We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ohannes Montgomery a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ohannes, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Since my last article I have really made some progress. To date for the movie disjoint that should be out on Amazon in July of 2025 finally I have won 8 film festivals and nominated for about 12 more. Some are yet to pass but I won the 2025 best actor Percy award. They send me a real heavy gold medal and I won Best actor for the Los Angeles stars film festival and they gave me a beautiful glass trophy and a handful of others for either best actor or best young actor. I have also since been hired as a series regular on the show React and the show People vs Food.. I’ve filmed 5 or 6 episodes already and then we have a break now until the next season. I also have acquired my Black Belt and 4 years winner of the International Tae Kwon do federation Gold Medal champion of my division.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’ve had an autoinflammatory disease since I was little, which meant I spent a lot of time in hospitals when I was younger. The doctors wanted me to do homeschooling, but my parents insisted I go to regular school—even if just for a few minutes each day—because they thought being around other kids was just as important as learning.

Since heat triggers my condition, I couldn’t play outdoor sports. That’s when I discovered martial arts. It started as just something I could do indoors, but I got really into it. Eventually, I was a blue belt competing against black belts and training almost every day in four different martial arts styles.

Because I was doing well, my mom’s friend Will Wallace arranged for his friend William Zabka—you know, Johnny from ‘Cobra Kai’—to call me on my birthday. Will had shown him my fight videos, and Billy actually invited me to be in the All Valley Tournament episodes in Season 4! I got to meet everyone on set, including Ralph Macchio and even Carrie Underwood. It was crazy!
My grandfather was an actor in gangster movies, and I always wanted to follow in his footsteps. My scene in ‘Cobra Kai’ was super short—like 30 seconds—but when my mom posted behind-the-scenes stuff, it went viral. Suddenly I was doing interviews and got contacted by agents and managers. I even ended up in music videos with Tate McRae and Khalid!

I’m kind of used to the spotlight because my dad Swan Montgomery is in a band called Led Zepagain that plays Led Zeppelin music, and he used to bring me on stage when I was younger. He’s been in his band for 35 years and has a book coming out soon that will explain more about my condition. My grandfather Stanley Griego passed away in 2021, but before he did, he told me to ‘carry the acting torch.’ I hope I’m making him proud as I keep booking different projects. It’s been a pretty cool journey so far!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Making people happy. My father and grandfather have taught me to be humble and not arrogant. The more success means the more giving back. My dad sells out to stadiums to thousands of people on a weekly basis all over the world yet still does things like going to the store for my mom or taking us out to eat at a local cafe. It never fails someone recognizes and wants to talk or a photo and he always says yes and makes time for them. Because they are the true key and gift to the success of an artist. The fans are worth just as much as the artist so humility is on the forfront of my mind and I never take things for granted. I try not to anyway and my grandfather was the kindest man and also always recognized those who wanted his attention for an autograph or just a chat maybe even acting advice.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The coolest thing about putting in all those hours at the dojo is how it’s opened doors I never expected. All that sweat and bruises paid off when people like Brandon Bender and BJ Penn noticed my skills and let me train with them. That’s crazy, right? Like, these are legends in martial arts, and they know who I am!

What’s even wilder is how my martial arts journey connected me to this whole different world of entertainment. One day I’m sparring, and somehow that led to being on Cobra Kai, and now I’ve got this amazing circle of people who actually know my name. Danny Trejo, who’s been in practically every action movie ever, Tate McRae whose music everyone’s obsessed with, and even Boy George – they’re all somehow part of my story now.

I’m not gonna lie, it definitely doesn’t hurt with the girls.. *wink wink* When they find out I’ve hung out with celebrities or been in music videos, suddenly everyone wants to talk to me. My Instagram DMs get pretty interesting after I post photos from sets or training sessions with famous fighters.

The best part is that these connections came from something I genuinely love doing. I didn’t start martial arts to meet famous people – I did it because it was the one sport I could do with my health condition. But putting in the work and getting really good at it made people notice, and that led to everything else.

Sometimes I have to pinch myself because my life feels like someone else’s. Like, how did a kid who spent so much time in hospitals end up training with UFC fighters and hanging out with musicians? But that’s what happens when you find something you’re passionate about and give it everything you’ve got, even when it’s tough. The rewards are way bigger than just trophies or belts!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.ohannesmontgomery.com
• Instagram: Ohannes montgomery official
• Facebook: Ohannes montgomery official
• Twitter: Ohannesmontgom6
• Youtube: Ohannes montgomery
• Other: Tik tok BWOhannes

Image Credits

Elaina Montgomery
Heidi Walter
Swan montgomery
Augie Loya