Over the last five years, the world has watched as outstanding Kenyan actors such as Lupita Nyong'o have climbed the Hollywood ladder to build a name for themselves.
Other Kenyans, like as Benjamin Onyango, who was one of the first to break into Hollywood, are less well-known.
The actor from Ugenya in Siaya County told a local media outlet how his quest to stardom began when he enrolled in a computer course at United States International University-Africa in Nairobi.
Onyango opted to relocate to the university's campus in California, USA, in order to seek greener pastures. However, once his university cancelled his course, he had to shift schools.
Later, Onyango was accepted to California State University, where he struggled to finish his four-year course due to financial constraints. He was obliged to work odd jobs to make ends meet after arriving in the United States with only Ksh40,000 in his pocket.
'I started out as a dishwasher and a busboy.' I also worked at the school's salaries department and later in the evening at a pizza parlor "He told the story.
After seven years of study, the 1992 IT graduate opted to pursue his passion for acting in Hollywood.
However, the Kenyan-born actor's desire did not come true because obtaining acting roles was difficult. Onyango revealed that after repeated attempts, he was cast as an extra in a film.
"When I was out on the streets, I came across a sign looking for extras for a movie. I called in when I got home, and that's how I got the part, which I did for about 50 to 60 movies.
"The extras are the characters who are always present in the background. It's not easy because you may have to sit on the set for up to 16 hours at a time. However, the remuneration was adequate, since we received approximately Ksh5,000 every day "He confessed.
His work as an extra also provided him with the opportunity to educate the cast members Kiswahili. He was also upgraded to the category of extras who are allowed to speak in a scene due to his grasp of the national language.
Nonetheless, Onyango was dissatisfied with his position and desired to advance.
He had no idea that by bringing his 7-year-old daughter along, he would land his first acting role in Tears of the Sun, a 2003 film that paid him Ksh25 million.
"When I was carrying my kids to auditions, my 7-year-old daughter Mary began to remark about how I should act. Following that, the casting director approached me and asked if I would want to audition for a role in the film "He confessed.
After his talent in the film was recognized, Onyango was offered further roles and was cast as the lead in Beautifully Broken (2019).
God's Not Dead, in which he played Reverend Jude, is one of the films in which the Hollywood celebrity has appeared.
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