Fitness and film. Those are two worlds that don’t typically go together, but Nigerian-American actor Joshua Uduma has seemingly found the perfect balance—carving out his own niche as he somehow straddles them both. The Houston-born actor moved to Los Angeles over a decade ago, following his calling for storytelling and performance, and is working his way up to create a name for himself in the entertainment industry.

His first role was a guest star on CBS’ Scorpion, where he portrayed a poacher who illegally hunts endangered deer. He starred as James Jefferson in the 2019 drama-series Six Degrees of Separation, alongside Erin Sanders, Mike Manning and Chelsea Ricketts, Lionsgate’s The Swing of Things, opposite Luke Wilson and Chord Overstreet, and appeared in Apple TV’s Little America, an anthology that observes the heartfelt stories of immigrants living across the United States. His upcoming feature, The Trainer, centers on a fitness expert (Vito Schnabel) living with his mother who takes a maniacal stab at fame, which was directed by Tony Kaye and screened at Tribeca this past June.

Beyond cuts and takes, Uduma is a strong advocate of fitness himself. He’s a seasoned trainee at Alo Gym and has been very vocal about his health journey—the importance of strength, the mind-body connection, and the value of preservation and discipline. Recently, Uduma has taken on the producer’s hat, in addition to acting. He’s currently in development on two upcoming projects, Amazon Lost and Civil, and stays active with philanthropic endeavors. Read below to learn more about Uduma’s love for storytelling, his recent work as an actor, his attitude towards holistic wellness and how he fills the space in between.

What do you love most about storytelling as a profession?

Being able to tell stories as the storyteller tends to be my way of therapy. I find it as a secure way of utilizing empathy towards understanding humanity itself. Most people have [a] therapist they can run too to express themselves. I use this outlet as such a way to express my deepest, and most vulnerability. I never get to share with the world on a daily basis. 

Tell me about your recent experience filming “The Trainer.” What was it like working alongside such a stacked cast and were there any pieces of advice learned during set?

As you can possibly imagine, or with this entire team of individuals was a game changer for me. I mean, look at the cast! Each individual is known as a legendary inspiration in some way within the field of their crafts. To have the honor and the utmost privilege of being a part of this picture as a divine blessing from God himself. And for that, I must thank my dear friend, Tony Kaye, and Vito Schnabel for the unforgettable honor. One thing I picked up while briefly filming this project was understanding the freedom to be oneself on a deeper level of expressing vulnerability. Whether it is a comedy, a drama, or any category revolving around the human emotion, be as open towards being the fullness of myself, as can be. 

From “Scorpion” to “Little America,” you’ve represented a variety of both comedic and heartfelt performances. Is there a genre you haven’t yet explored but are hoping to try?

A solid sci-fi/action-thriller and drama definitely are next on the trajectory. When it comes to sci-fi, majority of the pictures that I adore and highly praise tend to use particular skills of maximizing the most intricate details throughout the picture, so that the intelligent audience would be able to comprehend and grasp the fact that each of those details that are being built up through the picture are actually telling the story on a deeper level. I know, I’m an absolute nerd. But think about [it], why do you and so many others love a great sci-fi thriller? They know how to get the audience to think outside the box on a fictitious level, and still make the reality as authentic as possible. Dramas tend to tap me into my cornball side. Yes, it’s a real thing. They tend to draw me back into a reality that explores the depth of what people realistically go through on a day-to-day basis. The empathetic layers tend to be so well aligned with a better understanding of human emotions and also help me relate more to people around the world. 

You’ve recently taken on a lot more producing credits in addition to acting. Tell me about the jump from acting to producing, and how do the two complement each other?

Acting is something I have been able to do for quite a very long time. To have the opportunity to jump back and forth between acting and producing, unravels a stronger level of perspective that I never knew existed until I started doing it. Within those perspectives, I’m able to fully see what it is that takes place behind the camera in order to make a simplistic idea or concept go from the mind of a creative and artistic individual, on to a full-blown motion picture where millions of people are able to view that one little idea or imagination that started as a thought. Think about it—people have been able to transform one dream that they’ve had into a multimillion to a multibillion dollar grossing picture because they believed so deeply in stitching it together piece by piece to make it real for them and several others. Acting allows me to now place myself into that world of the character to tell their part of the storyline that originated from the artistic mind of another creative individual, while still performing in the midst of all the several moving pieces taking place behind the scenes. Now, if that is not a divine order of creative and business blending together, I’m not too sure what else we can say it is.

Besides film, you’re also very passionate about fitness, which I imagine, similar to acting, requires high degrees of discipline. What does wellness look like for you?

Not to sound cliché, but wellness is truly like breathing to me. The feeling of knowing I am at my best, the sensation of believing I can do all things with no limitations, and the relentless desires that drive me to keep on keeping on - these are elements of pristine wellness. When we watch superheroes or gods in mythological storylines, we realize they are, in theory, “untouchable.” The way my mind works is, over several years of admiring storylines such as these, I too, can attain that belief and feeling of unfathomable power and strength. A little gimmicky but true to an extent. Think about being your utmost best, constantly. That “I can’t be touched level” of greatness. We’ve all felt it. Now, what if you really honed in on it? What steps would be needed to get there? That’s how my mind plays it out. Wellness, it is the key to unlocking our fullest self. 

You have two upcoming projects, “Amazon Lost” and “Civil.” What can you tell me about your characters and what drew you to these roles?

The projects seem very lovely but at this time not much can be said as of yet. 

Outside of fitness and film, what do you do to calm down? Where do you find peace amid all the chaos?

I actually throw myself into working out very intensely to the point [where I have] no choice, but to cause myself to chill the “F” out. Seriously. My understanding is, if I can be in such immense soreness, I have no choice but to lay down…for several hours or days haha. But apart from that, I’m huge on meditating. Honing in to my core self and centering it through beautiful assurances of knowing, and believing, something great is going to happen to me. I would sometimes state, “Great things are chasing me down and meeting me everywhere that I am.” Then, reading certain messages or quotes that help reassure those divine promises.