Daily Inspiration: Meet Dujuan Austin Jr.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dujuan Austin Jr.

Hi Dujuan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
It all started in Chicago in the 90s. I use to watch “Barney and Friends” and I wanted to be one of those kids. I didn’t know they were actors but I wanted to do what they were doing. I then moved to Nashville, TN. I was five years old when my granny took me on my first audition ever which went horrible by the way.

I was so nervous and everything was just moving too fast but I kept dreaming. Fast forward some years and I’m back in Chicago. I land a role in my 6th-grade year in a play called “Whodunnit “and it gets canceled a week before showtime. After weeks of rehearsals and character building, it was just gone and I was just hurt. It was then that I knew for sure I would keep pursuing acting forever. Fast forward again after years of training and practicing and let’s not forget 1 million no’s, I stayed consistent and persistent throughout EVERYTHING thrown my way. When I say everything I mean everything, death, heartbreaks, breakups, children, low finances, even having a couple of months sleeping in my car every single night on the streets of Los Angeles. Nobody knew I was sleeping in my car because I wanted everyone to know I was ok. I was physically ok, but I was becoming broken inside. I started to think I wasn’t going to make it but I then remembered how uncomfortable I was and I immediately became thankful. My relationship with uncomfortableness is really a special one. Uncomfortableness makes you grow. I’d advise everyone to get a little uncomfortable and see what happens after you get through the uncomfortable phase. On the other side of uncomfortableness usually lays great rewards and benefits. You’ll thank you later after just simply staying strong and facing the uncomfortable. I believed in me always. After all the obstacles and hurdles in this thing of ours we call life, I stayed tough and a warrior and kept chasing my dreams and here I am speaking with you all today. Don’t give up.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Has the road been smooth? Oh absolutely not! The road has had sharp abrupt turns, massive potholes, accidents, traffic, flat tires, detours, and some road closures but I always dig a little deeper inside myself and push, knowing what’s at the end of my journey. Some struggles along the way were money loss, no money gain, and time loss and we know you can’t get time back. But it’s all a sacrifice for a bigger picture. I can live with the time sacrifices that I’ve made because I can say that I honestly haven’t wasted time getting in my 10,000 hours of mastering my craft.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an actor, writer, and director. I’m simply one of a kind. I’m original and to know that you’d have to read my scripts or see them, which is finally about to happen this year 2023!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: dujuanjr

Image Credits
Christopher Nolen Lorisa Bates Lem Collins Jermell Howard