Today we’d like to introduce you to Monte Bell.
Monte, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am an actor, writer and director from Queens, New York. I grew up in a neighborhood where success for black youth was measured by your ability to stay out of jail and out of the cemetery. I watched my mother struggle to support the three of us at a young age. We were homeless for a period of time as my mother worked full time while trying to earn a degree. Like most black families, we dealt with the challenges that our environment produced. Drug addiction, violence and prison had its impact on my family.
Growing up like that leaves very little room and time for you to explore your imagination. I am the oldest of all my siblings and cousins. I had to grow up faster than most. Chasing your dreams wasn’t talked about much in my household. I was taught survival. That’s it. Finish school and get a job with benefits and a pension. I never did accept this idea. In school, I got called a “daydreamer” and “space cadet” I fantasized about life beyond the brick walls of the buildings I grew up in. I idolized people like Keenan Ivory Wayans and John Singleton for what they did with people who look and sound like me. But being creative was somewhat taboo at that time. Even my mother possessed a talented gift but if It didn’t immediately put food on the table, it was ultimately considered to be a waste of time.
I conformed like many others but never accepted my circumstances as truth. After trying to live a normal adult life, I decided to go against the grain and start making my own content. I was always naturally creative but I had no film school experience or training at that time. I refused to use that as an excuse. I saved up money and bought camera equipment. I then taught myself editing, cinematography, directing and audio engineering. I studied screenwriting and began to develop my own comedy series. My goal was to provide a platform for talented individuals that I have personally known throughout my life. Those who weren’t given the opportunity and couldn’t see over the project buildings. I wanted to create something much like what Keenan Ivory Wayans created for his family.
I was immediately faced with two huge disappointing factors. First, and perhaps the most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that you cannot force other people to want more for themselves. My hunger for success quickly alienated me amongst some of the people who I thought were my friends and would support me. An impoverished state of mind began to sweep over some of those who I considered friends. What I realized was that some people will support you so as long as you’re not surpassing them in the process. This mentality is often referred to as “crabs in a barrel” and has sadly plagued a lot of black communities. Some of my friends have been killed for no other reason than their promising future made another man feel insecure about himself. Initially, this hurt quite a bit but I had to learn to move on and adapt.
The second problem was nobody in the industry knew who I was. Getting someone to pick up a show by an unknown black creative would prove to be difficult to say the least. I decided then that I would go into acting as a way to make a name for myself. I planned to use acting to get me far along enough to where I could push my ideas to the right people. I excelled in acting way more than I anticipated. It had become a passion. I eventually moved to Los Angeles where I continued to excel. I soon found myself in rooms where I was the only one who’s name hasn’t been on a television screen. I soaked up information like a sponge. I built relationships and continued to apply what I learned. Soon I was working not only as actor but as a director and editor on various productions. The entire time, my ideas still tucked away in my back pocket.
Then the pandemic came and everything came to a screeching halt. Hollywood was at a complete standstill. The people who weren’t truly creative on their own began to vanish. Sports were canceled. Entertainment was scarce. It was in this time that I started to gravitate back to my creative nature. While the world was silent, I released a series of parody music videos, all dealing with the Covid-19 crisis. They went viral. The most popular one “Contagious” was shared by celebrities such as Timbaland, Twista, Ice-T, Black Ink Crew, Tracy McGrady and was featured on The Roland Martin Show. It made waves in the UK, Jamaica, and South Africa. While the entire planet was hurting, I was able to provide a much needed laugh. I shot the videos while quarantined in my apartment with no crew, no budget, just me and my girlfriend, Alita. I edited them and put them on social media. The overwhelming feedback from the music industry as well as people in the television industry helped me remember my value. It showed me that creativity is priceless and reminded me of my purpose. I am now back to developing my sketch comedy series “Barely Functional” with a few other tricks up my sleeve.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My biggest challenge has been trying to balance my career with my regular life. Achieving a goal like the one I set for myself requires one to take huge risks and make great sacrifices. I have a girlfriend and a son that I live with and they rely upon me. I left a good-paying job in New York to come here and pursue my dream. In order for us to remain a unit, it meant that my girlfriend would have to leave her job as well and move all the way across the country. That is not an easy discussion to have. I am blessed that I have someone who truly believes in me and was willing to sacrifice on behalf of my dream.
Please tell us about MonteBellTV.
MonteBellTV is the name by which all of my productions are recognized. Barely Functional is the name of the sketch comedy series. The choice to use my name wasn’t some ego-driven decision. It was because I had no money to hire help when I first started. As a result, all my productions are written, shot, directed, edited, and more importantly, financed by me. So the name just reflects how much I put into everything I do. I take a lot of pride in my abilities but I am always looking to learn from others. I think my creativity when it comes to sketch comedy sets me apart from the others. I believe shows like SNL and Chappelle’s Show are still classics because they are structured and well thought out. I also feel that shows of that caliber going extinct in favor of the more gimmicky, fast-burning style of internet comedy. I’m looking to change that.
On the acting side of things, I think my ability to draw from personal trauma and experiences makes me an exceptional drama actor. I’m not everyone’s cup of tea and I don’t try to be. I’m not the pretty boy, clean-cut hero actor. I am the pot-stirrer. The one who’s story makes you uncomfortable. The complexed and damaged one. I own my characteristics and bring that energy to the scripts. You get a real dose of Monte in every role.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory as a child was being forced to dance with my mother in the living room while she played early 90’s r&b records over and over again. Music was my first love. Everything I learned and cherished about music stemmed from those moments with my mother. She would eventually get tired of my singing but I still enjoyed those times. Listening to music made realize that I had a visual creative imagination. I seen music videos in my head for every song. Songs that did not have a music video at the time. That creative imagination just continued to expand to everything else in my life.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @MonteBellTV
- Twitter: @MonteBellTV
Image Credit:
@Leedario
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