Joseph Ashton (actor)

Joseph Ashton (born November 18, 1986) is an American former film and voice actor.

Personal life
Ashton was born Joseph Ashton Valencia in California; 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.

Career
Joseph Ashton is an award winning former 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 has been 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. 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. Ashton is now retired from acting.