Renowned Ghanaian comedian and filmmaker, Kwaku Sintim Misa (KSM), has revealed that his biggest breakthrough as an actor was landing a role in the acclaimed US television series, Law & Order.

Though it stands out as a career-defining moment, KSM says his appearance in Law and Order was the result of a journey that began in childhood.

Speaking on the Career Trail program on Joy Learning TV and Joy News, KSM shared that acting was something he had been drawn to from a very young age.

“It’s very interesting because as long as I remember, I wanted to act. I don’t know what I saw in acting. I remember back in the day my eldest brother went to study in the UK and I remember writing to him, asking him to find a school in the UK for me to come and act,” he recounted.

He mentioned that storytelling came naturally to him from a young age, even when the stories were made up.

“Anytime I went out and I came back, I had a story. I always had imagination, so anytime I came back, I had a story. Sometimes, I will say, 'this is what I’m going to tell them when I get home'. The funny thing is my family used to tag me as a ‘liar’. Interestingly, that was the beginning of a writer,” he shared.

Driven by this passion, KSM pursued Theatre Arts, becoming one of the pioneer students at the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) in Ghana.

“I went to the university, it was all about Threatre Arts. After high school, I went to NAFTI for 1 year before travelling to the US. We were the pioneers of NAFTI,” he stated.

While in the United States, KSM honed his craft and gained invaluable experience in the acting industry. However, he noted that his first-ever film role actually came during a visit back home to Ghana.

“When I returned to Ghana during a summer break, one of my friends from NAFTI was shooting a film and featured me in it. That was my first film experience, and I truly enjoyed it,” he recalled.

Despite getting his start in Ghana, KSM revealed that his major breakthrough as an actor came in the United States when he landed a role in the long-running, critically acclaimed TV drama Law & Order.

“In the US, I got some mileage in film and in acting. I acted in a very popular series called, Law and Order, which I think was my biggest deal because that series was one of the highly rated primetime shows in the US. To appear on it, was a biggest deal,” he said.

KSM further highlighted other significant milestones in his career, including his groundbreaking achievement as the first African to perform an original one-man show in the US, Thoughts of a Confused Black Man. “I was the first African to have done an original one-man play on Broadway,” he proudly stated.

In addition to his success in the US, KSM’s creative vision has also made a lasting impact in Ghana. He is the mastermind behind several unforgettable productions, such as Saga of the Returnee and Afia Siriboe, solidifying his position as a key figure in both the international and local entertainment scenes.

KSM advises young people to pay close attention to their natural talents, emphasizing that anything one excels at with ease is a clear indication of their talent.

“I always tell people, anything you can do that comes without effort most likely is your talent. There are people like that, you teach them computers, they just sit behind it, they know what they are doing. Whatever they do, they do it effortlessly. And I tell people take a note of that. If you can do anything without major effort but at the same time excel, most likely is your talent. So pay attention to that,” he urged

He further emphasised that talent is not confined to the creative arts.

“The other mistake that people make is that they think that talent is referred to the arts, like singing, dancing, acting, and painting. It is not true.  You can be a talented mathematician, architect, chemist because it comes to you effortlessly. Don’t limit talent to the creative arts alone. Talent is broad and everyone has a talent.”  

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