Conversations with Ohannes Montgomery

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ohannes Montgomery.

Hi Ohannes, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When I was little I spent a lot of time sick in and out of hospitals. Eventually, I was diagnosed with FMF which is an Auto Inflammatory disease also known as Periodic fever syndrome. Unfortunately at the time the disease makes me sensitive to overheating in the sun so outdoor sports were not an option. I asked my parents if I could try martial arts. My life was changed. When I started, I was probably about 7 at the time and just got out of the hospital after being there for some time. I was only able to do 15 mins of class about three days a week because I was still weak Tang Soo Do at Chatsworth Karate with Master Cox and Master Kenny.

I never gave up and as I got stronger, Martial Arts absorbed me and I felt the healing that came from it. I eventually started the other three days of the week at Warrior Tae Kwon Do with Master Raya. My family supported me cheering me in every class. I now have Eventually, I became an International Tae Kwon Do Gold Medal champion fighter in my division winning for 4 years straight and have earned my Black Belt. I think had I not found Martial arts my health would still be fragile. See having my disease makes me a fighter but being on the Mat makes me a champion.

My moms friend Will Wallace (who is now my acting teacher) was talking to his friend William Zabka about me. Well William Aka Billy is an actor who actually plays Johnny on my favorite Movies and show Karate kid and Cobra Kai. The next thing I know Billy FaceTimes me on my birthday which was an huge surprise and invited me to be on season 4 of Cobra Kai at the all valley tournament. I got so much attention for that due to the behind the scenes footage and photos that I was being offered role after role on film Projects, Modeling job with famous designer Maggie Barry (she is also JoJo Siwa’s designer), music videos working with Pop Artist Tate Mcray and Khalid. I was then signed by my manager from CA Talent and an Agent from Tiffin Creative Talent and the best publicist in the world, Alma Ramirez signed me and all of a sudden I found this new life in acting, and I felt like I was home.

I started acting class with coaches Will and Sara Wallace eventually I booked a big film with Director Steven Brill. The film stars Chevy Chase, Danny Trejo and Judd Hirsch and I was cast to play Danny Trejo as a kid. The strike hit, and everything was put on hold so hopefully we can start filming soon.

I’ve met Danny quite a few times and he is definitely one of my hero actors. Edward James Olmos, Damian Chapa, Emilio Rivera, Leo C and Robert Dinero of course and of course my grandfather Stanley Griego who is now passed are my top-tier movie actors I look up too and I met them all. My Celebrity crush to work with I would have to say Jenna Ortega who plays Wednesday Adams, I think she is beautiful and a fantastic Actress. My dream is to work with directors Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Steven C Miller.

Now that the strike is over, I hope to really start working again. I had finished 2 movies right before the strike. “Birthday Wish” by director Armen Pogosyan with Moon Made Media and The other one is called “Disjoint“ about a gamer kid named Tyler who was training to compete in a Smash Bros tournament and his parents weren’t to happy about it at first but you have to watch it to see what happens. It’s a coming of age story for sure and it was fun playing Tyler. Disjoint is coming out on Amazon Prime i believe in January. The directors name is Jalen Sur such a cool guy. There was a red carpet premiere it got an amazing response. Here is a link to the trailer: https://youtu.be/LEQrtUaAzQ4?si=k0StuxiOnXUPKIk_

I also work on a project my sister and I started called the Ohannes and Sultria project visiting nursing homes on holidays bringing blankets stuffed animals and love to elders left in nursing homes. I always say it only takes a minute of love to change someone’s life, even if they are at the end of it.

I am currently in 7th grade and will be 14 in February. I play piano and guitar and have a famous dad Swan Montgomery who is a musician and has a band named Led Zepagain (Tribute to Led Zeppelin) that travels all over the world. I am fortunate enough to be able to travel with my dad and see the world. I love everything from classic rock to hip hop to the 80s. In fact, I’m friends with Boy George and his team such as PK, Niko and Jimmy Filipan. I always see them when they have a show here. I Attend with my mom who is a massive fan of Culture Club so she would go to all their shows and now we become friends all of us. When I was in the hospital when I was little my mom would play culture club music, and I loved it. She would call me boy warrior because I was fighting so hard to stay alive and then when I finally got home and started martial arts the name stuck. Then the documentary Boy Warrior came out about me, and that was it. For years, everyone called me Boy Warrior. It made sense for my mom with her love for me and her love for Boy George lol.

You can see a lot of my adventures under my YouTube page at Ohannes Montgomery. Having Native American and Musician in me is where the long hair comes from.

Instagram: Ohannesmontgomeryofficial
Facebook: Ohannes Montgomery official
TikTok: BwOhannes
Twitter X: Ohannesmontgom6

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Having my disease when I was little was hard and I still deal with it today but it’s manageable now and in fact I haven’t been hospitalized in 4 or 5 years. I haven’t had any major issues since then. The hardest part was watching my mother father and my family worry and my trying to smile was the hardest part of it. I think I was so young it had become part of life for me, living in and out of the hospital, and my family did amazing keeping things normal when I was home like when the school wanted me to homeschool, my mom refused and said if he’s only able to go to school 1 hr a day one day a week that’s what we are doing. My parents didn’t allow anything to be taken from me. I have great parents and grandparents and my sister too. They are my biggest support. I’ve also been instilled with not dwelling on what I’m not able to do and focus on what I can. I have learned from my parents how to properly self-advocate for myself and others. At school, I always make friends with the underdog or the kid sitting alone at lunch. No one knows their story.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Martial Artist
Actor
Model
Musician

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Kindness and Faith. Like I mentioned, you never know someone’s story so be open to be kind. Love your elders be friends with the kid alone at a table at lunch and never take the gifts of life for granted. When most kids were learning about losing goldfish, I was learning about losing friends so it structured me into a different way of life than most kids my age, and that’s why I think I am able to tap into emotion when acting as I have experienced the emotions I’m tapping into.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ohannesmontgomery.com
• Instagram: Ohannesmontgomeryofficial
• Facebook: Ohannes Montgomery official
• Twitter: Ohannesmontgom6
• Youtube: Ohannes Montgomery

Image Credits

Photo credits: Shawn Smith Heidi Walter