it's going to be a little crazy. But that's what I liked about it." - JAVON WALTON

Game Changers

When you’re competing alongside living legends such as Roger Federer and Venus and Serena Williams, even an experienced tennis player is lucky to capture much attention. And yet 15-year-old Cori “Coco” Gauff became the sport’s most talked about player when she defeated Venus Williams during Wimbledon’s first round this summer. “It wasn't a gradual kind of thing. Everything literally happened overnight,” Gauff says of her sudden rise to household name. The young player made it to Wimbledon’s fourth round and garnered international headlines, but now back in her home of Delray Beach, Florida, she feels like the same person she was when she left — just with a lot more support. “A lot of people come up to me saying that I inspire them, and honestly I think it's just crazy,” she tells HYPEBEAST. Going into Wimbledon, Gauff already had a Junior French Open championship under her belt, but now that she’s transitioned to the senior level, she finds that remaining mentally focused is the biggest challenge. “It's hard being a teenager and still being a kid also,” she says. “Because on the court I do act much older, but I feel like I act like the average teenager.” Gauff’s showing against Venus exemplified her quiet, mature confidence on the court; she kept her cool while playing against the tennis star, and only after the final point did she let her guard down to reveal what an emotional match it was for her to play against one of her idols. The pressure has only grown, with the media asking if Gauff will be the next Serena Williams. Gauff is humbled by the comparison, but knows she needs to remain focused to reach her eventual goal of being the number one player in the world. “It’s a great honor that they even compare me to her. But for me, I try not to think about being the next Serena because she's her own person and I'm my own person,” Gauff explains. “I don't want to be the next Serena, I just want to be me.” For now, her focus is the US Open; it was announced last week that organizers had awarded her a wild card to play in the grand slam. HYPEBEAST spoke with Gauff amidst her busy schedule to talk about what first drew her to tennis, how the sport has evolved and where she wants to go next. But wherever tennis takes her, this surely won’t be the last you hear of Coco Gauff.

GUCCI T-SHIRT [COURTESY OF THE WEBSTER], GUCCI SKIRT [COURTESY OF THE WEBSTER], NEW BALANCE SHOES

HYPEBEAST: How are you handling this newfound recognition after Wimbledon? Coco Gauff: I knew I'd have a bigger platform, but not to this degree. A lot of people come up to me saying that they've never watched a match before in their life and they were screaming at the TV during Wimbledon. It's crazy. Tennis, at least in the U.S., is not one of the biggest sports. I guess it was kind of a big story, but I didn't think it'd be that big or that global. Are there any specific things you learned after competing at as big a tournament as Wimbledon? Well, first I've learned how to play in front of such a big crowd and handle all the noise that's going around. Even after Venus, I was like, “This isn't like the Superbowl when you win, you win.” I had a lot more matches to play after the Venus match. I was just trying my best not to think about it anymore. It was just hard, because it was a dream come true. And even now, I tell my dad daily that I can't really believe I beat Venus. I also learned that I'm capable of a lot of things. In my third round I believe, I was down a couple of match points and I was able to fight through that and I just learned that no matter what the score is, if I keep fighting maybe I'll come out on top. Do you feel it's maybe more of a mental challenge playing at this kind of tournament, as opposed to the physical challenge? It's definitely more of a mental challenge than physical. In the juniors, sometimes you have to play two or three matches a day. So I wasn't too worried about being fatigued, but mentally it was just tough, because on the court you have to act so calm. You have to fake it until you make it, because I may not appear as if I was nervous but I was definitely nervous inside. It's very hard to not show that, because your opponent feeds off of that. Let's back up a bit and talk about your early career. When did you first begin training in tennis, and what drew you to the sport? My dad and my mom would put me in a lot of sports starting at six, and that's when I started tennis. But I also played basketball, track, gymnastics and soccer. They knew I would play a sport, but they didn't know which sport. I really got serious at around eight. Then I stopped doing all of the other sports. I think I was 12, turning 13, I stopped doing basketball and track. Even as I was doing basketball and track, I knew that tennis was my main sport, but I still enjoyed doing it.

VINTAGE FENDI TOP [COURTESY OF WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND MIAMI], VINTAGE CHANEL SKIRT [COURTESY OF WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND MIAMI], NEW BALANCE SHOES

What did you enjoy about tennis as opposed to all the other sports? Just that you're independent on the court and you're out there alone. Sometimes it makes it more challenging. But I think for me, even when I was younger, my parents would always say, I was always playing by myself when I would play at preschool. But I guess that was always my personality, so I think tennis fit that. Even now I'm really independent, I don't ask for help a lot. So I think being on the court alone helped me because I get to make decisions for myself. Were your coaches aware early on that you had this kind of talent? Yeah, they never really said it to me. But now my parents would tell me that a lot of my coaches, even starting at eight, they used to tell me that this girl has potential and that she can do some big things in the sport. And my parents and the coach never told me just so I can continue to work hard and not get my head too big.

Having gotten so far at Wimbledon and potentially going to the US Open, what are your short-term career goals? Short term, I want to get into the top 100 of the WTA rankings. Right now, I believe I'm 141. I started the year off at 900, 800, maybe. At the beginning of the year I told that to my dad. At the time he never told me, but he knew that it would be tough for that to happen. I guess in the back of his mind he thought it would be really challenging to do that because this was before knowing I would place Wimbledon and the French Open, and all these bigger tournaments. But I told my dad maybe two or three weeks ago, "I might be able to get to the top 100.” He was like, "Yeah. It's crazy because you told me that at the beginning of the year." So hopefully I can get there, but I think if I make my next few tournaments and do well then I'll get there. Looking at the next 10 years, 20 years, what are your big picture goals? In the next 10 years I definitely want to win a couple of Grand Slams and hopefully reach number one, one day. My big picture goal, I guess it would be the greatest of all time. It's a big goal, but I think for me it's important to set that really high and long-term goal because I feel I want to always have motivation. So hopefully I can get there. Maybe I will, maybe I won't, but I know that I am capable of doing it.

Are there any players who you look up to as far as how they play, how they've modeled their careers? I definitely still look up to Serena and Venus Williams. Seeing what they’ve done for the sport, that’s part of the reason why I even picked up a racket in the first place. And maybe for why my dad bought me a racket and introduced me to the sport. I look up to Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, they're such hard workers on the court and they're still winning Slams. They've been in the game for a long, long time. But I hope when I'm 38, 39 I can still be playing to that level. How would you describe yourself as a player? I think I'm probably the most versatile player. Most of the time I try to play really aggressive and try to finish the point moving forward. But, for example, my third round match that wasn't really working out, I had to try to mix up my game a little bit. Even though it's not my favorite way to play, if I can pull it out I can. So I feel it just depends on the player and what type of game it is. But I enjoy playing really aggressive most of the time. I'm always a fighter and so I think that definitely elevates my game to another level because tennis is such a mental and emotional sport. So I think staying mentally strong is very important as well. Are there any weaknesses in your playing you want to work on? If I was playing myself, I would say the best to try to get me is just to get me emotional. Get me upset and try to rattle me. I think it'll be tough. It used to work maybe a year, a couple months ago, but I think now I kind of found the perfect balance to stay calm and still get hyped up. Can you talk a bit about your partnership with New Balance? When did you first begin working with them? Yeah, I first began working with them, I believe last year around September around US Open time and I was pretty excited to work with them. I was happy that they took a chance on me, because I was 14 at the time. Looking back at it, it's crazy that they even took me into consideration because I was so young and there was nothing sponsoring me at the time.

How would you describe the kit that you'll be wearing at the US Open? Basically New Balance is collaborating with Gitman, and the actual kit is they took aerial views of all the public tennis courts in New York. I'm excited that I get to wear it, because I grew up playing on public courts and it's a little connection for me as well. It seems that Americans are becoming more interested in tennis. Have you noticed that change from when you were a kid to now? I definitely think tennis has gotten a lot more popular here. I think the reason why it's popular is because of Serena and Venus, and all the other players that are willing to wear different stuff to the court. So people are starting to watch the match even if they don't understand. I remember when Serena wore the catsuit, I loved it. A lot of people loved it as well, and even the tutu she wore. I never thought it was possible to wear a tutu on court. She's bringing a lot of ideas to the court and I'm happy that she's creating that change, making tennis more popular in the States.

What are you looking forward to at the US Open? I'm excited because it's my favorite Grand Slam. I've been going to that tournament since I was eight just to watch people play. So it's going to be really special to actually play there for the second time — the first time in main draw. And hopefully I get to play on Ashe, because that court is amazing.

VINTAGE CHANEL DRESS [COURTESY OF WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND MIAMI], VINTAGE CHANEL BELT BAG [COURTESY OF WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND MIAMI], NEW BALANCE SHOES, VINTAGE GUCCI SUNGLASSES [COURTESY OF WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND MIAMI]

GAME CHANGERS

Do you feel it's maybe more of a mental challenge playing at this kind of tournament, as opposed to the physical challenge? It's definitely more of a mental challenge than physical. In the juniors, sometimes you have to play two or three matches a day. So I wasn't too worried about being fatigued, but mentally it was just tough, because on the court you have to act so calm. You have to fake it until you make it, because I may not appear as if I was nervous but I was definitely nervous inside. It's very hard to not show that, because your opponent feeds off of that. Let's back up a bit and talk about your early career. When did you first begin training in tennis, and what drew you to the sport? My dad and my mom would put me in a lot of sports starting at six, and that's when I started tennis. But I also played basketball, track, gymnastics and soccer. They knew I would play a sport, but they didn't know which sport. I really got serious at around eight. Then I stopped doing all of the other sports. I think I was 12, turning 13, I stopped doing basketball and track. Even as I was doing basketball and track, I knew that tennis was my main sport, but I still enjoyed doing it.

Are there any weaknesses in your playing you want to work on? If I was playing myself, I would say the best to try to get me is just to get me emotional. Get me upset and try to rattle me. I think it'll be tough. It used to work maybe a year, a couple months ago, but I think now I kind of found the perfect balance to stay calm and still get hyped up. Can you talk a bit about your partnership with New Balance? When did you first begin working with them? Yeah, I first began working with them, I believe last year around September around US Open time and I was pretty excited to work with them. I was happy that they took a chance on me, because I was 14 at the time. Looking back at it, it's crazy that they even took me into consideration because I was so young and there was nothing sponsoring me at the time.