Ashish Misra has left his job as a senior systems analyst at FNB bank to pursue his lifelong dream of being a Hollywood actor in Los Angeles, California in the US.
Misra completed his studies in software development at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) in 2018 and joined the FNB graduate programme based in Johannesburg.
“I was a senior systems analyst at FNB, where I worked on the core banking platform and handled all of the card IT systems for credit, debit, virtual and fleet cards,” he said.
However, the budding actor, who is also a model and business entrepreneur, said his 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,” he said, adding that despite these constraints, his home was filled with love and care.
Misra said he had opted to go with his secondary passion to study Information Technology (IT) at DUT and obtain a good, stable job to support his family.
“I believed that one day, I would pursue my one true dream of acting. And the day has arrived! I decided last year to relocate to Los Angeles in hopes of breaking into Hollywood." he said.
Misra confessed that at first, his aim was to obtain a working visa based on his IT qualification; however, that 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 said.
He said three weeks after the audition, he was accepted at the academy with a full scholarship to attend.
“I accepted with no hesitation and started to prepare for this incredible journey ahead. I 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 said.
Misra’s advice to future actors and IT fundis wishing to follow in his footsteps is to remain strong. “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 added that he aspires to follow in the footsteps of his role model, the highly acclaimed and versatile actor Christian Bale.
Misra, who dreamed of being in Hollywood since he was a child, hopes to win an Oscar one day. “Watch this space!”
The Mercury