Ahmed And Jess were recently interviewed by TheCelebrity.Online Magazine and below is the Q&A session we had with both.

Ahmed And Jess As Cover Story Interview – August 2025 Magazine Edition

How do you introduce yourself?

AHMED: My name is Ahmed Moneka! I’m a multidisciplinary artist, specializing in acting for theatre and film as well as Afro-Arabic music and writing. I’m a citizen of both Canada and Iraq, currently based in Toronto. My upbringing in Baghdad, Iraq, introduced me to a rich intellectual culture in theatre, film, and television. In Basrah, I am immersed in a family with a musical environment that celebrates and preserves Afro-Iraqi Sufi traditions. As an artist, I aim to promote acceptance and foster a sense of global community by bridging cultures and dispelling misconceptions about Arab communities.

JESSE: Hi, My name’s Jesse. I’m a screenwriter, playwright and actor from Minnesota. (I worked on the feature films Float [Lionsgate] and Code 8: Part ll [Netflix], and, as an actor, I won the Toronto ACTRA Award and received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for the Canadian horror film Violation [Sundance, TIFF, NYTimes Critics’ Pick, now on Shudder], and I’ve performed in new plays across the U.S. and Canada [written by people like Sarah Ruhl and Hannah Moscovitch].) I’m constantly thinking about becoming a massage therapist.

Struggle – What hardships have you gone through in life?

AHMED: As Iraqi, I went through struggles like being born between two wars in two years of hope… and then surviving two of them. Being an immigrant and starting from zero, but all that made me stronger and more resilient, and not easy to give up.

JESSE: Every single day that I’m apart with my brother-from-another-mother, Ahmed Moneka, the word “woe” doesn’t even begin to reach into the recesses of my sorrow.

What do people usually not know about you?

AHMED: I achieved several milestones as the first Iraqi to do so…
Being the first Iraqi Romeo in the Royal Shakespeare Company in England, Being the first Iraqi to be nominated for the Juno Music Award in Canada,

Being the first Iraqi to be nominated for the Dora Theatre Award for outstanding performance in Canada,
Being the first Black Iraqi to host a TV program in Iraq.

JESSE: In my early 20s I lived, sailed and performed on a 98 ft. tall ship with a crew of singers, aerialists and assorted European and Canadian vagabonds. Together we toured Hacked, an electric-rock opera / circus show, from Florida to New York, using the boat as a stage, with the audience on the dock or shore. And once, we were kicked out of Portsmouth, Virginia by the mayor for, “Bringing the devil into his town.”

What sets you apart from your competitors in the industry and in life?

AHMED: Being Black Iraqi in the industry is so unique, but the fact remains that they still don’t know how to deal with me.

JESSE: I have both a U.S. and a Canadian passport, so many people want to marry me.

What are your upcoming major events – Unforgettable Moments or products/services that you want to promote/inform?

AHMED & JESSE: King Gilgamesh remount at Soulpepper Theatre in Toronto, September 13th – October 5th
https://www.kinggilgamesh.com/
$35 tickets for the first week with promo code: ARABICJAZZ https://tickets.youngcentre.ca/overview/15185?promo=45802
You’ve read this far!! Don’t freakin’ miss it now!! I promise you won’t regret or forget it.

What expert advice would you like to give?

AHMED: Running 10 minutes or walking for 30 minutes a day will help your mental health… Love is the main reason for a great future. Being merciful and giving another chance to the people around you will make your life lighter… Don’t be afraid of trying things…

JESSE: Annoyingly, your posture is important to your health, and your shoulders are very, very likely too far forward.

Also annoyingly, If you wanna write, you should write every day. This does not generally go well with the good posture thing, but walking and taking voice notes also counts, but then you do have to get in front of a computer, probably, to make sense of them.

Your social media handles and website links?

• AHMED:
• https://www.ahmedmoneka.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/ahmedmoneka/
• https://www.facebook.com/monekaarabicjazz/
• https://www.tiktok.com/@ahmedmoneka

JESSE:

• @jesselavercombe
• @jesselavercombe.com

AHMED & JESSE:
kinggilgamesh.com @gilgameshlive