Walter Maxfield Jones - On The Move

Just like many rappers make underground mix tapes to generate buzz and develop a grassroots following Walter Maxfield Jones has done the same thing on the indie film circuit. His name is fully established in the Washington DC/Baltimore acting scene, and industry insiders in New York and Hollywood are starting to connect the dots.

As a child growing up in Sacramento, this California native started showcasing his singing and acting talents in school plays, talent competitions and musicals. Even at a young age he had a hustlers spirit. He would make tickets and sell them to his family and perform in the living room of his home. “Entertainment is my passion. “If I don’t do it, I’m neglecting a blessing,” he says. “My goal is to win an Oscar and a Grammy.”

As a teen, Jones was a solid performer on stage and in the classroom. He signed a record deal with MCA Records as part of a boy band Adagio, that later disbanded. Like most teens he was impressionable and hung with a rambunctious crowd and believes that it was a matter of time before he would get in serious trouble. He later enrolled at Morgan State University with a full Engineering scholarship.
Once he moved to the east coast he became engrained in the local arts culture. He is the host of Warm Wednesdays, a Baltimore based showcase of Spoken Word and NeoSoul. Currently with thirteen years running it is the nations’ longest running weekly spoken word venue. “I do it because the people enjoy it and so do I,” he said. We’ve had some great moments there. Musiq, Raheem Devaughn, IndiaArie and a lot of other people have blessed the stage.”


Recently Walt was nominated as Best Dramatic Actor by the Indie Soap Awards for his portrayal of Michael in the series Anacostia. Other productions he’s worked on have done well in the Hollywood Black Film Festival, London Independent Film Festival and Washington DC International Film Festival. Currently, fans can catch him in “Torn,” a film dealing with the seldom talked about topic of women who cheat. Walt’s next venture is the film adaption of “The Power The Passion and The Pulpit,” a film in which he also starred in the stage production. “I want to make a business out of what I Love. This is my calling I need the stage and the stage needs me,” he boasts.

In an era when New York or Los Angeles seems to pull budding artist to relocate, Jones says LA is “inevitable.” But he doesn’t want to go until he has generated enough buzz and has everything in place. I don’t want to be one of those guys who move to LA and become a waiter. I’ll go when the time is right.”
Unwilling to rest with his pursuit of the arts, his go-getter attitude which he adopted from his childhood summers in New York, he is a solid business man. He owns a information technology company called ITSA. ITSA specializes in recruiting and consulting.

Walt says that a big part of what keeps him moving is his fear of mediocrity. He’s never wanted to be the average Joe. ”I always try my best and always enjoy life. Life is too short not to enjoy it,” he says. For more info visit www.whatwaltcando.com or follow him on www.twitter.com/wmaxfieldjones