This archive report was first published on 4 August 2020.
Calvin Mwita, a 30-year-old budding actor from Tarime on the Kenya-Tanzania border, has achieved his dream of becoming an actor in the Australian movie industry. In a recent interview with Standard Entertainment & Lifestyle, he shared his journey to the big screen.
Despite pursuing a Degree in Accounting and Finance in Mzumbe University, Tanzania, Calvin says that acting has always fascinated him. Born and raised in Tarime, he recently made a debut in the Australian movie industry in a Netflix six-part television series dubbed Stateless, his first stint on an international platform.
Calvin's first role was in Stateless (2020) as a detainee in an Australian Immigration detention centre. This role came along after many unsuccessful acting auditions and was integral in establishing his appeal as an actor.
According to Calvin, penetrating a foreign land as an actor came with its fair share of challenges. However, this did not stop the determined soul who had won a scholarship to study a Master’s Degree at Torrens University in Australia in 2018.
Calvin plays Taifa Duale in the TV drama series, a character he says was relaxing as his lines in the series are in his native Swahili language. He added that speaking Swahili in the role helped him to have more confidence and relax on the set.
The Netflix show highlights the plight of immigrants across the world struggling to get asylum. Calvin's experience playing Taifa Duale not only gave him a boost in his acting career but also changed his mindset when it comes to immigration.
“Being cast in Stateless made me see things beyond the perspectives of a screen actor. I started viewing international immigration problems from the perspective of a human being attempting to find peace and security in life and not socio-economic benefit motivations long-associated with immigrant crises,” he said.
Calvin adds that despite the awareness and social campaigns against racism in foreign countries, especially in the film industry, the vice is still present in society. He believes that people are people, regardless of their race, and that treating others the same way you like to be treated is essential.
