From humble beginnings in the vibrant cities of Durban and Johannesburg, Ashish Misra, an adaptive graduate from the Durban University of Technology (DUT), has made the bold decision to leave his number-crunching Information Technology (IT) job. He’s packed his bags and set off for the dazzling streets of Hollywood, also known as Tinseltown, in Los Angeles, California, in pursuit of fame and fortune.
For this multi-talented DUT alumnus, who is also an actor, model, business entrepreneur and systems analyst, this exciting journey to Hollywood represents the realisation of a lifelong dream. Misra is eager to follow in the footsteps of his role model, the highly acclaimed and versatile actor Christian Bale and aspires to become a Hollywood superstar in the near future.
“My primary passion and dream was to become an actor. However, pursuing this dream at a young age would not have allowed me to financially support my family as I grew up in a home where there were constant financial constraints. Despite these constraints, my home was still filled with love and care. I opted to go with my secondary passion in Information Technology (IT) at DUT. I always told myself that I would excel in my studies and thereafter obtain a good, stable job and support my family. I believed that one day, I would pursue my one true dream of acting. And the one day had arrived! I decided last year that I wanted to relocate to Los Angeles with the hope of breaking into Hollywood,” he said jubilantly.
Misra had completed his studies in software development at DUT in 2018 and thereafter he had joined the FNB graduate programme based in Johannesburg. “I was a senior systems analyst at FNB where I worked in the core banking platform and handled all of the card IT systems for credit, debit, virtual and fleet cards,” he explained nostalgically.
He shared that his student days at DUT had somehow enhanced his career.
“My student days at DUT was an incredible journey, both academically and personally. It was a complete eye opener for me as I was able to meet a variety of people at campus who came from different backgrounds of life. It was a journey of sharing our stories and the hardships that we all experienced growing up and being able to gain an opportunity to study at tertiary level. These like-minded people taught me that no matter the upbringing you had, if there is a slight chance to make a better life for yourself and for your family, you should give it your 200%,” added Misra.
He relayed that DUT provided him with a structured environment where he was able to gain deep knowledge of the core IT concepts like programming, data structures, networking, databases, and algorithms.
“This strong foundation was essential for solving complex problems in the real world. These experiences taught me to approach challenges logically and methodically, which I believe are crucial skills in the tech industry. DUT provides both technical expertise and real-world skills and connections that can significantly enhance a career in IT and many other qualifications,” he professed.
For him, DUT holds a special place in his heart where he had also had competed in the Mr and Miss DUT pageant in 2017, making it to the top five. This enhanced his passion for media and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It gave him the confidence I needed to pursue his dreams. On the academic front, Misra was recognised by his lecturers as the top performer during his final year at DUT in 2018 and was awarded an opportunity to be a tutor to the first year students. “This involved motivating, empowering and grooming the students in a few core subjects. The opportunity allowed me to gain some pocket money and I was then able to pay off some of my student fees. On a personal level, the highlight for me was meeting new people, building strong foundations for life-long friendships and making the best memories. I truly valued my time spent at DUT and it has had a huge positive impact on my life,” he replied.
Misra confessed that his aim was to obtain a working visa based on his IT qualifications.
“This route was unsuccessful. I then researched acting academies in Hollywood and found the best one called AMDA (American Musical and Dramatic Arts Academy). I applied and submitted online auditions followed by online interviews. I was then shortlisted to attend an in person interview or audition in October last year. I auditioned to the AMDA panel with the hope of exceeding their expectations with my performance and being offered a chance to attend their Academy,” he shared.
Three weeks passed on since the audition and finally, Misra joyously shared that he had received an email noting that not only had he been accepted at the Academy, he had also received a full scholarship to attend.
“I accepted with no hesitation and started to prepare for this incredible journey ahead. I had opted for the October 2024 enrolment as this gave me sufficient time to organise my life prior to making the journey to Los Angeles,” he confessed.
His advice to future actors and IT fundi’s wishing to follow in his footsteps is to stay resilient. “Stay resilient, keep learning, and remain open to feedback. Follow Your passion. Pursuing a dream takes dedication. Don’t lose sight of why you started, and let your passion fuel your drive,” he shared.
Misra has always dreamed of being in Hollywood since he was a little kid. “It is my long-term goal to win an Oscar one day. Watch this space!,” he said.
Pictured: Ashish Misra
Waheeda Peters
