Stacy Stewart Smith __ You must be quite bright and have a loving family and spiritual foundation behind you to have become so successful thus far. Besides acting, are you involved in any other businesses or fields or hobbies that our readers might find interesting?

Joshua Uduma __ I’ve had the opportunity to be involved with raising money to build quite a large hospital in Africa at the moment. It is going to be the first Americanized hospital system in Nigeria. Often, they don’t have adequate care and equipment available to help sustain people’s lives. So I found it a priority in my life to see to it that this hospital will be accomplished. So far, it’s come quite a long way. I will say it is truly a wonder to see how it has evolved and how it is finally almost finished. My family has lost so many members due to inadequate equipment or diagnosis from the hospitals there. This is the one opportunity I have to make sure that does not happen anymore. Honestly, this project will benefit others more than myself, and I think working and experiencing its progression may be one of my favorite hobbies. Apart from this, I am heavily involved in a multitude of real estate. Real estate has always been such a fascinating topic for me. The idea that one can own property anywhere in the world and develop equity from it puts a smile on my face.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ I am glad we are doing this interview; otherwise, our readers would not know about your part in funding and building a hospital. Vestal Magazine will have to follow-up on the hospital’s progress later. Interestingly, this brings me to another point. Because you are a talented rising star—people will be drawn to you. Naturally, they will search Google and other resources to learn more about you. Your name comes up in searches for a few Texas companies unless this is a cross-reference to a relative. In what ways are you involved in enriching the global community through free-enterprise or otherwise? 

Joshua Uduma __ I am working on a few things out in Texas. As I mentioned, my affiliation with a hospital overseas will receive recognition as the first modern medical facility in Nigeria. However, I believe that through my acting I can also offer goodness to the global community. The entire world can understand the power of storytelling through the performing arts. The more impactful the story is, the better perspective one person may receive. If I’m able to reach one person, just one human being, I would’ve been able to have reached more than anyone could know. That one person can share that story that was told to another person, from the other person, and so forth. That is, the beautiful gift available within artistic storytelling, television, and film when tied together via the creative power of music. The arts play one of the most potent, influential roles in this world.

Stacy Stewart Smith __Has acting yet afforded you the ability to purchase anything special for yourself or a loved one? 

Joshua Uduma __ Yes, I’m a big fan of purchasing jewelry for my mother because she works so tirelessly. I like to splurge on my mom!

Stacy Stewart Smith __ In your latest film, ‘The Swing of Things,’ you do a bit of motion dancing. Is this part of your college training in Kinesiology?

Joshua Uduma __ Ha-ha, that’s actually funny. No, it’s not at all. I believe that it was some of the moves I learned in my village, Afikpo, in Nigeria, when I last went back around that time. I decided to throw in a few moves I saw a group of kids doing in a marketplace while in Nigeria. But of course, kinesiology definitely has an essential role in that since I have to know which muscle groups to use.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ What is your objective as an actor and producer?

Joshua Uduma __ My objective is to tell the stories of those who never thought their stories could ever be told, especially the stories of Black and Brown people and all other people of color. To me, that is what moviemaking is all about—telling the important stories that could shift a person’s perspective within a moment’s notice. It’s a form of enlightenment towards another individual and a great way to be empathetic. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Naturally, from observing your acting, I can see that you have a high capacity and ability for versatile characters. Considering the roles that you have portrayed to date, would you say that you’re more comfortable as a comedian, a villain, or a hero, and why?

Joshua Uduma __ All right… That’s a hard one. To be honest, I probably have to say a hero. There’s always that constant sense of hope that you have when you see the hero come on the screen. I may not always wear a cape and a speedo, but a hero is that one person that gives you that sense that “everything is going to be all right.” The hero can make you feel like a prisoner of hope. Even though everything is going wrong in every corner, from scene to scene, you know that at some point, that hero will rise once again, more triumphant than the last.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ You must spend lots of time in physical activities and sports. You are in great shape at six feet, three inches, and 180lbs. In light of these dimensions, you’re striking without much apparel, but when you must wear clothing, what labels do you prefer?

Joshua Uduma __I can’t say that there are particular labels that I prefer. However, I will mention that Pyer Moss is such an incredible designer and artist. I genuinely love his luxury menswear; it has a street-style look. For special occasions, I’d go with Balmain or Saint Laurent. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __ How do you keep in shape to wear luxury designer menswear? What do you do daily to maintain your star-quality, fitness, and vitality? Do you have a special diet?

Joshua Uduma __ I do my best to stick to a diet plan with less meat. As a replacement, I substitute an immense amount of greens such as spinach, kale, and arugula. I start breakfast with a smoothie consisting of blended pineapple, apples, spinach, kale, blueberries, collagen protein powder, and banana. Sometimes I switch it up and throw in strawberries and kiwi. As the day continues, I eat wild whole grain brown rice with a special sauce consisting of spinach and kale leaves, tomatoes, carrots, onions, and bell peppers. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Hum, that is a huge routine, but it sounds delicious. What happens at lunch or dinner?

Joshua Uduma __ Throughout the day, I snack a lot and workout two to three times to keep my metabolism going nonstop. A healthy snack like organic trail mix with cashews, almonds, and dried cranberries is a favorite. I definitely stay away from sugar and high fructose corn syrup. I crave meat but opt out by eating shrimp or crawfish. Following a strict diet protocol is quite easy since I used to be a personal trainer and diet planner for a few top models. Some were the faces for Tom Ford, Oscar De La Renta, and Ralph Lauren. They would need to get cut-up and ripped within a moment’s notice, so I would design training programs and diet plans that could give them the required results in a few days. The results always paid-off for them.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Possessing the ability to detach oneself from their flesh and personal humanity is one hallmark of a great actor. On the opposite of this ability, an actor must be able to tune directly into their physical attributes. How did you develop the talent to channel both qualities? 

Joshua Uduma __ It took me some time to fully understand myself. The process can be one of the most challenging things for any human being to do, especially for an actor. In society, we learn to avoid diving into our emotions. For example, we hide how we feel when a breakup occurs, or when we hear the news that we’ve been fired, etc. We conceal those emotions until a later date—but that “later” time never comes unless we sit down and hone-in on them. That is how I get in touch with my characters’ emotions as an actor and how I tell stories as a producer. The characters are human. I am also human, and we humans have emotions. Therefore, I become a character who can relate on an emotional level, thus showing empathy. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __ And how do you channel your physical attributes to help you as an actor?

Joshua Uduma __ The physical aspect comes together better for me through activities like cardio and yoga. Cardio clears my mind allowing me to have a simple thinking process. Yoga makes me stretch and feel in sync with my body. Emotions can be expressed profoundly through body language.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Anyone who has watched you act can observe that you can hold your place in dramatic portrayals, your latest film, ‘The Swing of Things’ casts you in a comedic role that focuses on you as a sex object. In light of the current protest and Black Lives Matter, how do you present the positive side of this humor and stereotype to the viewer? 

Joshua Uduma __ I love this question! In ‘The Swing of Things’ I play a character named Tyrone. Most of the time, characters with that name are portrayed as ghetto, thuggish, etc. I portray a graceful, smooth, and polite man who is gentle and kind but exudes a certain level of regal sex appeal. Black Lives Matter focuses on how Black and Brown people of color are not what the world has for years depicted them. We are intelligent. We are confident. We are grateful, and we are loving to all, whether they love back or not.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ In your role as Victor in Episode 3 ‘The Cowboy’ from ‘Little America,’ you seize the moment in a tiny part as a Nigerian friend of the main character to show forth your ability to carry a scene. What preparation goes into a role like this one? Who decided that you should have hair different than your usual style?

Joshua Uduma __  A character like Victor was pretty close to home for me. My parents came from Nigeria at the same time that Iwegbuna’s role went to the United States from Nigeria. Iwegbuna is the main character in ‘Cowboy’ played by my friend and fellow actor Conphidance. The character in the story comes to America in 1981 when my parents arrived here in real life. Therefore, I was able to speak with my mom and dad about their experiences when they first came to America. In the episode, my character Victor and his friends are in Oklahoma around the same historical time that my parents were in nearby Texas. To prepare for this role in ‘Little America,’ accordingly, understanding what my parents and their friends went through was a priority. I had to discover what fears they had—coming from another country to a new culture where no one looks like them. What were their struggles when it came to their eating choices? Were people racist towards them, or did they experience much discrimination, and how did it make them feel? I had to spend days to weeks understanding that experience and putting it in my scenario. I needed to be in touch with how I would personally feel.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Oh, what about your short afro wig in this film?

Joshua Uduma __  The hair was a humorous choice. My dad’s hair looked the same in the early 1980s. I believe the director, Bharat Nalluri, and the executive producers were the people in charge and decided on my hair’s final look. Honestly, I’d still wear it today, if they had let me keep it. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __ While we’re on the subject of grooming, please tell our readers how you manage your dark and lovely complexion?

Joshua Uduma __  Aww, thank you! I am obsessed with skincare. Healthy skin starts with your diet. Every single food that enters your body, whether big or small, affects your hormones and chemicals that are released within. Knowing this, it behooves me to make sure everything I am putting inside my body can benefit it in the most excellent way possible. Apart from dieting, I am heavily involved with designing the perfect skincare regimen and hope to reveal it soon.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ While we all anticipate the début of your signature skincare, what do you use right now to maintain your star complexion?

Joshua Uduma __  I have a vast array of products. I use a cleanser called Alpha from Dr. Dennis Gross, and then after that, I go ahead and cleans again with Dr. Jart Micro Water. And then I also use the Dr. Jart Micro Milk, so that’s like a light enzyme peel. It kind of goes deep-in to exfoliate or uproot anything in your skin that could cause any acne.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Are you currently working on a new project? How does the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions change how you go about your work and performance as an actor?

Joshua Uduma __ I am currently working on a couple of large-budget feature film projects that will significantly impact society. The goal is to change the current perspective and narrative of the world and bring them into a better understanding of Black and Brown people, including all people of color. COVID-19 has presented setbacks and work restrictions. For starters, I love meeting new people with whom I can collaborate. Unfortunately, meeting and seeing people is off the schedule for 2020. The time off allows me to put together and develop the finite details of bettering myself. I’m still able to do virtual meetings, conference calls, script revisions, etc. It works out pretty well, just like this interview.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Yes, I have to agree, but according to my research, currently, you have a role in an upcoming TV series, ‘The Rise’ scheduled to debut in 2021, with a plot about the largest East Coast drug cartel taking their operation to the West. You must still be in the process of filming this one. Can you elaborate on the plot a bit or at least speak about your involvement in the project?

Joshua Uduma __ Well, absolutely, I will be producing and starring in ‘The Rise’ opposite my fellow lead co-stars: Jake T. Austin and Mitchell Musso. At the current moment, I can’t say much, but I’m beyond blessed and humbled to be part of such an incredibly well-written project. Once again, I have the opportunity to go ahead and produce this piece with a phenomenal team.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ How has it been working with well-known celebrities with whom you’ve already worked? What good advice have you received from your co-stars or celebrities? Has any other actor left a profound impression upon your career? 

Joshua Uduma __  Adelaide Kane, my co-star from ‘The Swing of Things,’ gave me some advice. Yeah, I’d say that she gave me excellent advice about keeping-up and not giving up. She told me, “Do what you have to do, and don’t rely on any other human being.” She also told me to focus on what you are capable of doing. We are close, and I love the words that she said to me because it definitely gave me a boost of morale on that set.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Millennials have advantages that other generations did not. Your burgeoning career has placed you in film projects where you’re a cast member in multicultural plots. What advice can you give other young Black actors concerning the pitfalls of discrimination or how they might overcome racial typecasting in the film industry?

Joshua Uduma __ This is such a lovely question. The advice I give starts with “you—are you.” You can’t be any other individual apart from—you. You cannot change your skin tone. You cannot change your name. You cannot change your background and foundation from which you have come. You—are you. Whether people like you or not, it’s not for them to decide your destiny. You determine your fate in alignment with God or whichever divine path you take. A human being cannot tell you “no,” and that be the end of everything. Life is all about challenges. As cliché as that may sound, without problems, there is no way for our character to develop. I always remember this quote that would get me through so many situations in life. It goes, “Many people have the gifts and talents to take them places. Very few have the character to keep them there.” 

Stacy Stewart Smith __  Joshua, what about discrimination in the film industry?

Joshua Uduma __ If discrimination and all other things reject you from getting the role, that is perfectly fine. That is not the only role that has been cast in this world. Set your mind and keep it set on moving past rejection. Go ahead and get the next part, which will most likely end up being more significant than the role that rejected you. Understand that discrimination in Hollywood and the rest of this world is inevitable. I set my mind and keep it set that I’m going to show forth the regal and royal aspects of Black people. There’s no way of denying an intellectual, majestic, and splendid Black man. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Where is Joshua’s heart concerning humanity? You have already spoken about your involvement with Nigeria, but what about here in America? What charities do you support? 

Joshua Uduma __ One charitable organization that I recently became a part of and donated to and will continue to give to is known as EYM, which stands for Educating Young Minds. They spend a lot more money to educate children who would otherwise not get a great education in public schools or private schools and such. This organization goes about educating children in a more advanced way, especially children of color.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Do you have any children, pets or hobbies?

Joshua Uduma __ No children yet, but I used to have two cats. They passed away some time ago. Hobby-wise—I really love football! I used to be a varsity football captain in high school, so I’m still addicted to playing football whenever I get the chance. Apart from that, I love painting and sculpting. When I was younger, I used to win art awards. I guess that’s like a hidden trait.

Stacy Stewart Smith __ I studied painting and sculpting, so I’m going to ask you what kinds of art you produce; do you prefer abstract or realist?

Joshua Uduma __ OMG, I love abstract painting! I especially love anything that’s acrylic and not so much watercolor—but anything abstract stands out more. As soon as I see abstract works, my head tilts, and I start staring. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __ Because of your magnetic image and dynamic acting, some of your fans will be from the LGBTQ

community. Are you comfortable with all types of fans adoring your abilities and attributes? 

Joshua Uduma __ Absolutely, that’s the essential way to reach everybody—all shapes, sizes, genders/sexes. It doesn’t even matter, so long as I’m able to go ahead and impact one—just one individual. It doesn’t matter who they are or what they sexually prefer. Whatever it is, if I can affect one, I know that I have done my job in being on this Earth.  

Stacy Stewart Smith __  Excellent answer, Joshua! Now, everyone will want to know if you are married, dating, or single? 

Joshua Uduma __ I’m currently single.

Stacy Stewart Smith __  If you could pick just one historical person whose life you would portray in a major motion picture, who would it be? Tell our readers why you feel that the role would be both challenging and memorable?

Joshua Uduma __ Ah, let’s see—it would be John Lewis. The reason why I would want to portray the life of John Lewis is because he’s one of the greatest advocates to encourage people to get into “good trouble.” Not necessarily to get into the type of trouble such as burning down buildings or anything, but the right kind of trouble. The type of trouble that can spark a change and open people’s eyes in perspective to realize that there are so many means and methods of bringing about impactful change. It doesn’t necessarily have to be vulgar or harmful or targeting any race or anyone. It’s all about unity. How well can we become unified and make some good trouble at the same time? When we finally have that perspective and understand that in becoming one, and getting into one big trouble, some good trouble, then we can be progressive and move towards that empathetic realm of understanding everyone’s story. That is why I would want to portray John Lewis. 

Stacy Stewart Smith __   I am proud to hear this coming from a young actor. I am proud of you. It has been a pleasure speaking with you, Joshua Uduma, and I wish you all the best! On behalf of the entire team at Vestal Magazine, thank you!

Joshua Uduma __ No, thank you, guys, for everything.