The financial difficulties faced by actors and actresses in the Ghanaian film industry have been highlighted by actor and producer Ekow Smith Asante.
He emphasized that because of the low pay in the industry, it is difficult for them to afford homes in desirable neighborhoods like East Legon.
Ekow Smith Asante explained that building a home in East Legon is a difficult task for actors and actresses because they frequently depend on favors and gifts to be able to live in such upscale neighborhoods. This was discussed during an interview with Fiifi Pratt on Kingdom FM.
“I think building a house in East Legon would be difficult. It is very dicey because actors and actresses for instance, get favours”, Ekow Smith Asante shared.
He refuted the notion that Ghanaian actors and actresses live extravagant lives by pointing out that their pay is insufficient to support such extravagance.
Ekow Smith asserts that while actors might receive gifts from people in exchange for their roles in movies, it would take a long time to save up enough money without their help.
“Somebody can give me something because of my particular role in a movie. With gifts from people, it can support you to build, but I think it will take a very long time without it. How much are you paid, GHc10, 000, Ghc20, 000, Ghc30, 000 or what? ” he queried.
He also brought up the subject of actor pay, emphasizing the stark contrast with their Nigerian counterparts, who take a more business-oriented approach and make millions of dollars.
Ekow Smith went on to say that because of the industry’s low pay, particularly when compared to the Nigerian film industry, many actors and actresses from his time were unable to invest in their craft.
He expressed the opinion that the development of the Ghanaian film industry is hampered by Nigerian actors’ preference for business endeavors.
He noted that due to the entertainment industry’s inability to generate significant financial returns, actors of his era had turned to other businesses, like running restaurants, to supplement their income.
Ekow Smith, who presently resides in the United Kingdom, has joined a group of seasoned professionals who have openly acknowledged the dearth of financial rewards in the Ghanaian acting industry, including Mikky Osei Berko, Fred Amugi, Mama Jane, and Pascaline Edwards.
Despite Ekow Smith’s comments, there are actresses who proudly own homes in East Legon and the neighborhood, living among Ghana’s wealthy elite, including Jackie Appiah, Yvonne Nelson, and Tracey Boakye.
