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Kenyan actor Paul Ogola says frustrations within the Kenyan film industry drove him to seek solace elsewhere, a journey that led him to join the US military.
The award-winning actor and two-time nominee for the International Kalasha Film and TV Awards is currently serving as a US Navy sailor.
Last year, Ogola graduated first in his class of over 1,500 recruits at the US Navy's Recruit Training Command and was awarded the prestigious Military Excellence Award (MEA).
Before changing careers, Ogola immersed himself in the Kenyan acting industry, appearing in several notable Kenyan film productions.
He burst onto the Kenyan film scene in 2012 with his first appearance in
Nairobi Half-Life, the first Kenyan film to be submitted to the Academy Awards for consideration.
He went on to star in several notable projects, including Netflix's groundbreaking series
Sense8 and
Kati Kati.
His last project before joining the US Navy and quitting the Kenyan acting scene was
Crime and Justice in 2021, which starred the ever-green versatile actress Sarah Hassan.
Ogola maintains that acting remains his first love and if things had been better in the Kenyan film industry, he probably never would have switched allegiances professionally.
"I always wanted a chance to showcase my skills in the best possible way," Ogola says. And when Kenya couldn't provide that opportunity, he sought it elsewhere.
Ogola's turning point came when Netflix canceled the series Sense8 at the end of its second season, in which he played
Jela, a character he cites as the highlight of his acting career.
"All my roles up to that point have been great, but the one I hold close to my heart is Jela in
Sense8," Ogola told Senema Focus.
After Season 2 of
Sense8, Ogola, and the team were invited to the US by the producers for the
Sense8 post-production process, ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement post-production process that involves re-recording dialogue in a studio. Also known as post-syncing and mastering.
The experience was an eye-opener, and Ogola hoped to use the knowledge he gained to make things work when he returned to Kenya in 2018."I was able to see how the international market works and how it can take advantage of talent like mine. Now that I had the skills and training, I tried to get work in Kenya, but I just couldn't." Paul adds.
The actor says he grew tired of the frustration of always trying to prove himself in the Kenyan acting scene despite his skills and work."I lost the inspiration behind what I love to do because I found myself in a position where I had to prove so much, more than necessary.
I've seen great minds diminish or even die because of the way they are treated in the industry," he adds.
It was at this point that he began planning to move to the US and try his luck elsewhere.
He applied for a Special Category Permanent Visa, which is granted to individuals with extraordinary merit. His application, which included his work as an actor, was approved without the need for references or further evidence, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.
It was during this period of waiting for the pandemic to pass that Ogola starred in his last Kenyan project,
Crime, and Justice, before relocating to begin his US Navy training.
Today, Ogola says he is more than happy and at peace, and although he is now on a different career path, acting remains his first love and he would do it again if a good opportunity came along.
"I couldn't let my experiences in Kenya break me like it did so many of my peers and those who came before me."
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