Nigerian actor Joshua Uduma has made his mark in the new movie The Swing of Things. Joshua is not only one of the stars of The Swing of Things, but he is also an executive producer. In addition to Joshua Uduma, The Swing of Things also stars Luke Wilson, Olivia Culpo, and Chord Overstreet. The film recently became available on VOD. YEM spoke with Joshua Uduma about his role in making the new movie.

Young Entertainment Mag: How would you best describe The Swing of Things in 2 words?

Joshua Uduma: Hedonistic Party.

YEM: What was your favorite line to film and why?

Joshua: Oh that’s easy. It’s the phrase I wish I could say as easy as Tyrone, “I don’t bite…unless you want me too..?”

YEM: What is it like filming on location vs filming on a set?

Joshua: Filming on location tends to be culturally more enriching. I have a better understanding of the people and environment in which I’m around. It definitely opens up my mind a lot more versus filming on a stationary set. When it’s on a stationary set, I’m even more inclined to make a family out of all the cast and crew. I’m able to spend time with each person and find out more about them. The same happens when I’m on location but it’s different when I’m on set. Shooting on Location allows the character I’m portraying to feel more like in their natural habitat.

YEM: Who is Tyrone, what’s his background? What would he be doing during these crazy times?

Joshua: Tyrone is a fellow Tourist who regularly attends The resort. He’s used to all the attention he gets from the guests and carries himself very smoothly, until it’s time to party.

During these times we are in now, Tyrone would be on a beach somewhere in Jamaica relaxing while still staying socially distant. At the moment, there’s a lot of tension and anxiety in society now and all we want to do is have a quick getaway from the stress and relax. The only difference is, Tyrone has been doing it longer than we have.

YEM: What was your favorite part about playing Tyrone in The Swing of Things?

Joshua: Honestly, I would say that every part of playing Tyrone was my favorite. I know it’s a little cliché to say, but in every moment, Tyrone is impressing everyone wherever he goes. To be able to walk in that confidence of wearing a Speedo everywhere with no shame…I could only dream of that.

YEM: If there was one acting skill you picked up during the filming of The Swing of Things, what was it?

Joshua: I’d say the art of listening. Listening to the words coming from the mouths of my CoStar(s) in every scene. When doing a Romantic-Comedy, it’s all about timing. Acting in general is all about timing. Listening to a costar as they speak and say their lines, the comedic response naturally tends to instinctually react on its own without overthinking it. I believe that skill set could be heavily utilized overall in the current times we are in now Dealing with the Black Lives Matter movement.

YEM: What are you most looking forward to the audience seeing?

Joshua: I’m most looking forward to the audience seeing the wedding scene. That moment was such a meaningful scene in the sense that throughout the movie, we see that the wedding plans were derailed & changed due to bad weather. With all the additional circumstances that happened, a beautiful wedding was still able to be put together. In a way, it reveals a testament of what real love is. No matter the challenges we go through in life, love always endures.

YEM: So what’s next for you? How are you keeping your acting skills going during such trying times?

Joshua: I currently have a few projects on the horizon that are in the works that I will be producing and starring in. A few of them deal with telling the stories of black and brown people of color. With the current times we are in, it allows for the necessity of these untold stories to be told now.

It’s easy to become quite distracted with everything that’s going on dealing with the necessary change happening. Within all that, I find it essential to be able to continue to expand upon my knowledge of creativity through discovering new screenplays and playwrights.

YEM: What would you tell someone wanting to pursue an acting career?

Joshua: Never take a no for an answer. If One door closes, know that many more will open. Rejection is there only to build your character, not to tear it down. If someone Tells you “No”, work as diligently as you can to get that “yes”. Never stop being relentless.

YEM: What would you like people to see from your acting?

Joshua: I want people to be able to understand the different worlds of characters in which I portray. Acting is all about telling a great story. I want people to see my diverse skill set of playing a multitude of unrelated characters that are all impactful and meaningful.

YEM: If you were to be in any role throughout time who would it be and why?

Joshua: Eddie Murphy in “Coming To America”. I’m Nigerian so that movie means everything to me. It shows how royal and regal the African culture is. To do something like that would be an honor.

YEM: Any funny moments to happen off camera on the set of Swing?

Joshua: Yeah, I think a little too many. The funniest would be when the entire resort started calling me Tyrone cause they didn’t know my first name. But, they thought I was there to film an “Adult Film” since I wore a speedo the whole time amongst other things.