Ger Duany
Ger Duany | |
|---|---|
 in Akobo, South Sudan in 2011 | |
| Born | Ger Duany November 9, 1978 |
| Alma mater | University of Bridgeport |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, model |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Website | http://gerduany.com |
Ger Duany (born November 9, 1978) is a South Sudanese actor and model based in the United States.[1]
Early life
Duany was born in Akobo, South Sudan in 1978. He was forcefully recruited as a child soldier during the Second Sudanese Civil War. Duany successfully fled to Ethiopia at age 14, then to Kenya, and finally sought refuge in the United States when he was sixteen, becoming one of the Lost Boys of Sudan.[2][3][4][5][6]
Duany attended the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut.[7][8]
Career
Duany made his debut as an actor in the 2004 philosophical comedy film I Heart Huckabees, in which he played a refugee called Stephen Nimieri.[9] Duany was picked for the role because the film's producer and director David O. Russell wanted someone who had endured the real-life experience of being a refugee.
In 2010, Duany made an uncredited appearance in another Russell film, The Fighter, starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. He later had an important role in the 2011 drama Restless City.
In mid-2011, he co-produced and starred in the documentary Ger: To Be Separate, about his journey from war child to refugee to Hollywood actor and international model. The film also showed his return to South Sudan, voting for the first time and celebrating the country's newly acquired independence on 9 July 2011.
Duany played a limo driver in the 2012 film, Isn't It Delicious? by director Michael Patrick Kelly.
In 2014 he appeared alongside other refugees and award-winning Reese Witherspoon in The Good Lie, inspired by the story behind the Lost Boys of Sudan.
As a model, Duany has appeared on the cover of numerous magazines such as Heed, Bleu Magazine, and Numéro.[10]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | I Heart Huckabees | Stephen Nimieri | Comedy |
| 2010 | The Fighter | Extra/uncredited | Drama |
| 2011 | Restless City | Rocky | Drama/Music |
| 2012 | Ger: To Be Separate | Himself | Documentary |
| 2012 | Isn't It Delicious? | Limo driver | |
| 2014 | The Good Lie | Jeremiah | Drama |
References
- ^ "Meet Ger Duany, Refugee Turned Actor and Model". Vice. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- ^ "Stated Daily Blog - Stated Magazine". statedmag.com. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- ^ Alex Clark. "Ger Duany: 'As an actor, I share my life story with other kids who are struggling'". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- ^ "Star Of 'The Good Lie' Is A Lost Boy Of Sudan". WBUR. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- ^ Robert Ito (September 26, 2014). "No Longer Lost, He's Taking the Lead". The New York Times. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
- ^ http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1200904186/ger-to-be-seperate
- ^ "Ger Duany: UB alumnus, actor attends special screening". Connecticut Post. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- ^ http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2002-07-21/SPORTS%20SUNDAY/0207210091_1_sudan-fundamentalists-boys
- ^ "Oh, Four Oh Four". Indiana Daily Student. Retrieved 13 August 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ http://gerduany.com/node/18