At age 13, war separated him from his mother, and he resorted to becoming a child soldier as a means of survival during southern Sudan’s struggle for independence.

[3] Duany made his debut as a movie actor in the 2004 philosophical comedy film I Heart Huckabees, in which he played a refugee called Stephen Nimieri.

In mid-2011, he co-produced and starred in the documentary film 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 after almost 20 years, voting for the first time and celebrating the country's newly acquired independence on 9 July 2011.

[7] During the 2015 World Refugee Day, Duany was announced as the UNHCR's Goodwill Ambassador for the East and Horn of Africa Region by the organization's Kenya Country Representative, Raouf Mazou in Kakuma.