Ghanaian actress, Auntie Bee has revealed that she has gained nothing from acting except being popular.
According to the hit TV series ‘Effiewura’ star, since her childhood, she loved to acting and working in film so much that she didn’t have to learn any trade or craft.
The actress disclosed the inconvenience of being unemployed in film because of pregnancy and its childrearing.
“I couldn’t even concentrate and have children for the same reason. I was totally in love with acting. I learned to do nothing else. I’ve now come to understand the proverb: ‘Nothing is permanent’.”
Auntie Bee
Auntie Bee noted her years and experience have taught her so much so that “if I were back to my younger years, I would learn to do 10 different things or get involved in so many things so it’d profit me.”
She said before film, they all started with [Key Soap] Concert Party, a comic theatre show which toured the country and appeared on TV.
She highlighted the Concert Party train “took us to many towns and villages” where it was common to stay and work for many days, adding this would make it difficult to save sometimes.
“Acting could take us to a place and while there, we would be hit by economic hardships. You’d come home with little or empty handed and find yourself depending on the little at home. The only pleasure for us and even those before us was the opportunity to travel about and work for a little to feed.
“When the industry became lucrative, we are not as popular as before to be booked. At first, theatre offered an abundance of work but not much money. And then came film. Even then, those who made money, and acquired properties, per my observation, were those who advanced swiftly through the favour of producers.”
Aunty Bee
“There are those who inherited family properties, came from well-to-do homes or were combining acting with other businesses, also,” she added.
Auntie Bee seemed to struggle to mention what she gained from acting when asked.
“It was even football that took me abroad. Often, for movies, I was sidelined for international opportunities even though my name was on the list,” she said.
“It’s only fame that I got out of acting. I am recognised wherever I go. Acting did not give me marriage. Acting gave me nothing except a little money to spend with my children. Nothing. Well, the car I use up to today is what Rev. Obofour or Nii Adotey Gyata gave me for my acting when I went to visit him.”
Auntie Bee
Auntie Bee expressed her openness to welcoming acts of kindness towards her, not limited to, but such as: Land to build a convenience store on or a house for her contribution and service to the country through acting.
Auntie Bee has acted on stage and on screen for close to 40 years.
Actress Warns Against Political Monopoly
Auntie Bee noted how “tough and expensive” life has become lately.
She bemoaned how the nation, “given where we are coming from,” could not move forward to another level, noting, however, “were it not for God, who stands behind us, we would have perhaps retrogressed”.
“It’s so bad those of us who usually don’t talk are talking and that should tell you something. It’s tough!” the Effiewura star exclaimed.
Reacting to if Ghana should, therefore, carry on at the same pace or seek a change, the comic answered by noting how “successive chieftaincy stools are”.
Eulogizing the late Auntie Muni, whose waakye was celebrity, she stated her (Auntie Muni’s) food was nice.
“And so many people came from far and wide to eat. If it was not nice, people would have stopped eating it. If food is not good, you don’t keep going for it. In fact, the moment you notice it’s not tasty, you throw it into the bin.”
Auntie Bee
Moving from the proverbial to plain language, she categorically said: “Let’s seek [political] change and see how that will help our lives. Let’s give another leader a chance to also do his part.”
Auntie Bee cautioned that if there is no change in leadership, it’d be like a clan monopolising the chieftaincy even when they are terrible at managing affairs.
The actress further noted that there might be someone who could do better but has been sidelined for family interests.
Calling to mind biblical wisdom, the Key Soap Concert party star added: “It’s when we test all the spirits that we find out which one is good.”
The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) led by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia seeks to maintain power after two terms or eight years of President Nana Akufo-Addo at the helm.
The campaign is called Breaking the Eight. Former President John Mahama is the main challenger, on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
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