HUSH, HUSTLING, HOUSEHOLD IDENTITY

UCHE MONTANA FULFILLING HER DREAM

HUSH, HUSTLING, HOUSEHOLD IDENTITY – UCHE MONTANA FULFILLING HER DREAM

Uche Montana isn’t another face on the big screen or your computer screen, she is a woman of resilience and drive. She is an actress, a model, producer, and director. She knows she is talented and good at her craft, and to her, this opinion is the one that counts the most. Having worked in this industry for almost a decade, she is very much aware of how competing and often tiring it is. She does not relent in her efforts to constantly re-invent herself in her succeeding works. She is eager to prove herself even after all these years, why? She is well-known she’ll admit, but Uche Montana understands that as a young woman, she is yet to fully cement herself and she understands what it feels like to constantly strive to achieve and attain. She feels she deserves to be a household name to make up for the ten years of hard work spent.

This is her goal, and she has come a long way. Through the storytelling in this feature, we follow Uche in her ongoing journey to actualize her dream, we highlight her achievements and praise her in her determination to change the narrative.

A SUCCESSFUL CAREER LAUNCH

An eager-spirited, fresh-faced young Uche Nwaefuna, brimming with determination and so much passion for acting has she landed her first major role- her first feel in the spotlight at just eighteen years old. Before this, she has only done a few unnamed shows, nothing noteworthy. She has been dejected after failing multiple auditions, she has almost been scammed with fake companies who claim to be talent-scout experts. However, as she has had the dream of becoming an actress since she was little, and she has her parents’ full support. Poison Ivy in 2015 gives her a supporting role. It’s not a breakthrough role, she plays a housemaid, but she’ll take what she can get. She uses this role to project her acting abilities and launch herself into the industry professionally.

 Following her debut role, she is on a consistent grind, the next year she is part of the project being released, this time she opts for something more consistent, a tv show. Perhaps she will have more reach this way she reckons, so more people can see her consistently. She lands another supporting role in the Africa Magic Television Series Hush (2016-2017). Fortunately, the year of hard work paid off and she can finally feel recognized for her hard-earned effort when she wins an award the following year, The Moreklue All Youth Awards. This award is a testament to a successful career launch. She is extremely grateful now because she has newer opportunities and career path takes off steadily in the following years but not without the hustle. Uche never forgets the roles won’t come to her. She will have to chase them.

Unfortunately, it starts to seem each new project is the same at the last. Roles she would willingly offer to do, she is now she is now forcing herself to accept. Why does the typical ‘Montana role’ typically consist of the young hopeless romantic girlfriend, bachelorette, or homewrecker? Why is there no character development? She soon realizes she has fallen into the inevitable recurring role - the trap typecasting. She is eager to prove herself yet again, this time, not merely that she is fit for the role, but rather that she can be a different character. She dares not be labelled predictable or boring- she will not allow it. It doesn’t define who or what she really is which is a bold, determined, strong, versatile young woman’ She expresses her subtle frustration in a Punch Interview that all she gets are “fine girl” roles and wishes to have more diversity in the roles she is given.

A few years along, Uche has found a new name to embrace her maturing identity both on and off screen. She is no longer Uche Nwaefuna, she is now Uche Montana. This name change she perceives, adds more of a flair to her work and stands her out. She has found confidence in her talents and explores other genres besides Romance and Drama.

Plans are made to start up a production company and shortly after Fine Letters is released under Montana Media. Uche Montana is defeating the stereotype that a woman’s career in this competitive scope will be manipulated by and overshadowed by and determined by the men one movie after the other, one steady release following the next. Her first produced film does exceptionally on YouTube platform and reaches a solid 1.2 million views within the first hour of release and is her most impressive work yet. She stars in it alongside stars Maurice Sam, Chike Daniels among other notable actors. She has so far achieved somewhat more recognizability among fans, casual audience and her industry peers.

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HOW UCHE MONTANA APPROACHES HER CRAFT

 Uche Montana envisions herself being a force in Nollywood. The strong passion she has for storytelling and desire to bring characters to life on screen drives her passion for acting. While Uche Montana is also a model and brand ambassador, her younger self knew she was going to be influential, however she knew her area of influence wouldn’t be on her ability to sell products and services, but in her ability to tell a good story on screen through diverse characters. She is also influencing the beliefs of other young women who want to feel seen and heard as far as showcasing their talents is involved in the industry despite opposition.

                        As someone who is very confident in her strengths , she embraces the roles she has exceled in. She will crave to remain in the comfort zone when auditioning for roles if it will bring consistency in audiences and earnings. Her dedication to her craft shows in the way she delivers her performances and portrays conflicting characters which has earned her reputation as an upcoming versatile and talented actress.

            Montana's collaborations with directors, writers, and fellow actors have been instrumental in shaping her career. She thrives in a collaborative environment, drawing inspiration from her peers and mentors to enhance her performances. She has worked on movies with Timini Egbuson, Damola, Ademola. Her ability to connect with her colleagues and establish a strong rapport on set has led to dynamic creative partnerships that have produced some of her most memorable work in the case of Before Valentine which  gathered so much attention during its February 14 release.

UCHE MONTANA CARVING HER PATH

            Uche Montana is making a slow but steady rise in the Nigerian film industry. With a channeled dedication to her craft, films like Dinner at My place and Love in a Pandemic, garners a loyal fan base that has increased over the years and beyond the borders of Nigeria, in Nigerian Netflix for example, which is where numerous people saw Uche Montana in the critically acclaimed film, Before Valentine and instantly became a fan.

            A key aspect of Uche Montana's impact lies in her ability to bring depth and authenticity to her roles. She has portrayed a wide range of truly memorable characters with her authenticity. Whether she is playing a strong-willed protagonist like in the film HER MOTHER’S DAUGHTER or a complex antagonist, in the film, LIGHT HEARTS, Uche Montana's on-screen presence remains captivating.

Uche is a figure, for aspiring actors and actresses in Nollywood to look up to. She encourages them by saying: “Just do it, just put yourself out there, don’t be afraid. Disturb the directors and producers!” when inspiring them to pursue their dreams with passion.

She made a recent visit to Covenant University in May 2024 where she spoke to young aspiring actors and actresses as well as future media personalities about how they can achieve their dream buttresses that point. Her success story serves as a testament to the possibilities that await those who are willing to work hard and strive for excellence in the entertainment industry, she spoke about how she had to deal with being an extra in movies for a long time before she got her first real role as well being the harassed and inappropriately addressed as a young girl trying pass auditions and secure roles.

As Nollywood continues to grow and expand on the global stage, it is sure that the legacy that Uche Montana is building will undoubtedly inspire future generations of actors and filmmakers to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

GETTING PERSONAL WITH UCHE

“I'm still fully committed to pursuing my acting career, no matter what other people think.”

            Uche Montana priorities in separating her professional life from her private one. Her  Instagram profile contains no family or personalized content since she uses it for her brand and work. However, in a recent interview with Dolapo Babalola, she got more candid about her life, for the sake of her fans whom she hopes to relate more too. When asked directly about the major influences in her life, she does not hesitate in mentioning her mother and her zeal for the craft.

When asked about the work-life balance and the demands of her job, Uche Montana emphasizes on enjoying her singlehood, but what she looks for in a partner is “financially stable, patient, caring and ambitious”, exactly those words. It is apparent Uche Montana is not looking to slow down any time soon or be held down by the weight of marriage and family duties. She is still on a mission of asserting herself and impact in the Nigerian cinema. “It can be difficult to strike a balance between the responsibilities of a work and personal goals, but I continue to put my professional development first while staying single.” 

When addressing the critics and fame, Uche admits the success after her first award made her realize how many supporters she was already garnering at the start of her career. She says she isn’t easily stopped by ‘’unjustified hostility” directed towards her in her line of work. “No matter what, I’m still fully committed to pursuing my acting career, no matter what people think.” People always have something to say about her acting abilities, roles and even her name, which she never quite explained the reason behind the change. Even though she doesn’t appear to be the most relatable person on social media, she still relates with supporters through her Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, mostly to promote her brand and give small updates relating to her work. In fact. Most people that may not have known of Uche through her films  may have discovered her through a particular trending video on TikTok.

ROME WASN’T BUILT IN A DAY

To conclude, many people will argue Uche Montana has not reached that level of stardom or widespread recognition in Nollywood. Some may attribute it to her script choices, or genre choices or even media choice. But one thing is certain, she was ten years ago Uche would certainly be proud of all the sacrifices that have been made along the way. She strives to bring out only the best version of herself. As the years progress, she continues expanding her artistic capacity. She is carving her own path to become her own role model. She is a young woman who understands that Rome wasn’t built in a day -that success isn’t a guaranteed overnight phenomenon, and it  may take time and the right people that share her vision. Although this reality may still be ten years away, she knows she is one step closer to fulfilling her dream.